Director Shunji Iwai Receives Independent Spirit Award: Honoring the 30th Anniversary of His Feature Film and the Spirit of a Creator Who Has Influenced Filmmakers Around the World [Sapporo International Short Film Festival (NoMaps Executive Committee)]
Sapporo International Short Film Festival (NoMaps Executive Committee) Press Release: October 22, 2025 Sapporo International Short Film Festival honors director Shunji Iwai with the Independent Spirit Award in celebration of his 30th feature film anniversary. — From short films to the world. Celebrating the spirit of a creator who has pioneered the possibilities of visual expression and has had a profound influence on young directors and independent filmmakers around the world —
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independent spirit. On the occasion of the festival’s 20th
anniversary, the Sapporo International Short Film Festival is pleased to present the Independent Spirit Award to Director Iwai in
recognition of his path, his many years of contributions to short film culture, his work in discovering and nurturing new talent, and his brilliant track record spanning 30 years of feature films. ■ Reason for the Award Director Iwai has pioneered new possibilities in visual expression through a wide variety of short films, including television dramas, music videos, and commercials, and has had a profound influence on young directors and independent filmmakers around the world. In the 30 years since his feature film debut in 1995, “Love Letter,” he has created a unique visual world in both feature and short films, and continues to captivate audiences as a leading figure in the Japanese film industry. He began his career with short dramas and experimental film works, and despite his brilliant track record, his creative spirit, which continues to challenge himself with new forms of expression, is a true symbol of the “independent spirit.” ■ Involvement with the Sapporo International Short Film Festival Director Iwai was involved in the film “Love,” which was shot in Otaru. Iwai is a filmmaker and director with deep ties to Hokkaido, having worked on films such as “Letter” (1995) and “Kyrie no Uta” (2023), which was filmed in Obihiro. He has been deeply involved with the Sapporo International Short Film Festival, having served as an international jury member at both the 5th (2010) and 16th (2021) festivals. Director Iwai’s long-standing support for the development of short film culture has been a great encouragement to the Sapporo International Short Film Festival. In recent years, screenwriter Yu Shibuya took the helm of the short film “Bicycle” (director: Dean Yamada, screenwriter: Yu Shibuya, 2009), which won the Grand Prix at the 5th film festival, where Director Iwai served as a judge. He then completed the feature film “An Umbrella for Beautiful Days”
(screenwriter and director: Yu Shibuya, 2025), marking his debut as a feature film director, starting with a short film. A growing number of young, talented creators have inherited Director Iwai’s independent (i.e., self-reliant, independent) spirit. The Sapporo International Short Film Festival honors Director Iwai’s free-thinking, independent spirit, and creative passion, and presents him with the Independent Spirit Award in recognition of his contributions to short film and cinema culture.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/44/67047-44-7d46049404375992da7fc67a7e0002db-552×368.jpg SSF2025 Scene 1 (Opening)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/44/67047-44-89c5a51ac31952bbd5e4bfd7f040bded-640×375.jpg Scenes from SSF2025 2 (Award Ceremony) Sapporo International Short Film Festival Established in 2006, this year marks the 20th
anniversary of the festival, making it one of Japan’s largest international short film festivals. Over 2,000 films are collected annually from around the world, and from there, selected works from the International Competition and special out-of-competition screening programs are screened at theaters across the city. In addition to showcasing topical works that can only be found at the festival, the festival also serves as a gateway for new directors, constantly discovering and promoting new talent. In recent years, directors Kei Ishikawa and Chie Hayakawa, among others, have released feature-length films and won Grand Prix awards at the Japan Academy Prize and international film festivals, nurturing the next generation of filmmakers. In 2025, a total of 2,386 films were submitted from 91 countries and regions, of which 70 films from 31 countries and regions were selected for screening as the official selection. Official website▷ https://sapporoshortfest.jp Upcoming film festival schedule and tickets 《In-Person Screening》 Drunken Program 2025: Special Screening Date and Time: Friday, October 31, 2025 Doors open: 7:00 PM / Start: 8:00 PM / End: 11:00 PM Venue: DARUMA Hall 2nd floor, Hiragishi Hire Parking Lot, 5-19 Hiragishi 2-jo, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo View the map Watch the trailer
