Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia is an Academy Awards® accredited festival where the winner of the Best Short awards in the Live-action Competition, Animation Competition well as the Non-Fiction Competition, will be eligible for nomination in the short film categories of the Academy Awards® the following year. The festival was founded in 1999 as The Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF), and since 2004, SSFF acquired a program specialized in Asian short films and established Short Shorts Film Festival Asia with the support of the Governor of Tokyo. Now, the combination of the two festivals take place annually in Tokyo as Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, one of the largest short film festivals in Asia.

【Live-action Competition / International, Asia International and Japan Competition】
Best Short Award 600,000 Yen
【Non-Fiction Competition】
Best Short Award  600,000 Yen
【Animation Competition】
Best Short Award  600,000 Yen
【Cinematic Tokyo Competition】
Best Short Award  1,000,000 Yen
【Smartphone Film Competition 】
Best Short Award  600,000 Yen
【BRANDED SHORTS】
- Branded Shorts of the Year
- Best HR Short Award
- Visual Tourism Award, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner's Award

【Kodansha Cinema Creators lab】
Award-winning Pitches 10,000,000 Yen (to make a short film)

- COMMON RULES for ALL the competitions -
1. Duration: 25 minutes or under. No exceptions. Running time includes end credits.
2. Language: English subtitles are required for submissions with languages other than English or Japanese.
3. Online submission ONLY. We do not accept DVD/BD screener.
4. We will not respond to any inquiries regarding the selection process or results.
Personal details submitted in the entry process will be used by the competition organizers to contact entrants with information regarding the competitions.

【Live-action Competition / International, Asia International and Japan Competition】
1. Japanese Premieres Only (International & Asia International Competition only):
Your film MUST keep the Japan premiere status from August 1, 2023 until Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2024 in Tokyo ends. The following cases will affect the Japan premiere status and will be disqualified.
- Films screened in Japan on any media and for any occasion including screening events, film festivals and so forth before and/or during Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2024 in Tokyo.
- Films streamed online with Japanese subtitles and/or in the Japanese language before and/or during Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2024 in Tokyo.
- Non-dialogue films available online will be ineligible.
*If the film is in a non-Japanese language, has no Japanese subtitles and is available online outside of Japan, it will still be eligible for the competition.
* Japan Premiere status is not required for Japan Competition
2. Genre:
All genres are accepted with the exception of non-fiction films, animation films and music videos.
3. Production Year:
The film must have been produced after June 1, 2022.
The festival committee will determine the production date of your film based on the copyright year listed in the end credits.
4. Production Country:
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.
Countries for the Asia International Competition are defined as:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rep. of China, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

<Other things to note>
- Shortlists will be announced every month starting from October, 2023.
The Final selection will be made from the shortlists and be announced by the end of April 2024 on the official festival website.
- The selected film will also be streamed online on the festival online venue.

【Non-Fiction Competition】
1. 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.
2. Japan Premiere: Not required
3. Genre: Non-Fiction
4. Production Country: All
5. Production Year:
The film must have been produced after June 1, 2022. The festival committee will determine the production date of your film based on the copyright year listed in the end credits.
<Other things to note>
- Shortlists will be announced every month starting from October, 2023.
The Final selection will be made from the shortlists and be announced by the end of April 2024 on the official festival website.
- The selected film will also be streamed online on the festival online venue.

【Animation Competition】
1. Animation. Animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time. Any animation technique is accepted.
2. Japan Premiere: Not required
3. Genre: Animation
4. Production Country: All
5. Production Year:
The film must have been produced after June 1, 2022. The festival committee will determine the production date of your film based on the copyright year listed in the end credits.
<Other things to note>
- Shortlists will be announced every month starting from October, 2023.
The Final selection will be made from the shortlists and be announced by the end of April 2024 on the official festival website.
- The selected film will also be streamed online on the festival online venue.

【Cinematic Tokyo Competition】
1. Theme: “Tokyo”
“Tokyo” must feature in the film. You do not have to show the real Tokyo/shoot in Tokyo, however, as depictions can be based on your imagination or fiction.
Examples) Films shot in and around Tokyo
Films depicting locations or objects based on the image of “Tokyo”
Films depicting Tokyo 100 years from now
2. Japan Premiere: Not required
3. Genre: All genres
4. Production Country: All
5. Production Year: Not specified
<Other things to note>
-The selected films for this competition will be streamed online on the official festival online venue during the festival period.

【Smartphone Film Competition】
1. Short Films shot by smartphones. Partially shot by smartphone is acceptable Any equipment could be used for editing. No limitation of brands of smartphones.
2. Japan Premiere: Not required
3. Genre: Any genres are accepted.
4. Running Time: 25 minutes or under. No exceptions. Running time includes end credits.
5. Production Year: Not specified
6. Production Country: All.
7. Language: English subtitles are required for submissions with languages other than English or Japanese.
8. Formats: MOV file.

<Other things to note>

-The selected films for this competition will be ONLY streamed online on the official festival online venue during the festival period.

【BRANDED SHORTS】
- Guidelines-
1. Release Period:
Branded movies that have/will have their first release between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
2. Rules for Participation:
Submissions must be videos produced with the aim of communicating the brand or services of a company/organization to its customers. The company/organization can be part of any industry. The movie can be submitted by any relevant party; the company/organization it was produced for, the advertising company, the production company etc.
- Regulations -
1. 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.
2. The entering company must receive approval from all related parties.
3. 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.
- Other things to note -
1. If the submitted work is in a language other than English or Japanese, please submit an English or Japanese script or dialogue list.
2. Refunds will not be issued under any circumstances.
- Judging Process -
SSFF & ASIA will select nominated works. Nominated works will be introduced on the official website and then will be screened at SSFF & ASIA 2024.
- Criteria -
Submitted works will be evaluated on 8 criteria:
essentiality, ability to change perceptions, shareability, strength of message, viewership retention, originality, timeliness, and memory retention.

