The Cinematic Tokyo Competition Wants to Give You 1M Yen for Your Tokyo-Themed Short

If you've got an idea for a short film that captures the essence of Tokyo, don't miss out on this opportunity from the SSFF & ASIA, which is the Academy Award accredited international film festival.

Now in its 21st year, the Short Shorts Film Festival & ASIA (SSFF & ASIA) is now calling for entries into the Cinematic Tokyo Competition. This category features work that not only captures the "essence of Tokyo." The winner will be awarded 1 million yen!

Though the theme is "Tokyo," your film doesn't have to be filmed there on location (though you can definitely do that). It just has to highlight the charms and memories associated with Japan's capital city—"a shop that makes you feel 'Tokyo' overseas, a picture of the theme of 'Tokyo', or your imagination."

To give you a clearer picture of how this theme has been captured in the past, the last Cinematic Tokyo Competition Best Short Award and The Governor of Tokyo Award winner, Kai Hasson, made his short film Robu about a 17-year-old American boy who goes on to Japan to find the second issue of his favorite Japanese comic book only to realize that the world around him is the manga world and he is, in fact, the main character.

Your film can be any genre, made in any year, and have screened before the competition. However, all films must no longer than 25 minutes, be in either Japanese or English, and follow the "Tokyo" theme—which is as open as your imagination wants it to be.

The Cinematic Tokyo Competition is accepting applications for SSFF & ASIA 2020 from filmmakers anywhere in the world.

You can apply now until January 31, 2020. Nominees will be announced in April 2020 and the winner will be awarded in June at SSFF & ASIA 2020 in Tokyo.

For more information or to enter, head on over to the Cinematic Tokyo Competition website.