Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia

【 Short Drama Pitch Competition presented by Nihonchokuhan Inc.】

Eligibility

All creators (individuals or teams), regardless of whether they are in Japan or overseas. Applications are accepted from individuals, corporations, and voluntary organizations.

Benefits for Selected Projects - Production funding of 10 million yen, with production supported by professional editors. *The winner's level of involvement in the short drama production will be decided upon consultation. If the winner does not participate in production and Nihonchokuhan Inc. purchases the project from the winner, the minimum purchase price is 1 million yen. Payment will be made in accordance with a separate contract to be concluded.

Credit as "Original Project Planner" upon the release of the work. - Provision of royalties (distribution) based on commercial profits. - Issuance of a "Verifiable Credential (VC)" utilizing blockchain technology.

We've compiled answers to frequently asked questions regarding submissions. Please refer to the following page

Short Film Guidelines

Competitions · Live-action International, Asia International, and Japan

Genre: All genres are accepted, except for non-fiction films, animation films, and music videos. Production Country: All. Submissions will be considered in three categories: Japan, Asia International, and International. Eligibility for each category will be determined by the festival committee based on the following criteria: director’s nationality, shooting location, language of the film, nationality of cast, and source of funding.

Countries for the Asia International Competition are defined as: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rep. of China, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

Non-Fiction Competition Documentary motion picture. It may employ any techniques as long as the film is made as a non-fiction film and the emphasis is on fact and not on fiction.

Screening Formats & Technical Requirements

Shortlist, Festival Tour, Online Screening & other Notes

Tour · The National and International Tour of the Festival will take place after the SSFF & ASIA 2027 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 are screened on the tour.

【 Short Drama Pitch Competition presented by Nihonchokuhan Inc】

The applicant acknowledges in advance that the Organizer or other parties may already possess, be considering, or be developing concepts before the submission, or may independently develop concepts without relying on the submitted work, that are similar to the submitted work.

The applicant agrees not to assert any claim against the Organizer or any other party, including claims for infringement, compensation, damages, or any other claims, solely based on such similarity.

Must be an original project by the applicant or team.

Applications must be in Japanese or English.

Use of generative AI is permitted (however, you must state where it was used in the application form).

【Application Items】 (You are not required to submit everything) - Storyboard or script for a short drama under 10 minutes - Plot (approx. 200 words) - Reference images of the world/setting - One-sentence description of the work (Logline) - Music tracks that represent the envisioned atmosphere - Assumed locations - Budget estimate - Portfolio of past works (including samples/viewing links), etc.

Upload your project proposal (pitch deck) and resume in one file; PDF or ZIP file recommended. Recommended file size: 10GB or less

Duration: Films must be 25 minutes or under (including end credits). · Completion Date: Films must be completed after June 1, 2025. Except for the Cinematic Tokyo Competition. · Language: Films in languages other than English or Japanese must include English or Japanese subtitles, or provide a script/dialogue list. · Submission Format: Online submissions only. · Refunds: Submission fees are non-refundable under any circumstances.

Premiere · Japan Premiere Required for the International and Asian International Competition *No screenings in Japan or online streaming with JP subtitles before the festival. · Japan Premiere is not required for the Japan Competition /Non-Fiction / Animation/ Cinematic Tokyo.

Animation Competition Animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time. Any animation technique is accepted.

Cinematic Tokyo Competition “Tokyo” must feature in the film. You do not have to show the real Tokyo/shoot in Tokyo, however, as depictions can be based on your imagination or fiction.

You may use footage from: Tokyo Footage & Promotion Video Collection ( Credit requirement: The user must display a credit (Tokyo Tokyo) to indicate that it is video material, or a work made using the video material owned by TCVB.

Shortlists We'll announce the shortlists on our official festival website within two months of a film's submission. Films on these shortlists have been pre-selected for further consideration and are the only ones eligible for the final selection.

Other Notes · 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 2027 if selected without any screening fee. · The Festival's parent company will obtain the commercial rights of the award-winning films.

LIFE LOG BOX 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, that information can 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.

For technical issues or guideline clarifications

Personal details submitted in the entry process will be used by the competition organizers to contact entrants with information regarding the competition. We will not respond to any inquiries regarding the selection process or results.

Important Notes

You may be asked to provide documentation verifying the director's age if necessary.

You are responsible for obtaining permission from the relevant rights holders for both the use of such materials in the film and any subsequent uses, including screenings, online streaming, and credit attribution if your submitted film includes any third-party copyrighted materials, likenesses, or other legally protected content.