**************************************************************************
【Kodansha Cinema Creators’ Lab】
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Please submit your proposal & résumé in one data file.
Please include the points below that best describes your pitch submission. (The short film must be no longer than 25 minutes)

◆Proposal Format:
Proposal(*A:any format)
Resume(*B)
Storyboards or Screenplays (*Optional)
Long Plot (About 500 words *Optional)

*A: In addition, if you can describe the following contents in the proposal, we will use it as a reference when selecting (not a required item).

・Main cast “wish list” with filmographies
・Visual images
・Any footage from a work already in progress if any
・ Locations
・Information on any copyright issues
・Budget estimated breakdown (Regardless the budget is under ¥10,000,000, we will pay ¥10,000,000.)
※Please specify if you plan to apply for the other funding, assistance, or grants other than Kodansha.

*B: Resume format:
・Biography or portfolio of past works (including reels, viewing links, etc.)

■ Films that have worldwide appeal are preferred.
■ All genres are welcome. Live-action, CG, animation, etc.
■ Unreleased short films, works in progress, sequels are acceptable.
■ Pitches based on books & manga from Kodansha Ltd., are acceptable. ※ Please do not contact the copy right holder or Kodansha Ltd., at the time of application. Kodansha will verify permission of the copyright holder at the time of final selection. In addition, please refrain from infringing on intellectual property rights, third party copyrights, slander, privacy, and all other legal rights.

■ Submissions that pass the first stage selection will be notified of the result by the end of January 2024 (it will also be announced on the special Kodansha Cinema Creators’ Lab page on the SHORT SHORTS official website). Those who have passed the first stage selection will be individually informed of the second judging interview.

REGARDING COPYRIGHTS & CONTRACTS:
■ Selected best pitches of the Kodansha Cinema Creators’ Lab will be required to enter into a contract (hereinafter referred to as "the Contract") regarding the deliverables of this project with Kodansha.
■ Until the Contract is signed in writing, there shall be no rights or obligations between the submitter and Kodansha regarding this selection. In addition, all legal relationships between the submitter and Kodansha after the execution of the Contract shall be in accordance with the contents of the Contract.
■ We will fully disclose the contents of this contract at the time of the 2nd judging interview and we will execute the Contract only with your full consent. Please be assured that your submission alone will not be considered an acceptance of said the Contract.

1-Kodansha Co., Ltd. entrusts the operation of this project (Cinema Creators Lab) to SSFF & ASIA (Pacific Voice Inc.).
2-Personal information will be managed by Kodansha Co., Ltd. and SSFF & ASIA (Pacific Voices Inc.) in accordance with Kodansha's privacy policy.
3-Personal information may be used for purposes of selecting pitches for the contest, notifications (e-mail magazines, etc.), and/or improvement of this service.

About Kodansha Cinema Creators Lab
https://bit.ly/3BzN4dJ

**************************
<<Other Information for the Short Film Competitions>>

<FESTIVAL TOUR>
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.

<< PLEASE NOTE >> 
-Works in progress will NOT be accepted.
- If selected, filmmakers are required to provide a ProRes file as a screening copy.
- 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 2024 if selected without any screening fee.
- Festival venues, dates, awards, travel awards etc. are subject to change at any time.
- Submission fees are non-refundable under any circumstances.
- Selected films are required to have obtained any and all consents, releases, licenses, and other authorizations for copyrighted content included in the film. A music cue sheet is mandatory for any copyrighted musical composition.
- The Festival parent company will obtain the commercial rights of the award winner films.
* All films submitted to the Short Shorts Film Festival will be catalogued in the Short Shorts Film Festival website and LIFE LOG BOX service. This implies that by submitting, you consent to have all of your entries displayed on both the Short Shorts Film Festival website and LIFE LOG BOX service, irrespective of whether they are chosen for the official competition or not.
If you wish to cancel your entry:
To cancel your film being catalogued in the Short Shorts Film Festival website, please contact the festival office.
To cancel your entry on the LIFE LOG BOX service, please set your content to private on your LIFE LOG BOX account.

Please also confirm the regulations listed on our official website (https://www.shortshorts.org/en/creators/index.php.)

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Erica Long

    Absolutely loved attending Short Shorts!! The programmers were great, communication was always clear and prompt, and we loved visiting Tokyo. It's obvious the programmers really care about the filmmakers and the films, and they put a lot of thought into making the festival an enjoyable experience for everyone. Thank you for accepting our short film at the festival!

    July 2023
  • An amazing festival, made by a lot of talented and very kind people. The quality of the selected films was so high! Thanks so much for having us and for the screening of our documentary Blue Dots. The networking with all the other filmmakers was incredible and so important. Hope to be there again in the future with a new project!

    July 2023
  • Tim Main

    This is a truly fantastic festival and well worth the trip to Tokyo to participate. The communication was excellent by the festival staff and the events for visiting film makers were fantastic. Highly recommend

    June 2023
  • Airhostess- 737

    ✈✈✈ We love the festival and its audience!

    June 2023
  • Cheung Step

    Truly enjoyed and valued my experience with this festival. Great communication and helpfulness!

    June 2023