[Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd.] Seminar & Workshop Series to Learn Branded Movie Know-How: Hasen Kuniyama and Tetsuya Bessho Speak at the “THINK by BRANDED” Presentation Event ~We Want to Build Partners Who Think Together~
Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd. Press Release: October 6, 2025 Seminar & Workshop Series to Learn Branded Movie Know-How: Hasen Kuniyama and Tetsuya Bessho Speak at the “THINK by BRANDED” Launch Event ~We Want to Build Friends Who Think Together~ 10th Anniversary of “BRANDED SHORTS,” a short film festival focused on branding and attracting the attention of video marketers around the world. ■Date and Time: Tuesday, September 30th, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM ■Venue: Akasaka Intercity AIR, in front of the fountain (1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo) Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masahiro Miwa) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of “BRANDED SHORTS,” a branded movie festival aimed at branding. To celebrate, the company is hosting the “THINK by BRANDED” project, a series of five seminars and workshops throughout the year to teach companies and local governments the know-how and skills they need to create branded movies. This project is being carried out in collaboration with the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), Asia’s largest international short film festival and an Academy Award-accredited organization. On Tuesday, September 30th, an event to announce this project was held at Akasaka Intercity AIR. On the day, BRANDED SHORTS invited Tetsuya Bessho, representative of SSFF & ASIA, and special guest Hasen Kuniyama, who works as a producer at business video media company PIVOT Inc. and is active in the media business field with the motto of “communicating.” Together with Ichiro Takashima of the Area Management Department of the Urban Business Headquarters, they spoke about the background to the establishment of the “THINK by BRANDED” project, the appeal and future vision of branded movies, and the lineup of the five seminars.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-07661ba1dd0da9eb374799236e68b3e2-797×597.jpg Takashima stated, “Our company branding is about continuing to think,” and through the branded movie “I THINK” produced in-house, “I feel the importance of continuing to think. I would like to work with participants to research the steps of how to create a movie that conveys a company’s message, how to create a story, and how to communicate that.” Kuniyama spoke about the potential of branded movies, saying, “The interesting thing about branded movies is the depth of the information and the depth of the feelings they convey.” “These days, users dislike anything that feels like an advertisement. Branded movies are different; they can convey a message very effectively.” Bessho also expressed his expectations for the project, saying, “I would like to build a network of people who will think together.”
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-447cb7cc0000e0aab5819113cdd0699d-615×410.jpg ■ “THINK by BRANDED” project overview Held on Wednesday, October 22nd at the SSFF & ASIA 2025 International Short Film Festival Autumn Theme: “Considering the Intersection Between Advertising and Film” We will explore “Conveying a Company’s Personality Through Film: Branded Storytelling, a Field Between Advertising and Film,” together with Kentaro Kimura, Executive Officer at Hakuhodo, who served as Jury President for the Digital Craft category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (Cannes Lions), the world’s largest advertising communication festival. 〈Second Seminar〉Scheduled to be held in December Theme: “Considering the ‘seeds of a story’ that your company’s service brand possesses” 〈Third Seminar〉Scheduled to be held in February 2026 Theme: “Considering how to translate a company’s objectives into video” 〈4th Seminar〉Scheduled to be held in April 2026 Theme: “Considering the public relations and development of branded movies” 〈5th Seminar〉Scheduled to be held in June 2026 Theme: “Considering the creation of a branding movie proposal as the culmination of the series” Bessho said, “I would like you to participate in all five sessions. Over the course of the five sessions, the seeds of a new project will be sown, and ultimately we hope to see the birth of a branded movie that will actually move the hearts of the world.” With the SSFF & ASIA 2025 Autumn International Short Film Festival just around the corner, starting on October 22nd, Bessho not only shared highlights such as the screening program, but also explained about upcoming talk events to explore new methods for branded movie production, including “New Video Branding Born from Co-creation between Companies and Local Communities – The Potential of a Corporate Version of Hometown Tax Donations.” 