The 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, October 10th! ~Director Shunji Iwai and Tetsuya Bessho Appear at Kickoff Event by Image
URL: Sapporo International Short Film Festival (NoMaps Executive Committee) Press release: October 9, 2025 To Members of the Press 2,386 films from 91 countries: The 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival kicks off on October 10th! ~Director Shunji Iwai and Tetsuya Bessho to Appear at the Kickoff Event Internationally renowned short films, including Academy Award-nominated works, will be gathered in Sapporo. The opening screening to commemorate the 20th anniversary will feature special screenings of popular works such as “Summer Solstice Story [Complete Edition],” directed by Shunji Iwai and starring Aina the End.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-5928207fb8ec6a64af162c1c80877f7e-1920×1070.png
International Short Film Festival will feature guest appearances by film director Shunji Iwai and actor Tetsuya Bessho, representative of the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA). The event will also feature a screening of the invited film “Summer Solstice Story [Complete Edition]” (2023), directed by Shunji Iwai and starring Aina the End. In addition, the Sapporo premiere of “Instruments of a Beating Heart” (2024), a short documentary directed by Emma Yamazaki, which was nominated for the Best Documentary Short at the 97th Academy Awards. The third invited film will also be the theatrical premiere of “Unconscious in Creativity – A Record of Igarashi Takenobu 2022-2023” (directed, filmed, and edited by Kyoju Jingu), a short documentary following the late Igarashi Takenobu, a world-renowned designer and sculptor from Takikawa City, Hokkaido (who passed away in February 2025).
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-9982cb0f8f81c661bcd39f4763f33f01-1920×1080.jpg “Summer Solstice Story” (2023) “Summer Solstice Story” aired as a late-night drama in 1992 and still enjoys cult popularity today. With Aina the End as the new heroine, director Shunji Iwai himself has remade the film. Using a unique technique that makes extensive use of monologues, the film depicts a summer day filled with love and madness as a girl waits for her beloved to return home.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-b747d507e3415dbe4901aab297fba23d-2048×2048.jpg 『Instruments of a Beating Heart』
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-0adf295d62753fadbfc4bded87a702a6-1200×628.jpg “Unconscious in Creativity – Igarashi Takenobu’s Records from 2022 to 2023” The opening screening will also feature advance screenings of films from a special program commemorating the 20th anniversary. The Brazilian comedy “My Friend Nietzsche” (2013, directed by Fauston de Silva) will be screened as part of the “Short Shorts Film Festival & ASIA SPECIAL SELECTION,” a 20th anniversary collaboration between the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) and Sapporo. In addition, the French animation “My Generation” (2018, directed by Ludovic Houplerin) will be screened as part of the “SSF 20th Anniversary THE BEST OF THE BEST” program, which looks back on the 20-year history of the Sapporo International Short Film Festival and brings together the “best works” selected by festival programmers. ������ 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival Kick-off Event Date and Time: Friday, October 10, 2025, 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM Venue: Satsugeki (Minami 2-jo Nishi 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo), Theater 1 (2nd floor) Contents: Part 1: Opening Ceremony & Special Award Ceremony (Guests: Shunji Iwai, Tetsuya Bessho, and others)
Introduction of visiting Sapporo directors, Special Award Ceremony, Hokkaido Film Award Ceremony Part 2: Opening Screening (Invited Films) “Summer Solstice Story [Complete Edition]” Starring: Aina the End, Directed by: Shunji Iwai “Unconscious in Creativity – A Record of 2022-2023” Directed by: Kyoki Jingu “Instruments of a Beating “Heart” Directed by: Emma Yamazaki “My Friend Nietzsche” Directed by: Fauston de Silva “My Generation” Directed by: Ludovic Houpler Price: 1,000 yen (Opening ticket) Ticket link: https://teket.jp/10642/56442 Highlight of the Year 2: Special Program Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF&ASIA) and Sapporo International Short Film Festival collaborate to celebrate their 20th anniversary Special commemorative program featuring