Tokyo, oh Tokyo. Ever made—or wanted to make—a short film that celebrates the beautiful Japanese metropolis? If so, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (an Academy Award qualifying short film festival in Tokyo, held annually in June) is presenting a perfect opportunity through the Cinematic Tokyo Competition.
SSFF & ASIA is currently calling for short films that incorporate "Tokyo" as their subject or theme. In theory, this means they show off the variety of character and attractions Tokyo has to offer.
Shorts that are selected into the festival will be streamed online during the festival period. What's even cooler? The winner of the short film competition gets 1,000,000 JPY.
The parameters of the "Tokyo" theme doesn't mean they necessarily have to be set in Tokyo, but that they depict Tokyo in some way spiritually. This could mean (in some way or another) memories of Tokyo, impressions of Tokyo, or even shops in overseas locations that offer an experience of Tokyo in some way.
Cinematic Tokyo Competition 2024 Best Short Award Governor of Tokyo Award "Tokyo I Love Yous" by Kaita Tawara
The winner of the Cinematic Tokyo Competition 2024, Kaita Tawara commented, "This award is a turning point for me as I continue to make films."
He further explained his short film " Tokyo I Love Yous" as:
"Staged in real and imaginary Tokyo, one of the key themes of this film is the overlapping time between the light of the stars and the lives of two people in the future. The "light" in the stage lighting , the streetlights on the highway, and the aerial shots of Tokyo, that all represent the stars. "Light" connects the past, present, and future of the two actors".
Interested? Check out some more details below, as well as a short film which was specially produced as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government × SHORTSHORTS PROJECT "Light of Intricate Patterns" directed by Shoji Yasui.
"Light of Intricate Patterns"
Festival Entry Guidelines
Submission Period
August 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025
Submission Fee
Free
Eligibility Criteria
1. Theme: “Tokyo”
Tokyo must feature in the film in some capacity. You do not have to show the real Tokyo or even shoot in Tokyo, and 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, etc.
2. Japan Premiere: Not required
3. Genre: Any. All 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.
Award
Best Short Award: 1,000,000 Japanese Yen
*Awards are subject to change.
Useful Info
(1) For any inquiries regarding shooting in Tokyo for this competition, feel free to contact the Tokyo Location Box (http://www.locationbox.metro.tokyo.jp/english/).
(2) Materials available on the Tokyo Stock Footage website can be used for this competition for free.
http://tokyo-footage.com/
Note 1: Except Zojoji Temple, Sensoji Temple and Roppongi Hills
Note 2: Please make sure to include “Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau” in the credits.
Notification
The selection results will be announced by the end of April 2025 on the official festival website.
You can check the status of the film festival application from the application status screen within LIFE LOG BOX. LIFE LOG BOX account details will be sent to the email address used for the submission process at a later date.
Festival Tour
The National and International Tour of the Festival will take place after SSFF & ASIA 2025 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 an Apple 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 2025 if selected without any screening fee.
- The selected film will also be streamed online at the festival online venue.
- Festival venues, dates, awards, travel awards etc. are subject to change at any time.
- Any materials used in your film that are subject to the rights of a third party that is protected by law, such as another person's copyrighted work or portrait, please obtain permission from the rights holder regarding screening, online distribution and credits, etc. If your film is selected, you will need to separately submit music cue sheets for all music used in your submitted film. Any music included in the film that does not belong to any third party and is in the public domain or owned by the rights holder of the film, unless specified in the music cue sheet provided separately, must belong to you.
- The Festival parent company will obtain the commercial rights of the award winner films.
・ Submitted film information and applicant (creator) information will also be registered in LIFE LOG BOX for management and notification of submission status. Information will be managed in association with the applicant. In this case, only the applicant and the festival can access the information. By allowing information about films and directors to be posted on LIFE LOG BOX, it is possible for that information to be accessed by general visitors to the site. The publication targets only the applicant (creator) information or work information, and the application status and the main content of the work will not be disclosed.
If you want to cancel posting on the LIFE LOG BOX service after posting, please set your content to “private" in your LIFE LOG BOX account.
・If you have previously submitted an entry to the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, an account for LIFE LOG BOX has been issued to the email address used for the entry. The account ID and password have been sent from no-reply@lifelogbox.com. Please log in to LIFE LOG BOX using the account.
If you have any questions, please contact us using the link below.
https://lifelogbox.com/contact/
Submit your films by January 31, 2025 here.
- Submit Your Festival Films Using LIFE LOG BOX by SSFF & ASIA ›
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"'Back Home"via Mercedes Arutro
'Back Home'via Mercedes Arutro 
