Tokyo Film Festival is a place for unique and underrated films to be seen, films that experience with new methods of narrating their stories. Our monthly festival has two sections, namely 'International' and 'Asian' sections. In the International section, we will attempt to select films that explore the human condition and focus on the issues we are facing today. Independent films that deal with refugees and immigrants, the LGBT community, and women and their everyday struggles are our top priority.
In the 'Asian' Section, we will focus on the problems in Asia, such as the conflicts in the Middle East and how people in these countries live through war and chaos, and we will also shine a light on the cinema in the Far East. The selected films will be judged by an outstanding group of juries who will announce the winners after carefully watching and analyzing each film. At Tokyo Film Festival, we will try our best to introduce and promote the film, and we hope our reviews can help filmmakers in their careers.

Best Short Film
Best LGBT Film
Best Experimental Film
Best Film in Women Empowerment Category
Best Animation
Best Student Film
Best First Time Filmmaker
Best Feature Film
Best Short Documentary
Best Feature Documentary
Best Script
Best Editing
Best Film Score
Best Sci-Fi
Best Horror
Best Comedy
Best Music Video
Best T.V Series
Best Virtual Reality
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Cinematography
Best Micro Films
Best Music Video
Best Original Score

Each submission must be accompanied by a submission fee paid in full and a working screener in order to be considered. Once we have all necessary materials, the submission will be marked “In Consideration”. It is the submitter’s responsibility to make sure that all submission requirements are met. If your film has not been listed “In Consideration” 7 business days after submission, please contact us to find out what is needed to move your film into consideration.

All projects must be submitted via secure online screener - either as a password protected Vimeo link attached to your submission or uploaded directly to FilmFreeway. Online screeners must be available to stream; we do not accept any films that must be downloaded.

All foreign-language films must be submitted with English subtitles. If we discover a foreign-language submission is missing subtitles, we will attempt to email the submitter for an update. If the submitter fails to provide working subtitles by the final submission deadline, the project will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified without refund of submission fees.

Please review all submission categories carefully before submitting your project. All entrants are required to pay the submission fee of their film’s appropriate category. If you believe you have submitted your film to the wrong category, contact us immediately. While we can typically facilitate a change in category, the entrant will be responsible for any changes in submission fees. We cannot offer partial refunds for categories with a smaller fee. If the new category has a higher fee, the entrant is responsible for paying the difference.

Incomplete projects must be clearly listed as such. Films should be marked as either a “Rough Cut” or “Work In Progress/WIP”. All incomplete materials or changes to be made should be clearly indicated (ex: temporary score, missing VFX, no color-correction) both in your cover letter and the film cut itself (ideally as a title card at the start of the film).

The submitter may update their screener up until the final deadline, as long as the link and password for the submission remains the same. Anyway you should not submit your project if it is not complete enough to adequately represent the final product.

By entering your film for consideration to the Tokyo International Short Film Festival, you authorize that your work is cleared for festival exhibition and accept full legal responsibility for the intellectual property therein. The submitter and all filmmakers associated with the project shall indemnify and hold harmless the Tokyo International Short Film Festival and any representative or affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

All films under 45 minutes in length are considered short films and all submissions are fairly considered by a broad team of programmers and the date of entry bears no relation to the selection decision.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Thank you Tokyo International Short Film Fest for having my short environmental documentary, "Humans and Elephants" as part of your 2024 cohort. I am glad to share awareness around elephant conservation and appreciate your help in my mission.

    March 2024
  • Had a great experience with this festival! The overall communication was excellent and participant engagement was A+ ! Thank you again for everything

    March 2024
  • They were great to work with! Thanks so much!

    February 2024
  • Alessandra Corona

    Thank you for showcasing our film, "Labyrinth", it was an honor to be part of your festival! Everyone in the team was very kind and professional

    February 2024
  • Corey Burkes

    From its welcoming atmosphere to the passionate film community, the Tokyo International Short Film Festival was a joy. Being selected for "Predawn" felt like an instant validation, Thank you for this incredible opportunity!

    February 2024