selected works from both film festivals “SSFF & ASIA SPECIAL SELECTION” ~Inviting directors and filmmakers from seven countries, featuring Tetsuya Bessho, and a free talk event Inspired by the American Short Shorts Film Festival (now SSFF & ASIA), founded by Tetsuya Bessho in 1999, the American Short Shorts Film Festival in Hokkaido has been held annually since 2000. Since 2006, it has been reborn as the Sapporo International Short Film Festival, and this year marks its 20th anniversary. To commemorate their 20th anniversaries, both the SSFF & ASIA and Sapporo Film Festivals will be screening a special commemorative program, “Short Shorts Film Festival & ASIA SPECIAL SELECTION,” featuring a selection of past award-winning and popular works. With the support of “Japan Expo 2.0,” directors and related parties of the films being screened have been invited from seven countries around the world to participate in the commemorative program. From the SSFF & ASIA, festival director Tetsuya Bessho and executive director Seigo Higashino will be visiting Sapporo. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the two “sister film festivals” will welcome a diverse range of international guests and promote the appeal of Japan as a whole through Tokyo and Sapporo. At the market’s event space, EDiT, a free talk event will be held featuring guest directors and filmmakers, where you can hear about the film scene in their countries and behind-the-scenes stories.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-f4e402ddbb99a02ca2458e63c4ed67ce-1850×1152.png Guest Directors Invited to SSFF&ASIA SPECIAL SELECTION (C)SSFF&ASIA, https://nofilmschool.com/austin-film-festival-2025-full-lineup Special Program ������ “Short Shorts Film Festival & ASIA SPECIAL SELECTION” Date and Time: Saturday, October 11, 2025, 11:00 AM (*Mr. Bessho will be a guest on Saturday, the 11th only). Monday, 13th (National Holiday) 3:00 PM onwards Venue: Satsugeki (Minami 2-jo Nishi 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo) Theater 4 (basement) Price: ¥1,300 in advance, ¥1,500 on the day (one program ticket is valid for admission) Tickets: https://teket.jp/10642/56442 Organizers: Pacific Voices Inc., Japan Arts Council, and Agency for Cultural Affairs Guests: Tetsuya Bessho (Representative of Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia), Seigo Higashino (Executive Director), and other directors of films being screened. Films being screened: “D.I.Y.” Directed by Royston Tan (Singapore). “My Friend Nietzsche” by Fauston de Silva (Brazil) *Best Screenplay Award, 9th Sapporo International Short Film Festival “Safe” by Moon Byung-gon (South Korea) “Keep on Dancing” by Jessica Barclay Lawton (Australia) “Double or Nothing” by Tokay (Switzerland) *Selected for the 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival “Sounds of War” by Martin Amiot (Canada) *Grand Prix, 19th Sapporo International Short Film Festival “9 Million Colours: The Invisible World” by Anna Bara Director (Czech Republic) *Selected work from the 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival (Talk event at the Market venue) ✏️ SSFF & ASIA Filmmakers’ Meeting Date and Time: Saturday, October 11, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM SSFF & ASIA laid the foundation for the current Sapporo International Short Film Festival. To commemorate the 20th Sapporo festival, we will be hosting a Q&A session featuring seven directors and related parties. (Interpretation available) Venue: Event Space EDiT (B1, Minami 2 Nishi 6 Building, Chuo-ku, Sapporo) Admission: Free (Pre-registration required) Pre-registration link:
https://sapporoshortfest.jp/25/events/1011_short-short-film-festival-asia/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-fd4a5e13c091f66548a9d92ff3d33fd9-960×540.jpg Short Shorts Film Festival & ASIA SPECIAL SELECTION Short Shorts Film Festival & ASIA The Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), Asia’s largest international short film festival and an Academy Awards-certified organization, first launched its short film festival in Harajuku in 1999 and concluded its 27th year in June 2025. The festival’s Grand Prix winner is presented with the “George Lucas Award,” named after American director George Lucas. The festival also operates “Life Log Box,” an online marketplace where short films can be bought, sold, and distributed year-round. Highlight of the Year 3: Talk commemorating the 30th anniversary of director Shunji Iwai’s debut!
