News & Reports

Today, the 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival (Sapporo Short Fest 2025) held its kickoff and opening ceremony at the Satsugeki cinema in downtown Sapporo.

The festival runs for four days, from October 10 to 13, showcasing a wide range of short films from Japan and abroad. The evening’s event began at 6:00 p.m. with an opening ceremony followed by a special awards presentation.

Special guests included film director Shunji Iwai and Tetsuya Bessho, founder of the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), who both delivered opening remarks.

The program then continued with the Opening Screening, featuring invited works such as “Geshi Monogatari – Complete Edition” by Shunji Iwai, “Instruments of a Beating Heart”, a short documentary directed by Emma Yamazaki, and “Unconscious in Creativity – Takenobu Igarashi: A Record of 2022–2023”, a documentary about Hokkaido-born designer and sculptor Takenobu Igarashi.

This year marks the festival’s 20th anniversary, and several special programs have been curated to celebrate the milestone, including “SSFF & ASIA Special Selection” and “SSF 20th Anniversary – The Best of the Best”, featuring some of the most acclaimed works from past editions.

Tickets are priced at ¥1,000 for the Opening Screening, ¥1,300 in advance (¥1,500 at the door) per program, and a Festival Pass (Short Film Ironman Pass) is available for ¥6,000.

Many guest directors and industry professionals have traveled to Sapporo for the occasion, with talk sessions and panel discussions scheduled throughout the event.

More than just a celebration of film screenings, the festival also serves as a platform for creators and audiences to exchange ideas about filmmaking and the future of short cinema—making it a highlight for both film fans and industry insiders alike.