COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the globe, but creatives are finding ways to adapt and thrive amidst the challenges the virus has thrust upon them. In fact, despite this year's Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) having to put its festivities on hold due to challenges inherent with the pandemic, it managed to lift the voices of a number of talented creatives during the festival's final event.
The Creators' Junction partnered with Xperia™ trained its focus on exploring the trends, as well as the future of the creative visual industry with the next generation of filmmakers and creatives. Held in collaboration with Sony & Sony Mobile Inc., the event featured a panel of acclaimed director Naomi Kawase (Moe no Suzaku, Sweet Bean), artist and musician Daiki Tsuneta (King Gnu, millennium parade), moderator and festival president Tetsuya Bessho, and many more as they explored different facets of the current as well as the future state of the industry.
You can watch the Creators' Junction partnered with Xperia below. English subtitles are available.
Some portions of the event were held in-person while others were held remotely. But despite these challenges, each creative managed to offer sage advice and insight on the future of the creative industry, from Kawase encouraging filmmakers to make films that are "outside the box" to Bessho highlighting the fact that artists tend to use their skills to find ways to create despite the limitations that come with living through a pandemic like the one we're in now. That is, as he stated, the "true meaning of creativity."
The panel also discussed SSFF & ASIA's newest project, the Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony, which challenges filmmakers to create short films using nothing more than the phone in their pocket.
As mobile technology advances, there's no doubt that the possibilities and expectations of films shot on smartphones continue to rise. Kawase notes that she realized that the ability for anyone to not only make good films but also exhibit them to anyone anywhere in the world was is something unique to mobile filmmaking.
Takaki Nakadai of Sony's Brand Department also attended the event, explaining Sony's decision to participate as the festival's sponsor.
"SSFF & ASIA is a barometer for filmmakers aiming to become professionals," he said. "We felt that supporting the festival leads to direct support of the filmmakers."
Source: Short Shorts