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/44/67047-44-2fac10e5c87704cc578c7ddccb05e1fb-280×280.png Go to the Drunkard Program Ticket Site [Admission Fee] Advance: 1,800 yen (includes one drink (500 yen ticket)) Day of: 2,000 yen (includes one drink (500 yen ticket)) *To enter on the day, you can purchase same-day tickets on teket, pay via QR code, or pay in cash. *Please note that no change will be given if you pay in cash. ������️We recommend purchasing tickets in advance or paying online. Tickets are Click here(teket) 《On-Demand Screening》 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival Online Screening Dates: Saturday, November 1st to Sunday, November 16th, 2025 #Almost all films will be available for viewing for approximately two weeks. The final viewing date is scheduled for Sunday, November 16th, 2025. Location: Sapporo International Short Film Festival official website (click “Online Screenings” in the upper right) https://sapporoshortfest.jp/25/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/44/67047-44-1c16cc405b2fd382054cbb4597b0586d-280×280.png Film Festival Website > Tickets Price: 1,500 yen *Some screenings may not be available. *Some special programs are excluded. Tickets will be available on this page (and the QR code) as soon as they are available. The Sapporo International Short Film Festival uses DADA, provided by Pylon Co., Ltd. in Sapporo, for its online screenings. The 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival has adopted DADA, a paid web content distribution and streaming platform provided by pylon Inc., a Sapporo-based web, advertising, and content development and design production company, as its online screening platform. Pylon Inc. https://pylon.co.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/44/67047-44-d28621b2547bcc192dcd8859970d1e62-1000×489.png Paid content distribution service (Event overview) Name: Official name (Japanese/English): 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival 20th Sapporo International Short Film Festival & Market Common name (Japanese/English): SAPPORO Short Fest 2025 SAPPORO SHORT FEST 2025 (abbreviated as SSF 2025) Organizer/Management: NoMaps Executive Committee/Film Festival Management Department Period/Venue Theatrical screening Program screening: October 11th (Sat) – 13th
(Monday/holiday) Award ceremony: October 13th (Monday/holiday) 10:00 Screening venue Satsugeki (Minami 2-jo Nishi 5-chome [Tanukikoji 5-chome], Chuo-ku, Sapporo) Online Screening Dates: November 1st (Sat) – 16th (Sun), 2025 20th Main Visual
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/67047/44/67047-44-9f38c7fbc8b54b3790e0b0e6da7ee6a8-600×848.jpg SSF2025 POSTER RIBBONESIA RIBBONESIA, formed by artist Mugi Maeda and director Toru Yoshikawa, is an artist duo that focuses on colorful ribbons, which have a short lifespan as gift wrapping materials. Using an approach similar to three-dimensional origami, they create a variety of motifs, primarily featuring plants and animals, using ribbons. Their work spans a wide range of creative fields, both in Japan and overseas, including packaging and visual presentations for major retail brands in the fields of fashion, cosmetics, and food, as well as event displays for hotels and commercial facilities. Screening Program International Competition International Program National Program Japan Premiere Program Family & Children Midnight Program Drunken Program Outdoor Adventure Cinema National Competition Micro Docs for SDGs Micro Docs U18 Hokkaido Selection Special Program SSFF & ASIA SPECIAL SELECTION SSF 20th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL Awards Program (a program featuring award-winning works)
Contact Us Sapporo International Short Film Festival (NoMaps Executive Committee) (For inquiries about the film festival, click here) Contact: Honma/Kubo Email info@sapporoshortfest.jp Official website https://sapporoshortfest.jp Facebook
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