Have you ever wanted to make a film with your smartphone? This might be your sign to take your favorite everyday device out from your pocket and press record.
Short Shorts Film Festival & ASIA is looking for filmmakers who have a great idea for a short film that is shot solely on your smartphone. Supported by Sony Corporation, which develops the smartphone Xperia™ equipped with Cinematography Pro, a movie shooting function that incorporates the expertise of Sony's CineAlta professional camera, SSFF & ASIA wants to highlight and challenge filmmakers who can express their art through everyday technology.
By entering the competition, you are eligible to win 600,000 Japanese yen, and if you submit it to the Live Action/Animation/Non-Fiction Competition and win the Best Award, it's eligible to be nominated for an Oscar at next year’sAcademy Awards. The smartphone short that wins Best Short for that category will be submitted for nomination to the Academy Association.
Submissions for the Smartphone Short Film Competition are open now and will close on January 31, 2023.
If you are looking for some inspiration for your smartphone short, check out some of our favorite examples here!
'EYES'Credit: Courtesy of SSFF & ASIA
Get Inspired by Last Year’s Winners
Need some more inspiration?
Last year, the winner of the Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony’s Xperia was EYES by Russian director Olga Azhnakina. The 8-minute short follows the awkward realization that no one attending Kolya’s funeral really knew him.
Azhnakina spoke on her smartphone short, saying that it gave her, as a director, the ability to be heard, seen, and understood.
“It’s great that today anyone, anywhere in the world, with just a smartphone, can shoot a movie and feel like an author and director,” Azhnakina said in her comment to SSFF & ASIA.
You can watch Azhnakina’s full commentary below.
How to Enter Your Smartphone Film
This is a competition for short films shot on any brand of smartphone.
The selected films for this competition will be streamed online at the official festival online venue during the festival’s programming. The Smartphone Film Competition is supported by Sony’s Xperia, Sony’s smartphone, with the aim of encouraging filmmakers like you to push the boundaries of the visual media that is unique to smartphone filmmaking.
There is no fee to enter the competition—so what is stopping you from creating an award-winning short?
Rules to Follow Before Submitting Your Short Film
There are some guidelines you need to follow before submitting your short film.
- Your short should be shot fully on smartphones of any brand
- Open to all countries
- All genres are welcome
- Runtime is 25 minutes or under (includes end credits)
- Produced after June 1, 2021
- MOV or MP4 file
- 1920 x 1080 frame rate
- Under 10 GB preferred
- English subtitles are required for submission in any language other than English or Japanese
- Works in progress with not be accepted
You can complete the online submissions on the official festival website, Shortfilmdepot, or at FilmFreeway.
Win Big With Your Award-Winning Short
The selected shorts will be announced by the end of April 2023 on the official festival website. The filmmakers will be notified if their films will be screened at SSFF & ASIA 2023, but all smartphone shorts will be available for viewing on the official festival website.
The Best Award recipient will receive 600,000 Japanese yen, and if you submit to the Live Action/Animation/Non-Fiction Competitions and win the award, it will be eligible for nomination at the 2023 Academy Awards.
Submissions are open now and will close on January 31, 2023. There is no submission fee, so what are you waiting for?
