SAMANSA Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yuichi Iwanaga), which operates the short film distribution service "SAMANSA," is pleased to announce that its latest short film "SWITCHES," produced by its original label "SSTRUCK," has been selected for the 30th LA Shorts International Film Festival held in Los Angeles, USA, and has won the Best Short Film Award at the 5th Essence Film Festival held in New Orleans, USA.

◆Film Overview

"SWITCHES"

Synopsis:

Dawn and Jake, a couple in a rut, try a new drug that allows them to "swap consciousness for 24 hours." The idea is that experiencing each other's lives will make their marriage more positive. However, unexpected developments unfold one after another, turning their lives upside down...!

2025 / USA / 19 minutes 40 seconds

Director: Brandon Broussard

Cast: Sinqua Walls / Chanté Adams / Brad Morris

Director Profile:

Brandon Broussard

Director and screenwriter. Leveraging 15 years of writing experience, he founded the feature film script production company "Murder Ink" in 2015. Since then, he has worked on numerous scripts and productions with major studios, including Lionsgate's "The Perfect Match," the Netflix film "#RealityHigh" for which he served as screenwriter and executive producer, and his latest work, the musical comedy film "Praise This" by Universal Studios and Will Packer Productions.

*This film is currently touring film festivals worldwide and is not yet publicly released. Further details regarding its full release, including the distribution period on the "SAMANSA" platform, will be announced once confirmed.

◆About LA Shorts International Film Festival

Established in 1997, the LA Shorts International Film Festival (LA Shorts) is one of the world's leading short film festivals held every July near Hollywood. It is recognized as a qualifying festival for major film awards such as the Academy Awards and BAFTA, and is known as a gateway for short filmmakers to the world, having launched many directors onto the global stage. The festival screens over 400 films annually, attracting approximately 10,000 attendees from around the world, including film industry professionals and creators, making it an international film festival of note for both its artistic merit and business opportunities.

◆About Essence Film Festival

Established in 2022, the Essence Film Festival is a film and media festival held annually in July as part of the "Essence Festival of Culture" in New Orleans. It primarily screens works by Black culture and African American creators, with participation from major studios such as Disney and Universal. In addition to film screenings, the festival features panel discussions and red carpet events, drawing over 500,000 attendees for the overall festival, making it a globally recognized entertainment event.

◆About the Original Label "SSTRUCK"

The past tense of Strike is "struck," meaning "to be impacted," and by combining it with the S from SAMANSA/Short Film, we get SSTRUCK. Leveraging the characteristic of short films, which allows for a more direct expression of a creator's vision than feature films, we have entrusted the word "impact" with pure, experiential appeal.

SAMANSA, aiming for a better world through the power of creativity, collaborates with creators both domestically and internationally to produce and distribute short films that deliver "impactful" experiences, embodying this aspiration.

◆About SAMANSA

SAMANSA is a distribution service specializing in short films.

For a monthly fee of 490 yen, we offer a curated selection of films from around the world, currently streaming over 500 short films (as of July 2026). With runtimes under 30 minutes, these films can be enjoyed during commutes or other daily gaps in your schedule, fitting into various lifestyles.

Furthermore, by directly licensing films from creators worldwide, we deliver a diverse range of content unavailable on other domestic VOD services. We aim to foster a new culture where films can be enjoyed more freely and intimately.

Service Name: Short Film Distribution Service "SAMANSA"

Web Browser App Site: https://samansa.com/

iOS App (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/samansa/id1600425602

Android App (Google Play): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samansa

◆Company Overview

Company Name: SAMANSA Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: 2-14-13 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Okazaki Building 603

Representative Director: Yuichi Iwanaga

Co-Representative: Takayuki Toyama

Establishment Date: April 2021

Business Activities: Operation of the short film distribution service "SAMANSA"

Corporate Site: https://about.samansa.com/

Service Site URL: https://lp.samansa.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@samansajp/about

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samansajp/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samansajpn/

X: https://x.com/samansajpn/

X (PR): https://x.com/samansajpn_pr

Contact: info@samansa.com

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 受賞
  • Organizations: Murder Ink / Lionsgate / Netflix