SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL & ASIA 2015

Music Shorts Competition Cinematic Award Winner is Santa Yamagishi

Ikiteyuku Full ver.
Santa Yamagishi/Japan/25:00/Music Shorts/2014/♪KANA-BOON ‘Ikiteyuku’
He went to Tokyo to chase his dreams of being in a band and left her behind. When they reunite again at their old haunt on the beach in this seaside town, their conversations of the past and present are swallowed by the sound of the night waves and stir up old memories.

Winner’s Comment
I’d like to thank to everyone who was involved in this film and to share this happiness with them. This is such a standard thing to say but I really am grateful. This completed film “Ikiteyuku Full ver.” was originally a music video, which I then went and selfishly turned into the current work. Is producing it, we re-used the material shot for the original 4-minute video. Thanks to all the crew, we managed to shoot everything in one day.

I really am grateful to all the cast and crew. Moreover, I’m very happy that I could receive such an award together with KANA-BOON, who I’ve been working with for a couple of years now.

This is the third time that the Yuki Kishii and Maguro Taniguchi (of KANA-BOON) have worked together as actors. In the first two music videos they co-starred in, “Naimononedari” and “1.2 step to you,” the mismatched relationship between their characters is depicted. This video, “Ikiteyuku Full ver.,” is not directly connected with these first two videos but you could say that they seem loosely linked.
The big difference with this latest video is that Maguro plays the role of “Taniguchi” – himself. Some musicians (and their companies) hesitate to appear in their own music videos and it is quite understandable – they are not necessarily used to acting and may feel pressure to perform well. However, KANA-BOON and their team seem to enjoy appearing in videos, and I think this is important to creating productions of this kind.
Maguro plays the character well, expressing a subtle sense of distance from Yuki. The lyrics of the song – “I always live with regrets” – suggest a preparedness, a mix of emotions that is hard to sum up in speech but forms the foundation of this video successfully. I think this may be because the person who wrote the song plays the lead role. Please enjoy the combination of the real Maguro and the character he plays.

Santa Yamagishi

 Details are here

Music Shorts Competition Cinematic Special mention Award winner ARATA

This film is based on the success story of ‘GLAY,’ so most of the shooting locations are related to directly them. In particular, the scene where the members record a demo tape – this was shot at a room in the family home of band member TERU. The room is where GLAY members used to gather and talk about music a lot. I think it is interesting for audiences to search out key words related to GLAY as they watch, such as the old name of the band, or hamburgers, which the member of GLAY used to eat often.

HASHIRE MIRAI
ARATA/Japan/18:37/Music Shorts/2014/♪GLAY ‘HASHIRE MIRAI’
A group of four teenagers from Hakodate who, through music, experience the ups and downs of life: from friendships and romance to frustrations and successes. Rock brings them together and propels them forward in pursuit of their dreams in this high energy success story.

Winner’s Comment
It is such an honor to participate in this wonderful film festival and to receive the award among so many great films. This film is based on the story of how the band ‘GLAY’ was formed, and it was filmed at locations throughout GLAY’s hometown Hakodate. The scene shot at the family home of vocalist TERU is particularly special as it gives a real sense of what the band members were like at the time. I am grateful that I could be a part of GLAY’s history.
In addition, I learnt much whilst shooting with Masayuki Suzuki, who appeared in the role of the police man!
I would like to thank the GLAY members, cast, crew, and everyone who was involved in the shooting in Hakodate. Thank you very much.

ARATA

Details are here