【BRANDED SHORTS Seminar to be held at SSFF & ASIA 2025 International Short Film Festival in Autumn】 Seminar New Video Branding Born from Co-Creation between Companies and Local Communities — The Potential of Corporate Hometown Tax Donations — Corporate hometown tax donations not only allow companies making donations to receive a tax deduction of up to 90% but also offer many other benefits, such as building relationships with local residents and promoting ESG management. Meanwhile, for local communities, corporate donations allow them to use video to express the charm and story of their region and enhance their brand value. However, this system is not yet well known among donating companies. At this event, we will introduce the potential of video production using corporate hometown tax donations as a new form of branding co-created by companies and local communities, and introduce new ways to use it to create significant value for both parties.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-4b6a6205ba288158c827c12c84522f0a-390×292.png ■Date and Time: Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM ■Venue: Akasaka Intercity Conference the GREEN ■Speakers: Michihito Takeda, Senior Researcher, JTB Research Institute Tetsuya Bessho,
Representative, SSFF & ASIA Kei Suwa, Representative, FROGLOUD (and Moderator) ■Fee: Free, but advance reservations are required. https://form.jotform.com/ShortShorts/branded_autumn2025 Seminar THINK by BRANDED Vol.1 Communicating a company’s “personality” through video: Storytelling Lessons from Cannes Lions Award-Winning Films A “branded movie” conveys the personality and values of a company or organization through natural, moving images. In this seminar, we will welcome Kentaro Kimura, who serves as a judge at advertising festivals both in Japan and abroad, including the world’s most prestigious international advertising award, Cannes Lions (2024 Digital Craft Jury President, 2025 Titanium Division). He will analyze trends in works that are highly acclaimed worldwide and examine the latest branded movie examples that convey the “personality of a company” and resonate with viewers, carefully selected from Cannes Lions Grand Prix winners and BRANDED SHORTS nominees. What storytelling techniques are being used at the forefront of branding? This is the perfect event for those who want to learn how to communicate brand expression through storytelling.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-103c5bd69cf7ff92a0fc7650264259f9-393×295.png ■Date and Time: Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM ■Venue: Akasaka Intercity Conference the GREEN ■Speaker: Kentaro Kimura (Creative Officer, International Chief, Hakuhodo) Creative Officer, Founder, Hakuhodo Kettle) ■Fee: Free, but advance reservations are required. URL https://ssff2025a-2.peatix.com ■Films Screened at Events At the opening event held on September 30th, we screened three notable works to capture the latest trends in branded movies: one by a British laundry detergent brand, one by a Canadian stationery store, and our own branded movie, “I THINK.” Kuniyama commented on “I THINK,” saying, “It’s a truly heartwarming film. I really liked how it portrays a story of a company sitting next to local residents, facing them and supporting them. It really struck me that this is a company that values these kinds of things.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-a23a086d77f8f3cca634919d0af8e327-367×180.png SSFF & ASIA Branded Shorts of the Year – International “Me, My Autism & I Director: Tom Hooper / UK / 3:40 / 2022 A story based on real-life experiences that shows how important a hoodie is to Ash, who has autism. Her morning routine can be easily disrupted by the smallest of things, but her only source of comfort is a single hoodie. Her family watches over her kindly, but her sister can’t stand it anymore and hides her hoodie. [Advertiser] Vanish & Ambitious About Autism [Advertiser] Havas London [Production Company] SMUGGLER London
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-2c807b2ab3d64d8f88d1831ae43d63b3-371×189.png SSFF & ASIA 2017 Branded Shorts of the Year International “NOTES” (Take Notes) Director: Chris Booth & Joel Pylypiw/Canada/3:57/2017 [Advertiser] Take Note [Advertising Company] BBDO Toronto [Production company] Skin & Bones
