Competition & Awards Jury
Competition & Awards
Grand Prix
George Lucas Award
The George Lucas Award (Grand Prix) will be selected from out of the Live-action Competition (International, Asia International, Japan), Non-Fiction and Animation categories.
Live-action Competition
A live-action competition consisting of three categories: International, Asia International, and Japan.
International Best Short Award
A live-action Competition program that screens short films from every corner of the world, with the exception of Asia and Japan.
The winning film will be eligible for an Academy Awards® nomination in one of the short film categories the following year.
Prize: 600,000 yen
Asia International Best Short Award
A live-action Competition program of international short films that presents works from throughout Asia, with the exception of Japan.
The winning film will be eligible for an Academy Awards® nomination in one of the short film categories the following year.
Prize: 600,000 yen
Japan Best Short Award
A live-action Competition that presents short films from Japan.
The winning film will be eligible for an Academy Awards® nomination in one of the short film categories the following year.
Prize: 600,000 yen
Governor of Tokyo Award
This award will be given to the films awarded Best Short in both the Live-action competition Asia International and Japan.
Audience Award
Audience members will vote to give the award to one winner from the each of the official competition category – International, Asia International, Japan, Non-Fiction and Animation.
Best Actor Award
Winners will be selected from each of the Live-action Competition (International, Asia International & Japan Competition).
Other Competitions
Competitions and Projects with various themes.
Non-Fiction Competition
In 2018, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of SSFF & ASIA, we established the brand new “Non-fiction Competition.”Being an Academy Awards® accredited short film festival has allowed us to present this competition, which will let the audience experience the power of visual images.
Best Short Award
This is an award given to the best film selected from the nominees.
The winning film will be eligible for an Academy Awards® nomination in one of the short film categories the following year.
Prize: 600,000 yen
Animation Competition
We look for a wide range of animated short films! The Best Short Award Winner will be eligible for nomination at the annual Academy Awards® the following year.
Best Short Award
This award will be given to the best film in the Animation Competition chosen by the 3 jury memebers, together with Digital Hollywood Co.,Ltd. and the Committee for Short Shorts.
Prize: 600,000 yen
Cinematic Tokyo Competition
Established in 2017, the Cinematic Tokyo Competition introduces short films that take “Tokyo” as their subject. It shows the many attractions that Tokyo has to offer.
Best Short Award
This award will be given to the best film in the Cinematic Tokyo Competition.
The Governor of Tokyo Award is also given to this film.
Prize: 1,000,000 yen
U-25 project
Established in 2019. In order to support young Japanese or Japan-based filmmakers, we called for short films of less than 5 minutes, produced by directors under 25 years old.
Best Short Award
This award will be given to the best film in the U-25 Project.
Prize: 100,000 yen
Book Shorts Award
Literary Award that links with short films. A project for the public to submit short stories and screenplays written based on fairy tales, legends, folk tales, and novels.
Best Award
Best Award Awarded to one work among all the entries. The winner will be awarded 500,000 JPY as well as an opportunity for the work to be adopted into a short film.
Prize: 500,000 yen and an opportunity for the work to be adopted into a short film
Other Awards
HOPPY HAPPY AWARD
The “Be HAPPY with HOPPY Award” will be chosen from among the nominated short films by Japanese directors that best embodies Hoppy beverage’s theme of being “HAPPY with HOPPY.” The winning works will be screened at “HOPPY HAPPY THEATER” which will open in June.
Prize: 500,000 yen
Supplementary Prize: In addition, the director will be given the opportunity to direct a short film produced by Hoppy Beverage and SSFF & ASIA.
CyberAgent Vertical Award
An award presented to works or projects that have demonstrated “high impact and expressive power” in vertical short film content within Japan in recent years.
Prize: 500,000 yen
Additional Prize: A special experience tour of the Kiwami AI Odaiba Studio and the right to produce a work using the studio.
TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY AWARD
Awarded to individuals, works, and projects that pioneer the future of visual storytelling and creatively connect Japan with the world.
DCP Award
An award in which participants democratically and openly select the winning works by utilizing a value-circulating community (DAO) pilot system provided by DeCurret DCP Inc. Winners are chosen through democratic voting by creators themselves. All Japanese works that have ever been submitted to SSFF & ASIA are eligible.
Prize: ¥500,000 or digital currency DCJPY equivalent to ¥500,000
Additional Award: Selected as an official “Creative Partner” certified by DeCurret DCP
Best Thrill Award supported by CRG
Subtle unease hidden in everyday life, a single shot that sends chills down the spine in an instant, and a kind of fear so compelling you cannot help but share it with someone. In selecting the works, we place emphasis on originality, addictiveness, and uncanny fear, as well as storytelling that reflects the theme, visual sensibility that resonates in the age of social media, and a distinctive authorial voice.
In this section, creator agency CRG will present the Common Theme Award (Special Saikyo Award) to one work selected under the shared theme of Fear Hidden in Everyday Life, the Monthly Theme Awards to four works selected from each monthly theme, and the Best Thrill Award Supported by CRG to one work chosen from among those five winners as the piece that most powerfully shakes the audience.
Prize money is 200,000 yen for the Common Theme Award, 50,000 yen each for the Monthly Theme Awards, and an additional 300,000 yen for the Best Thrill Award Supported by CRG, bringing the total prize amount to 700,000 yen.
Tom Yoda Next Frame Award
An award presented among the 2026 nominees to young Japanese creators—students or those who have not yet begun their professional careers—who demonstrate strong ambition on a global scale, supporting their learning in filmmaking and encouraging their challenge toward the next stage.
Shibuya Diversity Award
This award will be given to a work chosen from a selection of films that picture diversity and inclusion, which are part of the educational activities to spread the fundamental plan of Shibuya City.
Save the Earth!
Minister’s Award,
the Ministry of the Environment
This award is given to the work with the strongest message on environmental issues out of all the works selected for the competitions.
J-WAVE
SOUND OF CINEMA AWARD
Selected by a jury of J-WAVE listeners, the award is given to the short film in which the “sound” in the film – such as the score, songs, voices, and instruments etc., are uniquely and effectively used.
Global Spotlight Award
Selected by the Committee for Short Shorts, this award is given to the creator or artist of a short film that inspires a broad audience and receives widespread, global attention.
Most Viewed Award
Award for the most viewed film online at the Festival from the competition films screened online from June 11.
Promotional Movie Contest Best Short Clip Award
We invite submissions for promotional videos for the film festival and distributed voting rights for this contest to the public through LIFE LOG BOX, accepting votes from both creators and audiences.
Awarded to the work that received the highest number of votes and was selected by the Short Shorts Committee.
Prize: ¥100,000
Jury
Coming Soon!
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