J-Pop Group Ikimonogakari & Japan Academy Award Winner Eiji Uchida Collaborate on a Short Film “Stardust Children” World Premiere Opening film at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2021 Online Venue 04/27!
Academy Awards® accredited Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, will world premiere “Stardust Children” as the opening film of the festival online theater, which kicks-off on Tuesday, 04/27. Story based on the hit song by Ikimonogakari’s “Kirakira ni Hikaru”. Directed by Eiji Uchida, director of the Japan Academy Award winning film “Midnight Swan” & the subject of the hit film “Naked Director.” The film was shot entirely on Sony’s smartphone Xperia™.
URL: https://youtu.be/JWfM_ArrTq8
World Premiere at 2:00pm on April 27, JST
The film is based on “Stardust Children”（Hoshikuzu no ko), which was inspired by Ikimonogakari’s hit song “Kirakra ni Hikaru” & was chosen from submissions to Sony Music Entertainment’s platform for user generated contents, monogatary.com.
Title：『Stardust Children』
Story: Annin Gogatsu {https://monogatary.com/story/86452}
Original Concept: “Kirakira ni Hikaru” Written by Yoshiki Mizuno (Ikimonogakari) {https://youtu.be/AKICeCLHLsw}
Directed by: Eiji Uchida Cinematography: Maki Itō Written by Eiji Uchida & Lee Nawon
Cast: Haru Nakamura (Maruta), Ryōka Minamide (Senebu), Mai Kikuchi (Bella)
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy 24:00 minutes
Synopsis: Themed on the song “Kirakira ni Hikaru” by Ikimonogakari & submitted to monogatary.com the story is based on the winning submission “Stardust Children” (Hoshikuzu no Ko)”. Maruta is driven out of his land after he is considered to be cursed. After wandering through the forest, he encounters a stardust children who are righteous & pure. Maruta befriends Senebu & Bella & the children but as the Star festival approaches…
Eiji Uchida Profile:
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After working as a reporter for Playboy japan, he debuted as a writer for TBS TV network in 1999. After 2005 ”Gekidan Engisha” for Fuji TV, constantly released films a s writer & director to worldwide critical acclaim. His 2014 film “Grateful Dead” was selected & screened at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, the Fantastic Fest (USA), the Raindance Film Festival (UK) & at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.
In 2016 he wrote & directed “Lowlife Love” which was distributed through Third Window Films. The film was a smash hit at Teatro in Shinjuku. The film was screened at over 30 film festivals worldwide including the Tokyo international FF, & the Rotterdam International FF. the film was also distributed in England, Germany, Singapore & Hong Kong. In 2019, he wrote & directed the Tokyo TV drama “I Turn” & wrote & directed 2 episodes of the Netflix hit film “the Naked Director.” His 2020 film “Midnight Swan” which he wrote & directed, won the Best Screenplay, Best Director & Best Film Awards at the 44th Japan Academy Awards.
Ikimonogakari Profile: Formed in 1999. Yoshiki Mizuno, Kiyoe Yoshioka, Hotaka Yamashita. Made their major label debut with “Sakura” in 2006 which was followed by the hits “Bluebird, ”Yell,” & “Arigatou.” On March 31, 2021, they released their 9th album “Who?” which includes the song “Kirakira ni Hikaru.”
monogatary.com
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This year Sony Group Corporation and Sony Corporation (summarize two companies as Sony) will once again support the Official Competitions (International, Asia International, Japan) to support the filmmakers who will create & set the new trends & styles of visual contents & is the gateway to a possible nomination in the short film category at the Academy Awards©︎. In addition, “Smartphone Film Competition” is supported to expand creative expression & opportunities for new challenges in discovering new forms of creativity unique to smartphones. We will once again hold various special events as the Creator’s Junction partnered with Xperia following last year’s successful talk show held in September. We will announce the details in the near future. Here’s the link for further information on the joint project by SSFF & ASIA 2021 & Sony’s Xperia. https://www.shortshorts.org/sony/
※On April 1st, Sony Mobile Communications Corporation has been changed to its name to Sony Corporation.