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-0bd2aa39317c90f7fdf3e5ee42f1f0b7-367×199.png 『I THINK｜Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate』 ・Video publication URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee-VZPXS31o ・Special site URL: https://www.nskre.co.jp/special/ithink/index.html Director: Yudai Morigaki / Japan / 15:34 / 2025 Knowing what other people think isn’t easy. But it’s important in both life and work. The protagonist (Hiroe Igeta, an employee at a general developer) loves to think and ponders everything she sees. She ponders this through a city development project, interacting with her colleagues, local residents, and friends. [Advertiser] Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate [Advertising Agency] O Inc. [Production company] TYO Co., Ltd. 【BRANDED SHORTS】 We live in an age where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to foster customer engagement through traditional communication planning alone. Communication between companies and customers has also changed dramatically, with an increasing number of companies focusing on video marketing. Branded videos, in particular, are gaining attention as content that combines “value for consumers (entertainment and usefulness)” with “the message and philosophy of the company or brand.” In 2016, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia established its own unique standards for branded movies as an international short film festival and established an official category, “BRANDED SHORTS,” to collect such works. The festival accepts branded movies from both Japan and overseas, screening a wide variety of works, and also holds events and seminars to further invigorate the video advertising market. http://brandedshorts.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-3725f5c4db1d0f9654e39db3c0abac74-396×281.png SSFF & ASIA 2025 International Short Film Festival in Autumn Overview ■Date and Venue: ＜Screening and Event Venue＞ Akasaka Intercity Conference Wednesday, October 22nd Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography Hall … AIR Saturday, October 25th and Sunday, October 26th Satellite Venues: Tokyo Midtown Hibiya Hibiya Cinema Festival October 10th (Friday) – 26th (Sunday) *Screening start times vary depending on the film. Please check the website.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1379/521/1379-521-bce7f7600ddf4e7f3574bc30d766d382-219×308.jpg ＜Online Venue＞ ・Online Grand Theater: Wednesday, October 22nd – Monday, November 10th ・Online Satellite Venue: Brillia Short Shorts Theater Online “Iceland Escape Iceland Shorts Special” will be available for five weeks starting Wednesday, October 1st.
■Tickets:Ticket reservations and sales begin Thursday, September 25th. 【Free】 – Screening and event at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum Hall – BRANDED SHORTS Seminar at Akasaka Intercity Conference *Numbered tickets for the event will be distributed on the ticket page. A ticket is required for admission. Please register in advance. ・Screening at Hibiya Cinema Festival ・Brillia Short Shorts Theater Online Streaming 【Online Venue】 Domestic: 2,000 yen / Overseas: 8 USD [Screening venue] ●1 DAY ticket (10/25, 10/26) Advance tickets: 2,000 yen, Same-day tickets: 2,300 yen, Preschoolers (under elementary school age): Free *1-day tickets are available, allowing you to enjoy the movie all day! You can enter, exit, and re-enter at any time according to the screening time. 【Discount Eligible】 *Early bird ticket (1,500 yen) Applicable: 1-day ticket purchases from September 25th to October 8th *Under 29 discount/senior discount (pre-sale: 1,500 yen / on-sale: 2,000 yen) Target: People under 29 years old or over 60 years old *Special discount for high school students and under (first: 1,000 yen / current: 1,300 yen) Target: High school students or younger at the time of visit ≪Discount for same-day tickets︎≫ ・LINE friend
registration ・Brillia Short Short Theater Online Member 300 yen discount when purchasing same-day tickets *Cannot be combined with same-day ticket discount︎ ■Organizer:Short Short Asia Executive Committee /Co-host:Tokyo / Sponsor:J-WAVE/Cultural resource content triggered by Japan Expo 2.0 in 2020 Japan Expo 2.0 sponsored by a project to improve satisfaction by refining the highest level of cultural resources (contract type) ／ Partner project:Tokyo
International Film Festival /Venue cooperation:Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd./ Cooperation:Direct Network Systems Ltd. ■About collaboration with “Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia” (SSFF & ASIA) “Short short SSFF & ASIA is one of the largest international short film festivals in Asia, attracting attention from film professionals and movie fans around the world, and is an event that gathers the latest short films every year and evaluates the quality and diversity of the works. Since 2019, Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate has been building a partnership with the film festival as an official sponsor of SSFF & ASIA. We also sponsor Japan’s only international advertising video category, “BRANDED SHORTS,” and cooperate with the promotion and activities of short films and branded movies. The branded movie “I THINK” expresses our company’s thoughts on urban development, which embodies our company’s mission of “Creating cities by working with people.” As part of our social contribution (cultural support) through collaboration with film festivals, we aim to deliver “I THINK” to as many people as possible.