SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL & ASIA 2015

Winner’s comment from Audience award winners!

Audience Award

International Competition

Winner: Lee Whittaker

Catching Fireflies
Lee Whittaker/USA/19:58/Fantasy/2014
A little Latina girl attempts to escape the rigors and misfortunes of living on Skid Row Los Angeles through the power of her mystical imagination, while simultaneously trying to protect the bond with her addict mother.

Film information is here

I would say when my lead actress goes into a bathroom after a dramatic experience and the bathroom comes to life and transforms her into a new world where she finds the secret to saving her mothers life. If Catch a firefly in the night sky, then your wishes come true.

Winner’s comment

It is such an honor to receive the international audience award and continue to share our social awareness film CATCHING FIREFLIES about homelessness and spread the message. When traveling to different cultures you never know if your story will translate. For the Japanese audience to embrace our film and connect with the message is the best feeling for me as a story teller. I am forever grateful and honored and hope that we can all “be the difference.”

ASIA International Competition

Winner: Mailesan Rangaswamy
Bicycle
Mailesan Rangaswamy/India/21:10/Drama/2014
While staring at the horizon, two boys share their dreams: one wants to be a businessman while the other hopes to travel the world. Risking his job as a shoeshiner on the streets of Mumbai, one of the boys makes a great sacrifice to help his friend’s dream come true.

Film information is here

The highlight of my film is human emotions- to put others before you. No matter your situation in life, no matter if you have no money. There is always hope and so one should never give up.

Winner’s comment

Thank you so much for this honour. I am very happy and grateful for this award. It was an immense pleasure to be part of such a great film festival. I thank the festival committee for making it possible for me to experience it first hand in your beautiful country. I have had the opportunity to watch a lot of great films from all around the world and meet interesting people in the process. The Short Shorts Film Festival has been a truly wonderful and humbling experience on the whole. I wish to be back again with an even better film. Thank you again for this great honour.

JAPAN Competition

Winner: Yuki Saito
Gotham Jumble Parfait
Yuki Saito/Japan/15:01/Drama/2015
A Yakuza-like man splattered with blood sits face-to-face with a younger man dripping with cream soda. A gun on the table and a dead body on the floor. There’s also an older waitress and a black customer. Confusion mounts as the man orders four parfaits.

Film information is here

The whole of this film is a highlight – don’t miss the foreshadowing and the swift storyline changes.
I tried to create a form of expression unique to short film, something that is not possible with a feature!
The very last line of the film also presents my thoughts as a film director.

Winner’s comment

Winning the Audience Award has special significance for me as I am an entertainment-oriented individual and my biggest motivation to create films is to thrill and excite audiences. This is the fourth time my work has been in a SSFF competition and I profess that it is my fourth Audience Award. I am truly happy to have achieved my goal and thank everyone who watched “Gotham Jumble Parfait.” However, I do have some regret at missing out on the Grand Prix. Next time I’d like to aim for a double win!!