Cinematic Tokyo Competition was established in 2017. This competition category takes submissions from all over the world for short films showcasing the various charms of Tokyo. Productions do not have to be filmed in Tokyo, but must include themes that make one think of Tokyo, be centered on memories of Tokyo or imagine the essence of Tokyo.
12 nominated films selected from the 308 submissions from 53 countries and regions around the world.
Cinematic Tokyo Competition Best Short Award 2021 / Governor of Tokyo Award
And Then
Jenn Ravenna Tran / 0:17:54 / United States / Romance / 2020
And Then is about two women who meet and grow closer to each other through their insomnia and art. The story follows Mana, a Japanese-American woman who arrives in Tokyo seeking to find a break from her life as an artist, and Haru, a Japanese woman who dreams of becoming an artist herself one day.
Award Ceremony
Comment
Thank you to SSFF and the just for this award. To receive this honor and recognition for our LGBTQ love story means so much. I'm am so grateful to my cast and crew for trusting me. This couldn't have happened without them. I’m also grateful to the City of Tokyo and its businesses for allowing us to make this movie. It’s a beautiful city and I’m thankful that it was the backdrop for “And Then”.
There is so much I want to say but I never know how to eloquently put my feelings to paper. After 8 years in another creative industry and having never found my voice, finding it in the process of making this movie was a release. I felt creatively freed, and there was an emotional and spiritual sense of peace. There was a lot to say and I had an incredible team bring it all to life. It felt like I was in a drought for so long and rain finally came. That’s what it felt like making this film.
To be able to make a film about art, isolation, feeling out of place when you look like you belong, finding connection, and hopeful queer love in a slice-of-life genre, and have it be recognized by SSFF and one of the most iconic cities in the world is just... really incredible. I never expected this to happen but I’m so grateful. Thank you so much for supporting our film.
Governor of Tokyo Award trophy
Anything you would like to share about your film?
This short film actually began when I was doing an artist residency in Tokyo in a 100 year old rice shop called Almost Perfect.
Originally I was going to do an illustration show but I decided to make a film instead. This short film was planned over 3-4 months and shot in 3 days across many districts in Tokyo.
Any filmmakers or films that have inspired your work?
Issa Rae, Ava DuVernay, Sofia Coppola, Wong Kar-wai
Director : Jenn Ravenna Tran
Jenn Ravenna Tran is an Asian-American emerging film director and cinematographer based in Seattle, Washington. Her goal is to connect people to one another through shared emotional experiences by visual storytelling.
Nominated films in Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2021
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A MIDSUMMER DAY's DREAM
Shigeyuki Komatsubara / 0:15:50 / Japan / Drama / 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic casts a dark shadow over the world. Japan declares a state of emergency and many shops are forced to shutter. Years later, two people reunite and reminisce about those days. Are those scenes on a rooftop reality or a manifestation of their dreams and wishes?
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And Then
Jenn Ravenna Tran / 0:17:54 / United States / Romance / 2020
And Then is about two women who meet and grow closer to each other through their insomnia and art. The story follows Mana, a Japanese-American woman who arrives in Tokyo seeking to find a break from her life as an artist, and Haru, a Japanese woman who dreams of becoming an artist herself one day.
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BEGIN AGAIN
Yasu Fujinami / 0:03:10 / Japan / Documentary / 2020
2020 is the year for Tokyo to welcome guests from all over the world. However, the city is eerily quiet, as if the time has stopped. Our documentation of the beautiful moments of the city will sure be the driving force to overcome the unprecedented crisis.
Look how our beautiful Tokyo is re-emerging. -
Embrace Change (Connect To The Wild)
Taku Ohmoto / 0:04:43 / Japan / Documentary / 2020
Ryo Haruyama is a performer who experiments with physical abilities using his body and works as a performance coach for his clients. This documentary follows his daily life in the pandemic. It also shows his energetic performance in a natural setting of Okutama in Tokyo.
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Farewell, Tokyo
Ben Wang / 0:13:28 / China & Japan / Documentary / 2021
A Chinese student studying in Tokyo has full of memories of the big city. However, with the corona pandemic, he has to go back to his country. What are his precious memories of Tokyo and his wish as he is on the way back home?
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gloom
Emily San Pedro, Earl Standerford / 0:13:10 / Japan / Drama / 2021
A recluse is thrown into disarray when she finds herself in an unfamiliar place. As she attempts to make her way back home, her paranoia consumes her, blurring the lines between reality and imagination.
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Momentum Tokyo
Masaki Hani / 0:06:39 / Japan / Video Art / 2021
I shot various beautiful moments as season changes in Tokyo for over seven years using 4K camera.
With corona pandemic continues, those precious moments like festivals, fireworks, and Helloween in Shibuya are unrealistic to us now. I pray for those ordinary days to come back soon. -
Numbness
Koei Taga / 0:08:15 / Japan / Drama / 2016
A lonely guy who is about to lose his own emotion in Tokyo falls in love with a girl.matureMature Content: These films may include sexual and/or violent content.
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Tokyo connection
Andrzej Rudz / 0:03:10 / Japan / Experimental / 2020
5 stories about living in Tokyo.
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Tokyo Migration Coming of Age
Momio Yamamura / 0:18:30 / Japan / Drama / 2020
Sumiko Yagi is 38. She moves to Tokyo to change her ordinary existence and to challenge her ability in the big city. This is a story of Sumiko moving to Tokyo to start her life afresh with overblown expectation.
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Where Bibi Went
Tadasuke Kotani / 0:14:53 / Japan / Drama / 2020
Hinako lives with her cat, Bibi. When she opens up the front door to receive a package, Bibi runs away from the house. Hinako looks for Bibi as the pandemic continues on. During the search, she meets a youthful-looking woman but wearing old fashion clothes standing amongst the Tokyo highrises.
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You were my Tokyo
Ryo Chita / 0:05:50 / Japan / Music Video / 2020
He left and never came back. She still remembers the tiny room where they lived together. What Tokyo means for her is not the Tokyo Tower or the Skytree, but it was those days together with him.
MV "You were my Tokyo" by Goodnight Kosugi