Thanks to the high degree of freedom of smartphones, I felt that there were more films that closely followed the images of what the director had originally wanted to create in hus mind than in ordinary films. "Leader" has a high production quality, a clear message, and all that is good about a short film, and I was surprised that it was shot with a mobile phone. The award-winning work "Floating in between" was visually beautiful and fresh in many ways. The phrase "ISSUI-SHIKEN" was also impressive, and I could sympathize with the message that there is no answer, and it is important to savor the process.

Yayako Uchida Essayist

Born in Tokyo, 1976. Works in the world of words and sounds, mainly writing essays, translating, writing lyrics, music unit “sighboat,” narration, acting, etc. Studied in Japan, the United States, Switzerland, and France. Mother of three. Her books include Paper Movie New Edition (Asahi Publishing), Kaikenki and BROOCH (both published by Little More). Translations of picture books: Important Things (Froebel-Kan) and Father and Daughter : Kishibe no hutari (Kumon Publishing). Film appearances include “Tokyo Tower ~Okan, Me, and sometimes Oton~,” “Waga Haha no Ki,” “Blue Wind Blows,” and “Wandering Moon.” Narrator of E-tele program “no art, no life” (every Sunday from 8:55).

“Hide and Seek” does a fabulous job of addressing one of the challenges that all parents face regarding screen usage. This reflects the current era where we don't want our children to use their cell phones all the time. It made me think of myself as a parent. I The part of the short where they disappeared was an unexpected twist and was very well done. The award-winning work "Floating in Between" was very beautiful and so well-done that from the moment I saw it, I forgot it was taken with a smartphone. I was drawn into Misa’s world completely. The cinematography done by smartphone and the storyline were both wonderful and left a very strong impression on me. I felt the short was made with just the right amount of time necessary for this story to be told.

Douglas Montgomery Global Media Executive

Douglas is a 20+ year media and retail executive. During this time, he worked for Walmart Stores integrating newly acquired overseas retail. After this, Montgomery worked 15 years for Warner Bros. in 3 different countries (U.S., Japan, and U.K.) as a strategic advisor for both WB management and major partners. Additionally, he was the Chairman of the 114-year-old Japan America Society of Southern California, which honored Marie Kondo and Shohei Ohtani as “International Citizens”. In 2021, Douglas founded “Global Connects Media”, where he serves as President and CEO. Global Connects Media aids its clients in gaining access to the world entertainment and retail market.

Douglas co-founded and produced “Global Stage Hollywood” Film Festival, focused on providing a platform in Hollywood for diverse groups from around the world. Montgomery also produced and curated the 2021 Taiwan Biennial Film Festival (both in-person and on-line) and served as a judge for the inaugural Ceylon Film Festival 2022 held in Santa Barbara.

Douglas earned an MBA (Dean’s List) from the University of Southern California. Prior to USC, Douglas completed a BComm from the University of Alberta. Douglas splits his time between Los Angeles and Tokyo, Japan.

All of the films were focused on all that's good about shooting images with a smartphone, and the films that left an impression on me conveyed the wonderfulness of being able to see the camera as a device close to the individual's gaze. "Skin of the Earth" is a light smartphone, so it naturally gets closer to the community, and it successfully captures the delicacy that would not have been possible with a large camera. "Floating in between" has beautiful light in the video, and I was surprised by the spread of the world that can be seen from the smartphone by taking advantage of the expression on the smartphone. A work that beautifully reflects the charm of a woman and a human being on a smartphone, with a rich aesthetic sense that captures the appearance of the main character and the richness of the story.

Yūki Yamato Film director

In 2012, while studying philosophy at Sophia University, she self-taught and directed the film “That girl is dancing on the beach.” In 2016, the movie “Drowning Knife” sold 600,000 tickets, setting an unprecedented box office record for a film directed by a woman in her 20s. Sales were made in over 10 countries. In 2018, she fully planned and produced her first film, “21st Century Girls,” an omnibus with stories based on the fluidity of gender or sexuality.” The film was a special selection and screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival. In 2021, she will be the showrunner and director of her first TV drama “To live or die or father.” She has worked on music videos for many artists including the RADWIMPS, Nogizaka46, and “back number,” as well as advertising videos for major companies. She has a reputation for fresh visual expression that transcends genres.