The Future of Film is Born Here
It's short, for the original.
It's short, for the innovative.
It's short, for the visionary.
Short films are a catalyst for creative potential.
Once again this year, Sony will be the official support of the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) Official Competition, the gateway for creators who redefine film culture. This category offers winners the chance to receive an Academy Awards® nomination.
Creativity continues to expand with technology.
As a Creative Entertainment Company with a Solid Foundation of Technology, Sony is a leader in film, gaming, music, and anime.
Now, we seek to pioneer new trends in video culture with you.
Special support given from Sony for the main competition which acts as a gateway to the Academy Awards®
Following from last year, we are happy to collaborate with Sony again as a sole supporter of the official competition of “SSFF & ASIA 2022” (held June 7th -20th ), which acts as a path to the Academy Awards® Short Film category.
Sony has long supported the dreams of creators as a Creative Entertainment Company with a Solid Foundation of Technology. Sony continues diving into the potential future trends of cinema.
Structure of Official Competition
International Competition
This year for the International Competition, we received submissions from countries and regions outside of Asia. Through careful screenings and discussions, the selected films will expose a variety of anecdotes that give a touch to modern social issues and lives in the near future, as well as high quality comedies. Enjoy!
Asia International Competition
This year for the Asia International Competition, we received submissions from Asian countries and regions excluding Japan. Selected films will portray a variety of subjects, including protagonists standing up towards serious social issues and poverty, heart-warming family stories, special screenings and more.
Japan Competition
Enjoy the world of Japanese cinema that continues to showcase a brand new perspective!
[Digest Movie] SSFF & ASIA 2022 Official Competition supported by Sony / Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony's Xperia
Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony's Xperia
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2022
Official Competitions supported by Sony Winner comment
International Competition Best Short Award
Warsha
0:15:42 / France, Lebanon / Drama / 2021
Mohammad is a crane operator working in Beirut. One morning he volunteers to take on one of the tallest and notoriously most dangerous cranes in Lebanon. Away from everyone's eyes, he is able to live out his secret passion and find freedom.
Director: Dania Bdeir
Dania Bdeir is a Lebanese-Canadian award-winning writer & director. She's a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective and has an MFA in directing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
Comment
It's a great honor to win the International Competition Best Short Award and an even bigger honor to win the George Lucas Grand Prix. This film is a labor of love that we've been working on for 4 or 5 years now. Those years have not been easy because this is an ambitious film and because we've been through a lot, globally like the pandemic but especially locally, Lebanon has been through a lot. This is why this award is extra special. There were many times where we wanted to give up, where we felt like making this film was just too hard and that maybe it isn't a good time for it since there were bigger problems around us. However, we realized that this is when art is most important. I got my strength from my team who each pushed for us to keep going every time we hit an obstacle. The criminal Beirut Blast of August 4th was the last and toughest obstacle to overcome but after some time passed and the dust settled, we licked our wounds, picked ourselves up and went back to it because we all felt strongly that this story needed to be told. This is why I share this award with my incredible team without whom I could not have made this film and I dedicate this film first to the people of Lebanon who deserve more than the cards they're dealt. I also dedicate this award to all migrant workers around the world who have to leave their home to seek opportunities elsewhere and to all people who struggle to find the courage to be the truest version of themselves.
We are so happy that this film is resonating with audiences around the world and touching hearts everywhere.
Juror's comment
Great work in storytelling, video and acting. Each moment and emotion is depicted in great detail, and it was a work with overwhelming beauty and power that draws the audience into the world of the work.
- Anything you would like to share about your film?
My film is starring an incredible multi talented artist who I believe will change the world one day. His name is KHANSA, and I highly recommend you follow his artistic journey and career. He inspired me from the moment I first saw him perform and heard his music and he continues to inspire me daily. His art is brave, poignant and unlike anything I've ever seen before. He challenges gender norms through beauty and talent. He played a huge part in creating the protagonist with me and poured his heart and soul into his performance which was very emotional even though he didn't have a single line of dialogue.
The other thing I'd like to share for anyone wondering how we achieved certain scenes of our film: We shot the cabin and dance sequence of the film in a virtual production studio called The Next Stage at La Planete Rouge in France using HDR LED Wall and Unreal Engine technologies.
Finally, we're eligible for the Oscars and we'd appreciate any and all support, so we'd love to get more followers on the film's instagram account @warshashortfilm and would appreciate any media, press mentions, reviews and exposure that people can give us if they connected to the film. Help us spread the word and create a buzz.
Asia International Competition Best Short Award
Moshari
0:21:57 / Bangladesh / Horror / 2022
Moshari' is a traditional South Asian mosquito net, made for protection against vermin at night.
When the world is overrun with bloodthirsty creatures, staying inside the moshari is the only way to safety.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh: two sisters must stay inside the moshari to survive - but first they must survive each other.
Director: Nuhash Humayun
Nuhash Humayun is a Bangladeshi writer/director interested in infusing genre with South Asian identity.
His credits include MOSHARI (SXSW Jury Award Winner: Midnight Shorts) and the upcoming feature MOVING BANGLADESH (supported by Sundance Institute, Film Independent & Cannes Marche du Film)
Nuhash is the first Bangladeshi fellow of the Sundance Feature Film Development Track.
Comment
The team behind MOSHARI is humbled to receive such a prestigious and competitive award. We are proud to represent Bangladesh and Bangla Cinema on a global canvas.
Juror's comment
An entertainment-oriented work that is conscious of how the audience would react. In addition to the production technology that surprises as a horror work, the character setting and story development incorporates the modernity made it a work that has the power to draw the audience into the world of the movie.
- Anything you would like to share about your film?
A feature film version of MOSHARI is currently in the works, so wish us luck!
Japan Competition Best Short Award
THE LIMIT Taxi Girl
0:23:23 / Japan / Drama / 2021
Saki, a lawyer, gets into a waiting cab to go to the airport. But the driver of the cab was her sister Satomi, who had been waiting for her, and against her sister's wishes, drove her to the hospital where her mother was in critical condition.
Director: Masaya Yoshida
Works an advertising production company, mainly directing TV commercials. He studied filmmaking under film director Tetsuya Nakajima as a student and directed a part of the omnibus film "Hairstyle" which was produced by Nakajima & released in theaters.
Comment
I am very happy to receive this prestigious award from the SSFF & Asia that I have always admired. Winning this award was made possible thanks to the work of Mr. Tamada, the scriptwriter, all the actors and staff, so I would like to share the joy with everyone involved.
I myself was in a situation similiar to the main character, so I made the film with a strong connection to the story. I'm just very happy that so many people were able to see it and to have won this award.
Juror's comment
Although it is a conversational drama, the script conveys the relationships of the characters brilliantly, and the performance of the two leading actors made it even more convincing.
- Anything you would like to share about your film?
The highlight of thi film is the very fine acting of Mugi Kadowaki and Kotone Furukawa. They played sisters that go though changes in their relationship, sometimes comically and sometimes seriously with a sense of distance in a one-setting story where the acting could not be faked and had to be real and sincere. Also, I'm proud of the shots using the LED screen process, which not only reduced the costs of post-production, but also created a very realistic background environment.
- Any filmmakers or films that have inspired your work?
I like the work of director Paul Thomas Anderson and am always inspired by his films.
When I first started in film production, I studied under the tutelage of director Tetsuya Nakashima, and he taught me a great deal about how to think about filmmaking and details of the technical aspects. He was a very big influence.