Announcement of SSFF & ASIA 2026 shortlist (1st)
We will release a shortlist from among the entries for the Academy Award(R) eligible categories (Live-action Competitions, Animation Competition, and Non-fiction Competition) for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2026.
This year, we received an incredible 986 submissions from around the world, a reflection of the growing diversity and passion of creators connecting through making short films. Among these, 17 films were student projects, and 16 were first-time submissions. Women filmmakers represented approximately 45.17% of entries, while men accounted for 54.83%.
International Competition Overview
For the International Competition, we received 500 submissions. The top submitting countries were the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, each contributing a vibrant range of works that highlight both shared and distinct cultural perspectives.
The trends across these films reveal a strong focus on personal journeys and relationships. Many filmmakers explore human connections, stories that are character-driven about growth, choices, and inner transformations. Recurring themes include death, grief, change, and self-discovery.
Asia International Competition Overview
The Asia International Competition received 193 submissions, representing a diverse range of voices from across the region. The top submitting countries were China, Korea, and Iran, followed closely by Taiwan. Common topics are family dynamics; stories often revolve around the complexities of family life. The average film duration was 16 minutes and 13 seconds.
Japan Competition Overview
The Japan Competition received 35 submissions, showcasing stories that highlight the unique qualities of Japanese filmmaking. Several films explore the supernatural; also, a recurring theme is the depiction of ordinary daily life that takes an unexpected turn.. The average duration of films in this category is 13 minutes, reflecting concise yet emotionally resonant storytelling typical of Japanese short cinema.
Animation Competition Overview
The Animation Competition received 126 submissions, with China and the United States leading in submissions, followed by France and Poland. Many works frequently employ metaphor and symbolism to explore introspective or philosophical ideas about existence, self-discovery, life, and death.Non-Fiction Competition Overview
The Non-Fiction Competition received 73 submissions, showcasing a compelling array of real-world stories and creative documentary approaches. The top submitting countries were Canada, the United States, and Switzerland. The average duration of these films was 14 minutes and 51 seconds. Many films explore memory through old footage or revisited archives, while other films reflect on environmental issues or focus on creative individuals such as artists, musicians, athletes, and craftspeople.
〜SSFF & ASIA 2026 shortlist(1st)～
~ The name of the film, the director name, and the country name will be listed in alphabetical order by category
| Project Title | Directors | Country of Origin |
| International | ||
| 1:10 | Sinan Taner | Switzerland |
| 11:11 | Mahnoor Euceph | United States |
| A year of marriage | Pablo Camargo López | Mexico |
| Bus | Andre Balbuena | Peru |
| Cinema, Mon Amour | Ibrahim Handal & Wisam Aljafari | Palestine |
| Houston, We Have a Crush | Omer Ben Shachar | United States |
| LOSS | Sivan Levy Zakin | Israel |
| Living Grounds | Emile Lavoie | Canada |
| Mushroom Dad | Michael Yuchen Lei | United States |
| Oi | Sophie Serisier | Australia |
| Rage | Fran Moreno Blanco & Santi Pujol Amat | Spain |
| Samba Infinito | Leonardo Martinelli | Brazil |
| The Last Snow | Rodolphe Bouquet-Populus | France |
| THE SPECTACLE | Bálint Kenyeres | France, Hungary |
| The Swimsuit | Amina Krami | Austria |
| Asia | ||
| A South Facing Window | Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir | France, Mongolia |
| BABY FAT | Margarita Mina | Philippines |
| Captive Audience | Kew Lin | Singapore |
| fish | Jian Wei Hoe | Singapore |
| Her Time | Sidan Wang | China |
| KUCHAR (The Itch) | Vaidaangi Sharma | India |
| Little Fishies | Mallika Juneja | India |
| Omen | Thao Ho | Vietnam |
| Papayah | Xin Ruu Lim | Malaysia |
| Ride Your Horse | Dongxu Song | China |
| Somewhere in Time, River and Stone | HUANG Chih-Chia Paulie | Taiwan |
| Taxidermist | Behzad Alavi | Iran |
| That’s A Wrap | Shin & Sunny Hinduja | India |
| Whisper of the Tranquil Water | Jun CHONG | Singapore |
| Animation | ||
| Dollhouse Elephant | Jenny Jokela | Finland |
| DUBIOUS GARDEN, ON THE BEAUTY OF THINGS | Aprin Manon, Bègue Candice, Butz Noée, Minh Xuân Codet Léonie & Tetuanui Manoa | France |
| Fačuk | Maida Srabovic | Croatia |
| Hand | Wang Jing | Japan |
| Horde | Janina Ksieska | Poland |
| I’m not sure | Luisa Zürcher | Switzerland |
| K’uchu: A childhood place | Alessio Del Pozo Temoche | Peru |
| Lost Touch | Justine Klaiber | Switzerland |
| More Than Happy | Wei Keong Tan | Singapore |
| Nils Karlsson Pussling | Yaprak Morali, Are Austnes | Norway, Sweden |
| S The Wolf | Sameh Alaa | France |
| The bird’s placebo | Rami Jarboui | Tunisia |
| Trading Cards | Radheya Jang Jegatheva | Australia, United Kingdom |
| The Weed’s Gardener | Kovanova Assia | Bulgaria |
| What We Leave Behind | Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte | Canada |
| When The Tide Comes | Fêt-Nat Bailly | United Kingdom |
| Non Fiction | ||
| A Man Who Takes Pictures of Flowers | Yoo Lee | United States |
| Free Fish | Bisan Owda | Palestine |
| Grandma’s Four Color Cards | Sally Phuong Tran | Vietnam |
| Handwoven | Dasha Levin, Mason Cazalet, Mihika Das & Matthew Wisdom | Ireland |
| In Memoriam / Islanders | Matleena Jänis | Finland |
| Risky Routes | Jonas Steiner | Switzerland |
| Syrinx | Alix Galdin | Canada |
| Well of Death | Pranav Dawar | India |
| Japan | ||
| The Cassette | Naoya Tatsuzawa | Japan |
| Smile Shines Wet | Akio Fukushima | United Kingdom |
| MEAN ANGEL | Yuria Matsushita | Japan |
| He said, “During the Summer” | Yusuke Inaba | Japan |
Festival selections will be made from among the shortlisted films. The shortlist films will be selected monthly until the end of March, 2026 and will be uploaded on the festival’s official website by the end of April, 2026. This month’s shortlist is mainly for films submitted by the end of August, but the timing of the announcements may vary.
■SSFF & ASIA 2026 Call for entry https://app.lifelogbox.com/festival/shortshorts?tab=competition