The 10th Sapporo Short Fest begins!
The annual “Sapporo International Short Film Festival and Market,” also known as “Sapporo Short Fest,” opened its doors to local movie fans today. The festival is celebrating its 10th edition this year and will screen 263 short films chosen from among 3,321 submissions gathered from 99 different countries and regions. The festival will run until Monday 12th at Sapporo Plaza 2.5 at Tanuki-Koji Shopping Arcade.
Prior to the opening of the festival, the “International Short Film Conference” was held on October 5th at Sapporo Prince Hotel. Film festival organizers from Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, California Independent Film Festival, Tampere International Short Film festival and Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) were invited to this closed event to discuss the future prospects of international short film festivals.
Following the event, “Sapporo International Media Convention” was held. Guest speakers included Ms. Pascale Faure, head of short film business development at Canal+ (plus), one of the biggest Pay TV channels in Europe, and Mr. Roger Gonin, one of the founding members of Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. The convention was moderated by Mr. Yutaka Shigenobu, chairman and director of TV MAN UNION INC., one of the leading television production companies in Japan. After Ms. Faure gave a presentation her company’s activities, the other attendees joined her in discussing and exchanging opinions about the future of short film content.
On the eve of festival, an opening reception was held with hundreds of guests at Sapporo Prince Hotel. After the festival’s inaugural speech by Mr. Katsuhiro Akimoto, the Mayor of Sapporo City, SSFF & ASIA president Tetsuya Bessho congratulated the festival on its 10th anniversary. “Sapporo Short Fest started originally as a part of the SSFF & ASIA national tour, and we are brother festivals,” Bessho stated.
The first day of the festival kicked off with mostly international competition programs, but the program from “SSFF & ASIA” was also screened in the evening. Many people came to watch this program, which included films such as “Shabu-Shabu Spirit,” a film produced by SSFF & ASIA under a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Commissioned Project, as well as “Let’s Go Home!,” the winner of this year’s “Ibaraki Short Film Award.”
Screening tickets are sold at ￥1,300, and students under high school age can attend free of charge.
For further information, please check the official website