SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL & ASIA 2015

On the 2nd day at Andaz Tokyo, many guests came to attend the screening of
two programs. Most of the guests are office workers from the neiborhood or
the Toranonom Hills in which Andaz Tokyo resides. The 1st program was
“Tokyo” program including three “Tokyo Short Film Project” films which
were produced by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and SSFF & ASIA, in
order to attract and allure the tourists to Tokyo.
The program started with “Shabu Shabu Spirit,” a film made with the
collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in
order to spread the attractions of Japanese food and Japanese food culture
throughout Japan and the world.

After the screening, the audience members were escorted to a room where
they were offered a free glass of champagne. Then, there was a Q&A with the
actor Mitsuru Hirata and director Yuki Saitou of “Shabu Shabu Spirit.”
When  the director was asked about the initial idea of the film, Saitou
said, “The film was made for foreign audience. It’s to inform the mannerism of
Japanese food culture, so I thought of Shabu Shabu.” Actor Mitsuru Hirata said that when he first read the script, the dialog was mostly monologue, and he thought it would be a challenge to play the lead character (the role of the farther). “I couldn’t believe that we finished the shooting in a day. It was a “long” day to make a “short,” Hirata added.

Director Saitou said, “Most of the short films that I made were shot in one day. You don’t have much money when you are making short films, so I am used to it. “Saito said also that “The good thing about short film is that the story is so intense and concentrated in such a short time, but it is a challenging task for a filmmaker.” Actor Hirata also said that he would try to be involved in short films more, as characters are sometimes more appealing for actors.

The screening of short films at Andaz Tokyo are going on until the Friday,
the 12th. A free glass of champagne is offered each night, so those who
haven’t been to Andaz Tokyo, it is a must!