{"id":18382,"date":"2026-10-01T18:15:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T09:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/?post_type=news_en&p=18382"},"modified":"2026-10-01T18:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T09:15:32","slug":"visualexpo_929report","status":"publish","type":"news_en","link":"https:\/\/shortshorts.org\/content\/news_en\/biz\/visualexpo_929report\/","title":{"rendered":"Visual EXPO by BRANDED SHORTS Debuts in Tokyo: Celebrating Excellence in Branded Storytelling with Announcement of 2026 Category Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Showcasing Global & National Award Winners, New AI Video Partnerships, and Online Streaming Worldwide Through November 30<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Visual Voice Inc. has officially held \u201cVisual EXPO by BRANDED SHORTS\u201d<\/strong> at Akasaka Intercity Conference in Tokyo on September 28 and 29, 2026. Evolved from “BRANDED SHORTS”\u2014the branded film unit linked with the Academy Awards\u00ae-accredited Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA)\u2014the inaugural EXPO serves as a physical platform under the theme “Creating the Future of Business Through the Power of Cinema.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of 654 submissions from around the world, the festival announced the prestigious Branded Shorts of the Year 2026<\/strong> along with category winners celebrating human-centric storytelling and brand identity. To reach a global audience, all nominated and award-winning films, along with archived industry panels, are currently streaming worldwide for free on the official Visual EXPO online platform through November 30, 2026<\/strong> (https:\/\/app.lifelogbox.com\/visualexpoonline<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n

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Honoring Human Storytelling: Branded Shorts of the Year 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award ceremony highlighted films that addressed profound social issues and human relationships through delicate storytelling:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

🔶<\/strong>National Category Winner:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Even Though No One is to Blame” <\/strong>|<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Director: Ayumu Omori \/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Brand: Marriage For All Japan \/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Production: Spoon Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Overview & Jury Comment: A moving narrative depicting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the internal conflicts of a family navigating same-sex marriage<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 in Japan. The jury praised the work for avoiding villainy and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

instead illuminating the mutual care and underlying emotions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

between family members, bringing a broad social topic down to an intimate, relatable level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

🔶International Category Winner:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Feel” | Director: Judith Veenendaal \/ Brand: checkyourbreasts.today \/ Production: Bonkers United, division7, SMUGGLER<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overview & Jury Comment: A beautifully crafted piece focusing on touch and bodily self-care to raise breast cancer awareness. The film was commended for its poetic imagery and sensory storytelling that seamlessly guides viewers toward early detection without feeling prescriptive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Category Awards: HR, Tourism, Personal Branding, and Special Mention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the main awards, Visual EXPO presented honors across various sectors demonstrating the expanding footprint of branded content:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

🔶<\/strong>HR Best Short Award:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Last ‘Thank You’ #32\u201334 ‘Tears From the Toughest'” (Brand: Tear Corporation \/ Director: Yui Miyatake)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognized for portraying the genuine dignity of working in funeral services, based on true stories that highlight corporate values and empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

🔶<\/strong>15th Tourism Video Award (Commissioner’s Award, Japan Tourism Agency):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Fukufuku Map” (Brand: Fukushima Prefecture \/ Director: Sunao Katabuchi)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directed by renowned anime director Sunao Katabuchi (“In This Corner of the World”), this animated brand movie captures the heart of travel through delicate world-building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

🔶Personal Branding Award:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awarded to Kazu Languages (multilingual content creator bridging global cultures across 15+ languages) and KELO (dancer\/artist creating unique visual performances).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

🔶<\/strong>Public Impact Award<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEKAI NO OWARI\u2019s 15th Anniversary Dome Tour “THE CINEMA” (Directed by Dai Ikeda)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrated for seamlessly blending live music performances with custom-shot short films (“YOKOHAMA blues” starring Fukase and Sairi Ito) across giant screens to redefine immersive entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Innovation & Business Alliances: Japan Direct \u00d7 ByteDance AI Partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key highlight of the event was a special presentation announcing a global strategic partnership between Nihon Chokuhan (Japan Direct) and ByteDance. Leveraging ByteDance’s generative AI video technologies (including “Seedance”) and TikTok platforms, the initiative aims to build an AI-driven video ecosystem to nurture new creators and pioneer innovative advertising frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, all award winners were presented with Web3-based Digital Certificates (Digital Trophies) hosted on “LIFE LOG BOX,” leveraging blockchain technology to verify creators’ credentials and support future business opportunities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":18420,"parent":0,"template":"","e_news_cat":[551,550,548,641],"class_list":["post-18382","news_en","type-news_en","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","e_news_cat-biz","e_news_cat-creators","e_news_cat-event","e_news_cat-filmfestival"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t