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-9dfd1fb5d21836466bdd821aa5e28cf8-560×615.png Director Shunji Iwai Director Shunji Iwai has deep ties to Hokkaido, having filmed “Love Letter” (1995) in Otaru and “Kyrie no Uta” (2023) in Obihiro. A special live talk will be held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his feature film debut. Chima, a member of Iwai’s acoustic trio “Ikire,” will also be participating. Guest: Director Shunji Iwai / Singer-songwriter Chima Date and Time: Saturday, October 11, 2025, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM Venue: Event Space EDiT (B1, Minami 2 Nishi 6 Building, Chuo-ku, Sapporo) Fee: Free (Pre-registration required) Registration Link:
https://sapporoshortfest.jp/25/events/1011_shunji-iwai-30th-anniversary-special-talk-live/ Highlight 4 of this year: Various events: This year, we’re holding free events where you can see, hear, and learn about exciting things!
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-99f70a8df05efaac01a8f7276b3ecb52-1016×779.png Market Event List (Event List) ������️ Market Event Venue: Event Space EDiT (B1, Minami 2 Nishi 6 Building, Chuo-ku, Sapporo) 1. SSFF & ASIA Filmmakers’ Meeting (October 11th (Sat), as mentioned above) 2. Talk Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Director Shunji Iwai’s Debut! (October 11th (Sat), as mentioned above) 3. Film Market Seminar How do short film festivals around the world network and form communities? We’ll hear about the current state and future of short films in Canada. Short filmmakers, people involved in community development and business, and the general public are all welcome. Guest: Morgan Ferrero (Programmer/Curator, Canada) *International Jury Member, 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival Date and Time: Sunday, October 12, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM / Free 4. “Micro Docs for SDGs U18 Screening Filmmaker Talk” Supported by Yahoo! News “Micro Docs for SDGs” is a micro-documentary that focuses on people and focuses on the SDGs. It is the Micro Docs category of a national competition calling for submissions of 3.5-minute short documentaries. The best work will receive the Micro Docs for SDGs Award and have the opportunity to present their new work in Yahoo! News Documentaries. The Micro Docs U18 division will collect 3.5 minute short documentaries from junior and senior high school students across the country using “Step Zero: Start Inquiry with Video,” a separate volume of the educational material “Step Zero: Start Inquiry with Documentaries,” developed and published by LINE Yahoo! Corporation and Tomonokai Co., Ltd., and provide an opportunity for students to discuss each other’s footage, thereby supporting the next generation of documentaries. Date and Time: Sunday, October 12th, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM / Free 5. How will creatives deal with evolving generative AI? Two filmmakers working in Hokkaido will present examples of how generative AI is being used. We will delve deeper into the much talked-about topic of generative AI, with the audience participating, to see how it will impact creativity. Guests: David Aoki and Kodai Ito Date and Time: Sunday, October 12th, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM / Free 6. FIRST Youth International Film Festival Presentation The Sapporo International Short Film JAPAN PROGRAM was screened at the FIRST Youth International Film Festival, China’s largest independent film festival, in September 2025. Aiming to foster mutual international exchange, we will introduce Chinese culture and film festivals in Sapporo. Date and time: Monday, October 13th (national holiday) 14:00-15:30 / Free ️ Apply here
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSee3G7BV8BuFpukiEJvR2y-UCllXcbcUUoWSpJvHSyJnbu-7A/viewform ������ Outdoor event venue: Ouba (Kita 2 Nishi 4) Outdoor Theater Opens! A giant screen will appear in the city of Sapporo! Watch films about adventures in the great outdoors while looking up at the night sky.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-71f821b799b83bc8cd9304428eb653b2-2659×1850.png Ourdoor Theater Date and Time: Monday, October 13th (National Holiday) / Free “Wonderful Music Cinema” (Music-related films) 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM “Outdoor Adventure Cinema” 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM [Best Adventure] Award Announcement Location: Okuba (North 2, West 4) Screening Partner: Kinomado Featured Films in the Competition ・Oscar-nominated “The Man Who Couldn’t Keep Silent” (Croatia) ・”Balance” (Canada), a story about the heart of a Ukrainian refugee girl living in a divided world “The Man Who Couldn’t Keep Silent” (I-C Program), nominated for the Best Live-Action Short Film award at the 97th Academy Awards in 2025, is a globally-charged short film nominee, including “Balance” (I-E Program), which depicts the emotional conflict between a young girl and her family who flee the war in Ukraine and live in a foreign land. In addition, we will be screening a diverse and appealing program featuring Japanese works, works premiering in Japan, and works from Hokkaido.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-8de9a23f003bdd301db9ef10dfa4de88-640×360.jpg The Man Who Couldn’t Keep Silent
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-86c11b4f6f9f6a42c2a815b5eee324c0-640×360.jpg Balance This year’s international jury includes Taiwanese film director Yi-Chi Lien, Japanese film director Satoko Yokohama, and Canadian film festival programmer Morgan Ferrero. The judging results will be announced at the awards ceremony on Monday, October 13th (national holiday).
