SSFF & ASIA 2018 Screening in Autumn
Introduction
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), a qualifying film festival for the annual Academy Awards® and one of Asia's largest international short film festivals, will hold "Autumn Screening" (Co-organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government) as a tie-up with the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Overview of SSFF & ASIA 2017 Autumn Screening
| Title | Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2018 Autumn Screening (SSFF & ASIA 2018 Autumn) |
| Duration | October 5, 2018 (Fri.) - October 12, 2018 (Fri.) |
| Venue | TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC ART MUSEUM 10/5~10/8, Anders Tokyo (Toranomon Hills) 10/9~10/12, |
| Contents | Screening of awarded works from SSFF & ASIA 2017 held in June, as well as other excellent short films, two special events etc. |
| Viewing fee | Free |
The Concept this year.
"Cinema Smart"
-Discover Your Life Through Imagination-
Let us introduce the phrase “Book Smart, Street Smart”.
"Book Smart" signifies scholastic knowledge acquired from education, whereas “Street Smart” defines practical knowledge obtained from personal experience.
This phrase intends to emphasize the importance of studying outside, among society, as much as studying in front of a desk. From here, we would like to add the "Cinema Smart" element.
"Cinema Smart" is the knowledge of life brought on by “imagination”.
It has been 125 years since Thomas Edison invented the Kinetoscope, and 123 years since the Lumière brothers invented the Cinématographe. Humans continue to be touched by cinema throughout the years and beyond borders. We get excited by imagining a character’s emotions in a film. At times, we share our emotions and it can give us hope. Sometimes a film can also be life changing. We believe that cinema can impact us anytime and anywhere.
Cinema provides us with knowledge, discovery, emotion, motivation and an escape.
What is Short Film?
Short film is a cinematic piece of work that ranges from lengths as short as 1 minute to as long as approximately 30 minutes. For the official competition at SSFF & ASIA, submitted works are restricted to less than 25 minutes. Despite its short length, there is a wide variety in these works such as drama, animation, and documentary, and many of the stories are rich in wit and cinematic expression that can only be possible given the short length of the piece. There are quite a few directors who started out their careers making short films such as George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg, and there are many short films that have famous actors appear in them as well. Furthermore, short films provide a format that cultivate the talent of up and coming filmmakers, and film festivals are a gateway for their success. How would you like to witness the possibilities of future filmmakers at this film festival?
Festival History
What is Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA)?
This Japan born, Academy Awards® accredited festival is one of the largest film festivals in Asia. The festival was started by actor Tetsuya Bessho, a native of Japan and SAG member, as he wanted to introduce Japanese audiences to short films, a format that many people in Japan were unfamiliar with.The first festival was held in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo in 1999, and it screened 6 short films made by George Lucas, known best for the “Star Wars” franchise, when he was a student. Since then we have received an annual letter of support from the director.
In 2001 the festival became known officially as Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF), and in 2004 was accredited as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards ®. This means that the winner of the festival Grand Prix is eligible to be nominated in one of the short film categories of the Academy Awards ® the following year, offering a bridge between Japan and the Oscars so that young talents may realize their dreams.
Furthermore, Short Shorts Film Festival Asia (SSFF ASIA) was established with support from Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2004, to introduce new Asian video culture and nurture young filmmaking talents from the region. To this day, the two festivals are held together as Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. Aside from the 3 Official Competitions, there are categories and programs compiled around “music,” “environment” and “CG animation” related shorts.
In 2016, we established the “Branded Shorts” program – showcasing a compilation of branded movies produced by firms and institutions. There will be conferences and screenings held for this program during the festival.
Moreover, our online cinema “Brillia Short Shorts Theater Online” launched in February 2018, which introduces a life with cinema throughout the country.
The film festival has so far recorded a total of 380,000 audience members up until now.
Whilst the festival expands its activities in Japan in order to spread the word of short film, it will also continue to support young creators and provide a springboard into the world of film.