SSFF & ASIA 2021's Screening Lineup Is Here!

Film festivals are often the best places to see content that doesn't get shown anywhere else, especially from indie and short directors. What better way is there to spot up-and-coming filmmakers taking risks on bold new stories?

That's one thing we love about Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia! The festival was founded in 1999 as the Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF). In 2004, SSFF added a program for Asian short films and established Short Shorts Film Festival Asia with the support of the Governor of Tokyo.

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Now, the combination of the two festivals takes place annually in Tokyo as Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, one of the largest short film festivals in Asia. This year's fest takes place June 11-21, and it's screening hundreds of shorts.

The fest has just announced its full program. Let's take a look!

'viewers:1'Credit: Yosuke Kobayashi & Daigo Hariya

The theme of the fest is "CINEMADventure." More than 500 short films from around the world will be screened. Sony supports the Official Competition.

The fest has added new competitions, like the Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony, and the Vertical Theater Competition supported by smash. It looks like some highly original content was selected for these categories, so you won't want to miss it.

There are also international films.

The special screenings from around the world include David, which was nominated at the Cannes Film Festival and stars Will Ferrell. In the film, a severely depressed man reaches out for an emergency therapy session. He’s not the only one who needs help.

'David'Credit: Andre-Lascaris

You can also watch Ben Whishaw in Miss Fortunate. In the short, a character's mother has died, leaving her with two cats, a huge tax bill, and a crush on a boy she can’t talk to. It's a comedy-drama about grief, in which a young woman loses her mother and finds herself.

Kim Bora's The Recorder Exam and Werner Herzog's 1986 short documentary Portrait Werner Herzog are also in the lineup.

From Japan, there are special screenings of Wish on a Cocktail starring Jun Kunimura, and The Supermission starring Mariko Tsutsui.

In addition to in-side-out directed by Mirai Moriyama, the Japan category also includes The Woman Who Performs, directed by Toshiyuki Teruya (Gori) and starring Hikari Mitsushima.

The short film Stardust Children, a film shot entirely on a smartphone by Director Eiji Uchida, will have its world premiere.

The SSFF & ASIA's online venue has opened in advance, and about 200 short films will be globally streamed online for free—you just need to sign up with your e-mail account first.

'enough.'Credit: Caleb Slain

Jurors will give awards to three films: the Best Short Award from each Official Competition category and the Grand Prix.

Jurors include actors Junko Abe, Ryo Katsuji, and Mariko Fuji, photographer Hideaki Hamada, critic Chris Fujiwara, and director Tetsuya Mariko.

Several awards will be announced in advance of the film festival and at the Opening Ceremony on Friday, June 11.

The Best Short Awards and the Grand Prix, The George Lucas Award will be announced at the awards ceremony on Monday, June 21.

Be sure to check out the full program for more! You'll be able to watch many films online.