We present the list of winners of the 11th Sapporo International Short Film Festival that took place from October 10th – 16th in Sapporo, Japan.
Filmmaker’s Section – Grand Prix
Awarded to Yianni Warnock from Australia for his films Man on Earth, Playpals, Happy with Bear and Homebodies.
Man on Earth (2012) – 6 minutes
Man confronts his greatest challenge: how to deal with loneliness and the separateness of living entities? Will a pet help? Or maybe laughter is the cure?
Playpals (2012) – 11 minutes
A man yearns helplessly in his home attempting to deal with the small task of existing.
Happy with Bear (2012) – 11 min.
A Singaporean exchange student attempts to deal with her loneliness through posting fictional images of herself online.
Homebodies (2016) – 13 min.
Shannon cooks dinner whilst speaking to a perverted stranger online. Andrew takes a bath wrapped in seared Christmas lights. What could possibly shock these lost souls from their malaise?
One Title Section
Grand Prix
La Voce by David Uloth – Canada | 2015 – 22 min.
Edgar works in a pig slaughterhouse. He loves opera and he loves Ginette, the stripper of his dreams. Edgar is about to ask her to marry him when he surprises her bedding her boss. In shock, he loses his voice and unfortunately finds himself with the voice of a pig.
Best Director
La Voce by David Uloth – Canada | 2015 – 22 min.
Best Asian Short
Bunga Sayang by Royston Tan – Singapore | 2015 – 13:19 min.
Set in modern day Singapore in a HDB block, Royston’s film Bunga Sayang shows exactly how Singaporeans communicate in a multi-racial society.
Best National Short
Sumo Road – The Musical by Ken Ochiai – Japan | 2015 – 25 min.
Kure, an overweight exchange student from Taiwan, has a hard time fitting in at the university. Bullied by others, he decides to join the sumo team.
Best Hokkaido Short
Shootingstar by Shoh Kataoka – Japan | 2015 – 17 min.
Follow the dream or face up to reality. Two young girls entrust the future to a shooting star.
Best Contemporary, Experimental Short
The Reflection of Power by Mihai Grecu – France | 2015 – 9 min.
Best Animation
Pombo Loves You by Steve Warne – UK | 2016 – 12 min.
A distant father is forced to confront a heroic yet troubled past life as the 1980’s TV show character Pombo.
Best Documentary
The Sniper of Kobani by Reber Dosky – Netherlands | 2015 – 12:08 min.
A portrait of Haron, a Kurdish fighter who came to the Syrian town of Kobani to end the IS occupation.
Best Student Director
Boya Harizanova for the film Love – Bulgaria | 2015 – 24 min.
Boris arrives in a mountain village to give back the deceived Radko’s belongings to his only living relatives – Radko’s grandmother and grandfather. Todorka doesn’t know about her grandson’s death. While worried about the health condition of Atanas she decides to hide the truth from him.
Best Screenplay
Home by Daniel Mulloy – Kosovo | 2016 – 20 min.
Best Mini Short (Under 5 minutes)
Ruben Leaves by Frederic Siegel – Switzerland | 2015 – 5 min.
On his way to work, Ruben is haunted by obsessive-compulsive thoughts. As Ruben’s creative mind is invaded by increasingly absurd scenarios, reality and imagination begin to merge…
Best Non Dialogue
Vita Lakamaya by Akihito Izuhara – Japan | 2015 – 7:30 min.
In the woods, every creature is sleeping. Listen carefully to their quiet breathing. It’s the sounds of this innocent world that called “Vita lakamaya”….
Best Original Score
Sumo Road – The Musical by Ken Ochiai – Japan | 2015 – 25 min.
Best Editing
Platform 13 by Camiel Zwart – Netherlands | 2015 – 14 min.
A Japanese conductor loses himself in an abandoned world. In search of the familiar order and structure he finds his own strength.
Best Cinematography
Senses by Zanyar Adami – Sweden | 2016 – 30 min.
Helen Strand, 60, suddenly collapses while conducting a symphony orchestra. Gradually the sounds become duller, the world fuzzy, she loses her touch, smell and taste. As the outer world slowly disappears her inner images become more vivid. Helen fights for her life while death creeps ever closer.
Best Actress
Lena Endre for her role in Senses by Zanyar Adami – Sweden | 2016 – 30 min.
Best Actor
La Voce by David Uloth – Canada | 2015 – 22 min.
Best Children Actress
Dorka Gáspárfalvi and Dorottya Hais for their role in Sing by Kristof Deak
Hungary | 2015 – 25 min.
10-year-old Zsofi learns the hard way that her new choir teacher isn’t as charming as she appears. She comes up with a plan to teach her teacher a lesson.
Best Children Actor
Shion Ishizuka for his role in December 17 by Yuji Hariu
Japan | 2016 – 15 min.
In the not too distant future, Yuta is confined to home and doctors’ appointments while his brother Kenji goes outside and to school. On Yuta’s birthday, Kenji gives his brother a forbidden gift.
Jury Award by Miyuki Matsuda
What Happens Before War? By Noddin – Japan | 2015 – 8 min.
Special Awards
Best Children Short
Catch It by Bar, Demaret, Forner, Marty, Robyn, Soler
France | 2015 – 5 min.
A group of meerkats take care of their beloved and unique fruit but a vulture will disturb their peace of mind.
Children Short Award Silver
UTOPA by Takahiro Tanaka – Japan | 2016 – 23 min.
One day in the far future, kids on the Aeropolice find an unknown seed. And their adventure in the unseen terrestrial world starts!
Children Short Award Bronze
Moom by Robert Kondo, Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi
Japan, US | 2016 – 14 min.
Every forgotten object has a memory with its previous owner still attached. This is a story of Moom, one of those memories stuck in this world.
Sapporo Peace Award
UTOPA by Takahiro Tanaka – Japan | 2016 – 23 min.
Amino Up Hokkaido Director Award
Marshland by Michito Tanaka – Japan | 2015 – 3 min.
Japan Tourism Agency Award
10 minutes by Masahiko Nagasawa – Japan | 2016 – 30 min.
A small internet radio station that two high school girls started causes small miracle.
To know more about this festival visit the FESTIVAL PROFILE or go to the official webpage HERE.
Categories: Film Festival
Asian Film Festivals 