25th Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia – Call for Entry 2023

By Asian Film Festival on August 20, 2022 • ( 1 Comment )

The Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Japan) is accepting narrative, documentary, animated, smartphone short films until January 31st, 2023; and branded shorts until February 28th, 2023.

About the festival:
The Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF) started in 1999 and became an Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences accredited festival in 2004, where the winner of the Short Shorts Grand Prix is eligible to receive an Academy Awards® nomination. SSFF has now become one of the largest short film festivals in Asia. In 2004, SSFF received a request from the Governor of Tokyo to develop film programs showcasing Asian short films. This led to the establishment of the Short Shorts Film Festival Asia. Now, these two festivals take place in Harajuku and Omotesando, Tokyo simultaneously in June as the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia.

Categories:
– Official Competitions (3 Categories)
Films under 25 minutes, all genres except for Non-Fiction and Music Video. Categories are divided by International, Asia International and Japan.

– Non-Fiction Competition
Non-Fiction films under 25 minutes.

– Cinematic Tokyo Competition
Films under 25 minutes that visualize Tokyo’s diverse charms.

– Animation Competition
Animation films under 25 films that partially or complete.

– Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony’s Xperia
Films under 25 minutes that are fully shot by smartphones.

– Branded Shorts
Films under 25 minutes that aim to communicate a brand.

General Rules for ALL Sections:
– Submissions must be done via FilmFreeway or ShortFilmDepot (links below) except the Branded Shorts Competition (link to the online form can be found below). Fees are the same in both platforms.
– Works in progress will NOT be accepted.
– The festival ONLY accepts short films under 25 minutes. Running time includes end credits.
– English subtitles are required for submissions with languages other than English or Japanese.
– The festival ONLY accepts online submissions, DVD/BD screeners will not be accepted.
– By submitting the film, the submitter acknowledges that the Festival has the right to screen the film in any competition or program at SSFF & ASIA 2023 if selected without any screening fee.
– The selected film will also be streamed online at the festival online venue.
– If selected, filmmakers are required to provide an Apple ProRes file as a screening copy.
– Festival venues, dates, awards, travel awards etc. are subject to change at any time.
– Submission fees are non-refundable under any circumstances.
– Selection results will be announced by April 27, 2022 on the official festival website.
– The National and International Tour of the Festival will take place after SSFF & ASIA 2023 in Tokyo ends. All selected films will be screened in Tokyo, but not all selected films will be screened at all locations. The filmmakers will be notified in case their films will be screened in the tour.

Official Competitions (3 Categories)

– It’s divided by International, Asian International and Japan categories.
– All genres are accepted with the exception of non-fiction films and music videos.
– Films should be 25 minutes or under. NO EXCEPTIONS. Running time includes end credits.
– The short film must have been produced after June 1st, 2021. The festival committee will determine the production date of your film based on the copyright year listed in the end credits.
– All submissions will be considered in three categories: Japan, Asia International and International. Eligibility for each category will be determined by the festival committee based on the following criteria: director’s nationality, shooting location, language of the film, nationality of cast and source of funding.
– Short Films must be Japan Premiere. Your film MUST keep the Japan premiere status from August 1, 2022 until Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2023 in Tokyo ends.
– English subtitles are required for submissions with languages other than English or Japanese.
– Shortlist will be announced on the official festival website within two months after the month of the film is submitted.

Non-Fiction Competition

– Documentary motion picture. It may employ any techniques as long as the film is made as a non-fiction film and the emphasis is on fact and not on fiction.
– Films should be 25 minutes or under. NO EXCEPTIONS. Running time includes end credits.
– The short film must have been produced after June 1st, 2021. The festival committee will determine the production date of your film based on the copyright year listed in the end credits.
– Japan Premiered is NOT required.
– There are no country restrictions.
– English subtitles are required for submissions with languages other than English or Japanese.
– Shortlist will be announced on the official festival website within two months after the month of the film is submitted.

Cinematic Tokyo Competition

– Films must visualize Tokyo’s diverse charms. “Tokyo” must feature in the film. You do not have to show the real Tokyo or even shoot in Tokyo, and depictions can be based on your imagination or fiction.
– Accepts films under 25 minutes (including end credits).
– No production year restriction applies.
– Japan Premiered is NOT required.
– There is NO fee for this Competition.
– There are no country restrictions.
– English subtitles are required for submissions with languages other than English or Japanese.
– The selection results will be announced by the end of April 2023 on the official festival website.

Animation Competition

– Animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time. Any animation technique is accepted.
– Accepts films under 25 minutes (including end credits).
– The film must have been produced after June 1, 2021. The festival committee will determine the production date of your film based on the copyright year listed in the end credits.
– Japan Premiered is NOT required.
– There are no country restrictions.
– English subtitles are required for submissions with languages other than English or Japanese.
– Shortlist will be announced on the official festival website within two months after the month of the film is submitted.

Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony’s Xperia

– Short Films fully shot by smartphones. Any equipment could be used for editing. No limitation of brands of smartphones.
– Accepts films under 25 minutes (including end credits).
– The film must have been produced after June 1, 2021. The festival committee will determine the production date of your film based on the copyright year listed in the end credits.
– Japan Premiered is NOT required.
– There is NO fee for this Competition.
– There are no country restrictions.
– English subtitles are required for submissions with languages other than English or Japanese.
– The selected films for this competition will be streamed online on the official festival online venue during the festival period.

Branded Shorts

– Branded shorts that have/will have their first release between January 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
– Accepts shorts under 25 minutes (including end credits).
– In order to promote Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia and Branded Shorts, selected works may be screened/streamed at events or via websites managed by the Committee for Short Shorts (operations company: Pacific Voice Inc.) or other third parties involved.
– The entering company must receive approval from all related parties.
– To avoid conflict with the aforementioned stipulation, please ensure that the individual rights relating to writers, performers, musicians etc. have all been cleared in advance before submitting.
– If the submitted work is in a language other than English or Japanese, please submit an English or Japanese script or dialogue list.
– Refunds will not be issued under any circumstances.
– Shortlisted works will be selected by Committee for Short Shorts. Shortlisted works will be announced in the BRANDED SHORTS website in every month. Nominated works will be selected from the shortlisted works. Nominated works will be introduced on the official website and then will be screened or/and streamed at SSFF & ASIA 2023.
– To enter this category, please go to: http://brandedshorts.jp/en/entry2023/

– Submission Fees and Deadlines: