Focus on Japan Special Shorts Block 1
Special Screening
Schedule
Nov 15, 2026 @ 05:45 PM
ムパン
mopim
12 min | 2025 | Japan | Japanese | English Subs
Synopsis:
The film begins with a conversation with the grandmother, tracing back the bittersweet and hard-to-express emotions between mother and daughter. As it moves between the reality of daily life and the imagined scenes from memories, the film gradually reveals the wounds of this family and the scars left by colonial history.
Director
Yutaka Mizuochi
Primarily working in the planning and direction of TV commercials, he has also directed a diverse range of visual projects, including theatrical feature films, short films, and music videos. His theatrical feature film credits include The Great Shu Ra Ra Boom (Asmik Ace + Toei).
So Far Away, So Close
彼方の声
22 min | Fiction | 2025 | Japan | Japanese | English Subs
Synopsis:
Naoto is given one day to reunite with Mio, his deceased lover, through an AI reconstructed from her brain data. Installed on his smartphone, Mio speaks with the same voice, memories, and mannerisms she once had—yet her existence is limited to just 24 hours. As they spend the day together in Tokyo, visiting familiar places, meeting Mio’s mother, and preparing for Naoto’s art exhibition, their conversations oscillate between the ordinary and the profound. While Naoto struggles between holding on to the past and continuing to live in the present, the countdown to their inevitable farewell draws closer.
Director
Tekkou Nogami
Born in 1982 in Nagasaki, Japan, he is the CEO of LUCA Inc.
His work Dream won the Tourism Film Award at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) in 2018, followed by Ukujima, which also received the Tourism Film Award in 2022.
His short film ABYSS garnered multiple honors at SSFF & ASIA 2025, including the Best Thrill Award, Best Actor Award, and Audience Award.
House of Gia
5 min | Fiction | 2025 | Japan | Japanese | English Subs
Synopsis:
House of Gia is a short film drawing from Asian American influences that explores themes of legacy, power, identity, and the sacrifices people make in pursuit of ambition. “What do you do when you get everything you wanted and discover it cost everything else?” Shot in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.
Director
Zachary I. Smith
Film director and producer for the Los Angeles branch of the Eurasia International Film Festival. He directed the film "House of Gia," shot in Little Tokyo together with the Japanese community of Los Angeles. He is also active in music and video production.
Media Biased
90 min | Feature | Fiction | 2026 | Japan | Japanese | English Subs
Synopsis:
Suzuko Yugami is an outspoken director at a production company subcontracted by a regional TV station. When the station’s subsidiary fabricates footage based on unverified claims that the prefectural governor has abused his power, Suzuko is asked to stop the footage from going to air...
Director
Kinshirou Ogino
After directing commercials and music videos, he made his feature directorial debut in 2001 with "Watashi no Hone" (My Bones). As the last apprentice of ATG film producer Kinshirou Kuzui, he inherited his mentor's name. Alongside his work as a film director, he has expanded his career as a manga writer ("Honoka no Sho" (2006), serialized in the weekly magazine Josei Jishin) and as a television director. His film "Asakusa-do Suimutan" (2011) won the Grand Prix runner-up award at the Monaco International Film Festival. Other works include "Ikeshima Tanka" (2014).