What is the reason for submitting films to film festivals? Check out these comments from the SSFF & ASIA 2015 Audience Award winners!
Are you starting to feel that it’s getting increasingly difficult to get your work into film festivals? Well, here are some comments from the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2015 Audience Award winners. Hear about their reasons for submitting to SSFF & ASIA and their opinions on the significance of having your filmed selected to screen!
It’s not just about having your film shown in your own country, but also about the experience of having your work screened to audiences further afield. There are many important reasons for submitting your work to festivals, as directors the world over will observe. Here are the thoughts of some directors!
International Competition Audience Award Winner: Lee Whittaker
Because my first experience in entertainment business was in Tokyo and this was my first time as Director/ Writer, if only felt appropriate to reconnect with this amazing city and culture. The festival also holds high regards to films that are shown.
Film: Catching Fireflies
ASIA International Competition Audience Award Winner: Mailesan Rangaswamy
I decided to screen my film at SSFF & ASIA is because this is Asia’s greatest film festival and therefore a great opportunity to reach a varied audience. This platform also is Oscar affiliated, which is a huge opportunity for a small film maker like me.
JAPAN Competition Audience Award Winner: Yuki Saito
11 years ago, when I was a student in LA, I borrowed money to make a film titled “TRIANGULATION POINT.” The film received the Audience Award at SSFF & ASIA 2004. This was the beginning. If the film didn’t receive a response I was thinking of going back to Japan and starting the job hunt. The fact that I received this award in 2004 had a huge effect on my subsequent career, and helped make me what I am today.
Since then, SSFF & ASIA has been my base. I am very grateful to this festival, where, over the years, I have participated via seven different films: four in competition and 3 as special production projects.
In my speech at the award ceremony last year, I commented, “One jury member has said that the quality of short films from Japan is low, and that unless young filmmakers try harder, the gap between Japanese short films and other Asian and International short films will become wider. I am mortified because I, myself, feel the same. We young filmmakers should work hard in friendly competition with each other, gathering our works together each year at this festival. Let’s boost the Japanese film industry!” I wanted to stick by my word, so I decided to submit my work to the competition this year.
Film: Gotham Jumble Parfait
Information on submitting your film!
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), the first Academy Awards® accredited film festival in Japan and one of Asia’s largest international short film festivals, began accepting submissions for its 2016 edition on August 1, 2015 (Sat).
Please access the Call for Entries page via the official festival website (www.shortshorts.org/) for further details on the submission process.
