Short films have traditionally been seen as a director's starting block toward making their first feature. Yet with the art of filmmaking becoming ever cheaper, many have been sidestepping the short-film format, instead heading straight for a low-budget feature film. Yet short films are an art form in themselves, an idea celebrated by Japan's annual Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia.
The festival, which is running until June 26, was first established in 1999 in Tokyo's Harajuku district. It has since become one of Asia's biggest festivals and is still the only one of its kind in Japan. The event has spread across five locations in the Kanto area, including Tokyo's Roppongi and Shinjuku districts as well as Minato Mirai in Yokohama, to accommodate the enormous amount of films being screened.
This year's festival will showcase some of the best domestic and international short films the industry has to offer, from both established and emerging talent. The festival's curators describe themselves as "mining a diamond in the rough." This claim may hold true, as they have patiently sat through as many as 4,200 films sent in to the festival. From this abundant selection, 68 films have been selected from 23 countries.