The only international festival in Japan dedicated to branded movies, presented by Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia In Its 11th Year, BRANDED SHORTS Enters a New Chapter Now accepting entries for newly established categories, including ‘Personal Branding,’ the ‘HR Category’ focusing on human resources and recruitment perspectives, and the 15th ‘Visual Tourism Award’ featuring tourism promotion videos from across Japan
BRANDED SHORTS, launched in 2016 as an official category of Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), marks its 10th anniversary in 2025. Over the past decade, the category has explored the creative potential that lies beyond the boundaries of film and advertising, bringing to life the stories and messages of countless brands through the power of short films.
As BRANDED SHORTS enters its 11th year in 2026, it will take a bold new step forward—transforming into a platform that embraces even more diverse values and perspectives in visual storytelling. In anticipation of this evolution, we are now accepting year-round submissions of branded movies from creators around the world.
Alongside this, we are also accepting entries for three special awards launched to commemorate our 10th anniversary: the newly established Personal Branding Award, the HR Best Short Award which highlights work from an HR and recruitment perspective, and the 15th Tourism Video Award, featuring promotional films produced across all 47 prefectures of Japan.
As BRANDED SHORTS moves into its next chapter, we invite you to share your bold and creative stories with us.URL https://app.lifelogbox.com/festival/shortshorts?tab=detailOfBranded
Entry Guidelines
*Please refer to a separate guideline for the Personal Branding Award.
▪️ Entry Start Date
Entries will be accepted starting Friday, August 1, 2025.
▪️ Submission Period & Eligibility
BRANDED SHORTS accepts submissions throughout the year.
However, only works submitted during the period below will be eligible for consideration and screening at BRANDED SHORTS 2026, scheduled to take place in the fall of 2026.
[Eligible Works for BRANDED SHORTS 2026]
Submissions received between August 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.
Please note: Works submitted on or after April 1, 2026 will be considered for the following year’s edition (BRANDED SHORTS 2027).
1. Eligibility – Release Period
Works must have been released or made public between January 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026.
2. Film Duration
Maximum length: 25 minutes
3. Eligibility – Entry Requirements
Submissions must be visual content created for the purpose of communicating a company’s or organization’s brand, service, or activity to its audience.
Submissions are open to anyone, including companies, organizations, advertising agencies, and production companies, regardless of industry.
4. Entry Fee
A submission fee is required. The fee varies depending on the submission period, so we recommend entering early.
- Early Deadline: August 1 – September 30, 2025: 15,000 JPY (incl. tax)
- Regular Deadline: October 1 – December 31, 2025: 20,000 JPY (incl. tax)
- Late Deadline: January 1 – March 31, 2026: 30,000 JPY (incl. tax)
For Inquiries Regarding Submissions
URL https://app.lifelogbox.com/festival/shortshorts/branded-shorts
Personal Branding Award – Entry Guidelines
1. Overview
- Award Title: Personal Branding Award 2026
This award honors individuals whose video-driven communication captures the spirit of the times and effectively contributes to personal branding.
Entries will be evaluated based on five key criteria:
Engagement, Business Potential, Video Quality, Viewer Retention, and Post-View Recall. - Submission Period: August 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026 (tentative)
- Eligibility:
Individuals who share video content through social media platforms.
No restrictions on profession or nationality. - Evaluation Scope:
Both the submitted video(s) and the overall content of the specified social media account will be reviewed. - Prize: ¥100,000 (JPY)
2. How to Apply
1) Post a video to the social media account you are most confident in. Eligible platforms
Include : X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
2) Follow the official Short Shorts accounts from your own account:
- X: @s_s_f_f
- TikTok: @ssff.official
- Instagram: @ssff.official
3) Include the following hashtag in your video post: #PersonalBrandingAward2026
(Note: Please use the hashtag exactly as shown, including Japanese characters.)
＊No entry form is required.
＊Your submission is considered complete once you post your video with the hashtag on your social media account.
- 3. About the Judging Process
The evaluation at this stage will be based solely on the hashtagged posts submitted on social media.
Judges will also review other posts on the applicant’s account to assess overall consistency, uniqueness, and influence of the content shared.
Multiple entries from different social media platforms are allowed; however, judging will be conducted independently for each platform.
Posts on other social media platforms will not be considered during this stage. Please apply using the platform you are most proficient with.
- 4. About the Second Stage Judging
Applicants who pass the first stage will be invited to complete an application form, where they will be asked to provide a personal statement and links to other social media accounts, among other detailed information.
- 5. Important Notes for Applicants
Your social media account must be public. Private or limited-access accounts will not be eligible for review.
Applicants are responsible for securing all necessary rights, including copyright and portrait rights, related to the submitted videos.
Multiple video submissions are allowed; however, evaluation will be conducted on an account basis rather than on individual videos.
Posts containing content that violates public order and morals or includes defamatory remarks will be disqualified from the judging process.
6. Contact Information
For any inquiries regarding entries, please contact us at:
📧 entry@brandedshorts.jp
【BRANDED SHORTS】
The Only International Advertising Video Category in Japan
In an era where traditional communication planning alone struggles to foster genuine engagement with customers, the way companies and consumers communicate has drastically changed. Recently, an increasing number of companies have been investing heavily in video marketing. Particularly, branded movies — videos that balance “value for consumers” (such as entertainment and usefulness) with “messages and philosophies from companies and brands” — have garnered early attention overseas. With the evolution of video marketing in Japan, the importance of such content has also grown domestically.
In 2016, the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) established an official category called Branded Shorts, creating unique standards within the international short film festival framework to showcase branded movies.
The festival connects a network of over 50,000 filmmakers and production companies who have participated over the years, alongside a strong network of companies and advertising agencies that create and express brands. By bridging these four communities, SSFF & ASIA aims to further expand each industry’s horizons.
Serving not only as a leading international short film festival but also as Japan’s first international advertising festival with a unique perspective through BRANDED SHORTS, the festival operates as a hybrid and real ranking platform. We are committed to continuously exploring and expanding the possibilities of short films.