Short Shorts Film Festival Asia 2026
One of Asia’s Largest Academy Award® Accredited Festivals to Open May 25 in Tokyo and Online
Theme “Cinema Engineering” Explores Future of Film with 5,000 Global Entries
and New Sensory “Food” & “Art” Programs
TOKYO — The Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) 2026, an Academy Award® accredited international short film festival, will be held from May 25 (Mon) to June 10 (Wed), 2026, at multiple venues in Tokyo and via its global online platform (online through June 30). This 28th edition introduces the theme “Cinema Engineering”, focusing on the intentional design of cinematic experiences—merging AI, vertical video, and sensory storytelling to resonate with human perception. https://www.shortshorts.org/2026/en/index.html
2026 Festival Highlights
■Massive Global Scale: Approximately 5,000 short films were submitted from over 100 countries and regions.
■Voices from Conflict Zones: The lineup includes powerful narratives from countries facing the hardships of war, including Iran, Israel, Palestine, Yemen, Syria, and Ukraine.
■Sensory “Food” & “Art” Programs: The festival will feature special programs dedicated to “Food and Memory” and multidisciplinary “Art” (dance, music, animation), with some screenings held in unique settings like traditional tatami rooms .
■Record AI Integration: A historic high of 368 AI-integrated works were submitted, showcasing trends such as AI-generated music and a partnership with the WORLD AI FILM FESTIVAL.
■New Landmark Venue: The opening ceremony and red carpet will take place at “MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives,” a new experimental museum designed by architect Kengo Kuma.
Leadership Perspectives
“AI is no longer a magic trick; it is a ‘brush of light’ just like a camera or lighting,” says Tetsuya Bessho, President of SSFF & ASIA . “We seek the true value of the movie experience by engineering both technology and analog sensibilities to project hope onto a confused society”. LiLiCo, SSFF & ASIA 2026 Ambassador, adds: “This is the most wonderful time of year where we meet the ‘soul’ of the works and the creators . It is the world’s most welcoming and home-like film festival”.
Comments from SSFF & ASIA 2026 Ambassador LiLiCo
The season is finally here!
This festival continues to grow larger every year, thanks to the trust and bonds that President Tetsuya Bessho and our entire staff have built with film lovers around the world over so many years.
Talking with creators from Japan and abroad, watching their films, sharing stories, cleaning the streets together, and raising a glass… there is a truly passionate chemistry that only happens because we all love the same thing. This is the most wonderful time of the year because we get to meet the people behind the films—the very ‘soul’ of the work.
From there, we deliver those stories to all of you. I truly believe this is the most welcoming, home-like film festival in the world. We welcome you all from the bottom of our hearts!
LiLiCo
Comments from SSFF & ASIA President Tetsuya Bessho
Today, AI is no longer a special magic trick; it has become an integral part of filmmaking, serving as a ‘brush of light’ just like cameras or lighting.
We are witnessing a turning point in cinematic history, where co-creation between AI and humans—along with ‘vertical video,’ the new visual language born from smartphones—is being sublimated into art.
At the same time, the many works capturing the ‘now’ of our world, including the stories of ‘Food’ and ‘Art’ we are focusing on this year, are deeply imbued with unchanging human love and memory.
How can we ‘engineer’ technology and analog sensibilities to project hope onto our confused society? Through these exquisite short films gathered from around the globe, I want to explore with all of you the ‘true value of the cinematic experience’ in this modern age overflowing with video
Tetsuya Bessho
【Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2026 Overview】
■Festival President：Tetsuya Bessho
■Festival Period：
Monday, May 25th : Opening Ceremony
Tuesday, May 26th to Tuesday, June 9th : Screening at Tokyo
Wednesday, June 10th : Award Ceremony
※Online Venue: Monday, May 25th to Tuesday, June 30th
■Screening Venues：MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives
(Box1000、Tatami、Park Terrace）
Akasaka Intercity Conference、EurolLive、
WITH HARAJUKU
※Dates and programs vary by venue
■Official Website:
https://www.shortshorts.org/2026/en/index.html
※Full Lineup Announcement: Scheduled for April 23, 2026.
■Ticket Sales: Starting April 25, 2026, at 14:00 JST.
■General Inquiry：info@shortshorts.org
■Host：Committee for Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia