SSFF & ASIA 2026 Shortlist foe the Global Spotlight Award has been announced
The first selection of nominees for the 6th annual SSFF & ASIA Global Spotlight Award has been announced.
This award honors renowned directors, actors, artists, cultural figures, and athletes who, through the medium of short film, have illuminated issues of global significance and social impact. The diverse range of themes recognized to date includes LGBTQ+ equality, Black Lives Matter, environmental issues, and human rights, as well as the creative use of new technologies and platforms such as VFX, NFTs, and AI.
In anticipation of the 2026 festival, the first four shortlisted titles in contention for the award have been revealed today.
The four titles announced for the current shortlist are: “Three,” directed by Robert Carlyle, renowned for his roles in Trainspotting and The Full Monty; “How to Shoot a Ghost,” directed by Charlie Kaufman, the visionary behind Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; “Ritual Identities,” directed by the acclaimed Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) and starring Scarlett Johansson; and “The Littles,” a horror short starring Violet McGraw, who rose to fame as Cady in M3GAN.
Additional shortlisted works will be announced monthly through April, with the final award winner to be revealed in June.
〈SSFF & ASIA 2026 Global Spotlight Award Shortlist Vol.1〉
『Three』Director：Robert Carlyle／22：00／U.K.／Drama／2026
A young man invited to an older couple’s home for drinks, leading to a tense, seductive power game exploring themes of sex, privilege, and control, revealing uncomfortable truths as the night unfolds. The film, co-written by Carlyle, serves as a proof-of-concept for a feature film.
『How to shoot a ghost』Director：Charlie Kaufman／27:00／U.S.A ／Drama／2025
Two newly dead young people meet in the streets of Athens, amid the pulsing cityscape and the ghosts of history. One a translator, the other a photographer, they were outsiders in life; in death they struggle with the residue of their longings and mistakes. They wander the city together, finding consolation in the difficult beauty of existence and its aftermath.
『Ritual Identities』監督：ヨルゴス・ランティモス／2:00 ／U.S.A／ドラマ／2025
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Scarlett Johansson, this surreal one-minute campaign film for Prada explores the transformation of identity through enigmatic rituals.
As Johansson gathers elements such as rainwater, ashes, and blood to clone herself, the Prada Galleria bag serves as a talisman for reinvention, representing the inherent fluidity of both the self and fashion. Blurring the boundaries between fashion, cinema, and fine art, the film presents a miniature cinematic universe that reflects Lanthimos’s signature style while challenging static notions of persona.
『The Littles』 Director： Andrew Duplessie／7:00／U.S.A／Horror／2025
When 11 year old Juliet stubs her toe on a loose floorboard, she unwittingly sets off a series of mysterious events. A faint noise and an unusual glow seeping through the cracks capture her curiosity. But as she investigates, Juliet finds herself pulled into a chilling, otherworldly encounter.