Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) in Bern!
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) proudly announces the short film screening in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Switzerland to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Switzerland.
A total of 11 short films will be screened for three consecutive nights from February 28th (Wed) to March 1st (Fri) at the Information and Cultural Center of the Japanese Embassy in Bern.
(Starting at 18:00 on each day, 3-4 films will be screened and a Q&A with the directors will also be held, free of charge.
The screenings will include short films set in Tokyo, produced by SSFF & ASIA together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, as well as ones from around Japan as Shizuoka, Okinawa, and Iwate prefectures, produced as part of Japan Cultural Expo Project Presented and Co-presented by Japan Arts Council and Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.
Some films are based on Japanese folk tales, and there are also ones directed by Swiss directors with a Japanese production team.
In addition a director residing in Switzerland will be participating in a Q&A at the venue, as well as directors from Japan and Australia will be connected online with local screening attendees.
The appeal of short films is that they can convey stories, messages, social events, and culture in a cinematic way in a short amount of time. SSFF & ASIA president Tetsuya Bessho, who wants to energize film festivals as a place to support filmmakers who create such great films stated, “I hope that we can deliver short films from our film festival to the world and as many people as possible.
Through the many stories, I think you will experience Japan for the first time and learn about Japanese culture and values anew.”
Mr. Kawahara, Director of Japan Information and Cultural Center of the Embassy of Japan in Switzerland, also said, “In this year, which marks the 160th anniversary of the beginning of exchanges between Japan and Switzerland, we have the opportunity to convey information about Japan through the works of young and talented filmmakers. Because it’s a short film, I think people.
Tetsuya Bessho, an actor and member of the American Actors Guild (SAG), founded the American Short Shorts Film Festival in 1999 to introduce short films, that he had discovered in the United States, as a new visual genre to Japan. In 2001, the name was changed to Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF), and in 2004 it was certified as an Academy Award-recognized film festival.
Also, in the same year, “Short Shorts Film Festival Asia (Co-hosted by SSFF ASIA: Tokyo)” was born with the aim of disseminating new visual culture from Asia and nurturing up-and-coming young filmmakers. We are holding a film festival under the collective name “SSFF & ASIA”.
In 2018, to commemorate the film festival’s 20th anniversary, the Grand Prix award became the George Lucas Award, named after director George Lucas. In January 2019, the “Short Shorts Film Festival in Hollywood” was held to commemorate the festival’s 20th anniversary.
Also in 2019, four competitions, and in 2022, five competitions, including the Animation Competition, have acquired the right to be eligible for nomination at the following year’s Academy Awards®︎ in the short film category. SSFF & ASIA will continue to support young creators through the film festival.