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-aa99d8ad1e237c5b33213f40f7afeb15-3454×1944.png SSF2025 International Jury Program Details (Competition) International Competition (International Entries Open) International Program: (I-A to E) (Works from around the world) I-A: #AnotherPerspective I-B: #Humor I-C: #Humanism I-D: #Art & Spirit I-E: #Relationship ・National Program (N-A, N-B): Competition for domestic films ・Japan Premiere Program:Competition for films premiering in Japan (5 films nominated) 〈ジャパンプレミア・アワード対象〉 ・ファミリー＆チルドレン：お子様と楽しく見られる世界のショートアニメ *無料・事前登録 ・ミッドナイト・プログラム：大人が楽しく見られるちょっと刺激的な作品
・アウトドア・アドベンチャー・シネマ：アウトドアを楽しむための最新短編作品 ナショナル・コンペティション（国内から募集・部門別コンペ） ・Micro Docs for SDGs Micro Docs
U18：SDGsをテーマとした3分のドキュメンタリー〈MicroDocs部門コンペ〉
・北海道セレクション：北海道にゆかりのある作品〈特別賞対象〉 特別記念プログラム（ノンコンペ） ・SSFF & ASIA SPECIAL SELECTION ・SSF 20th Anniversary The Best of the Best その他 ・アワードプログラム：今年の受賞作品を集めたプログラム（内容は賞の決定後、WEBで公開） 映画祭総合スケジュール
スケジュール詳細：https://sapporoshortfest.jp/25/theater/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/43/67047-43-1b2e4f92c6d09d212f8424844839f8c2-1754×1241.png SSF2025スケジュール一覧 開催概要 名称 第20回 札幌国際短編映画祭 英 語：20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival & Market 通 称：SAPPOROショートフェスト 2025／SAPPORO SHORT FEST 2025 主催／運営 NoMaps実行委員会／映画祭運営部門 劇場上映 会期
2025年10月10日（金）～13日（月・祝） 会場 サツゲキ（札幌市中央区南2条西5丁目 狸小路5丁目） オンライン上映 会期 2025年11月1日（金）～11月16日（日）まで チケット 劇場上映 料金：前売券／当日券 ・オープニング・イベント入場券（10月10日 18:00～21:30）：1,000円 ・1プログラム券 前売：1,300円／当日券：1,500円 （プログラム共通）
・鉄人パス（全プログラム対象・優先入場・数量限定）：6,000円 ・ファミリー＆チルドレン・プログラム（10月12日
10:15～12:00））無料（事前にお申込みください） 前売券：https://teket.jp/10642/56442 ＊チケットはキャッシュレスが基本になりますので、前売券の購入による、事前決済がオススメです。
＊１つの上映プログラム（約90分）の中で短編映画が4～5本ご覧になれます。 オンライン上映 会期
2025年11月1日（土）～11月16日（日）まで
ほぼすべての作品を対象に約2週間視聴可能、最終視聴可能日は2025年11月16日（日）の予定 会場 札幌国際短編映画祭公式ページ内 料金：*詳細決定次第、WEBサイトにてお知らせいたします。 お問い合わせ
札幌国際短編映画祭（NoMaps実行委員会）（映画祭についてのお問合せはこちら） 担当：本間／久保 メール
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