Short-film fever is hitting Tokyo this month, with festivals planned in arty-nooks and cinema-crannies across the capital. But not all short-film festivals are created equal — the good ones are both cleverly curated and take daring approaches in how they screen films.

The Future Shorts Festival, which began in London in 2004, is now held in more than 300 cities, including Tokyo. Films are curated by the London team and hosted locally across 90 countries.

Tokyo producer Makiko Watanabe thinks this open, flexible approach, is what makes Future Shorts special; it's a festival where different organizers around the world, "create their own space," she writes via email from London.