Short Shorts Film Festival

For short films completed in 2011 (after June 1, 2011): October 15, 2012
For short films completed in 2012 (after January 1, 2012): December 20, 2012
Submissions must be postmarked by the applicable deadline based on the production year of your film, and late submissions will not be considered and screener DVDs cannot be returned under any circumstances.
International / Asia International Competition
1. Japan Premieres Only:
Your film MUST NOT have been screened in Japan on any media and occasions including online streaming,
screening events, film festivals and so forth, under any circumstances before the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia
2013 ends. Online streaming on any foreign websites is still NOT considered as Japan Premieres. Moreover, if your
film is selected, you must agree to withhold it from exploitation on all media in Japan until after the festival.
2. Genre: All genres of short films are accepted with exception of music videos.
3. Nationality: 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 casts and source of funding.
*Countries for the Asia International Competition are defined as:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China (Rep. of China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan), East Timor, Fiji,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippine, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.
4. Formats: All. Please note, however, that a DVD screener must be sent to the festival committee and, if selected,
you are required to provide a NTSC HDCAM, HDV, Digital Betacam, Betacam SP, DVCAM, or MiniDV.
5. Running Time: 25 minutes or under. No exceptions. Running time includes end credits.
6. Production Year: The film must have been produced after June 1, 2011 for all competitions. The festival
committee will determine the production date of your film based on the copyright year listed in the end credits.
7. English Subtitles: English subtitles are required for submissions with language/s other than English or
Japanese.
AWARDS and COMPETITION
The Festival presents awards in three categories: Japan, Asia International and International. The Grand Prix is
selected from the three Best Short Award winners each from Japan, Asia International and International
Competitions. The winning film of the Grand Prix will be qualified for consideration in the Short Film Categories of the Annual Academy Awards®.
History
The Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) is one of the Asia's biggest short film festivals and a qualifying film festival for the annual Academy Awards®. The festival was started by Japanese actor Tetsuya Bessho, and was initially called the American Short Shorts Film Festival.
The first festival in 1999 screened a variety of short films, including six from director George Lucas, whose support of the festival continues to this day. In 2001, the festival underwent a name change to become the Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF), becoming a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® just a few years later in 2004. This designation allowed the winner of the festival's Grand Prix to become eligible for nomination in the short film categories at the Academy Awards®. This also meant that the Short Shorts Film Festival became a gateway to an Oscar for young Japanese filmmakers.
The same year, the festival became a qualifying film festival for the Academy Award®, Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara requested the festival to further showcase up and coming Asian filmmakers and their short films, leading to the formation of the Short Shorts Film Festival Asia. Organized in conjunction with the original Short Shorts Film Festival the combined festivals now form the annual Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, introducing short films from all over the world.
Awards
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2012 Awards
Best Short Award -- International Competition: 600,000 Yen
Best Short Award - Asia International Competition: 600,000 Yen
Best Short Award - Japan Competition: 600,000 Yen
Audience Award - International Competition: 200,000 Yen
Audience Award - Asia International Competition: 200,000 Yen
Audience Award - Japan Competition: 200,000 Yen
*Awards are subject to change.
Entries
Open to the public
Eligibility:
* See our website for details for other competition categories.
http://www.shortshorts.org/index-en.php
Formats:
DVD (NTSC/PAL) for submission. If your film will be selected, you are required to provide a NTSC HDCAM, HDV, Digital Betacam, Betacam SP, DVCAM, or MiniDV.