Official Judges for Each Category Determining Academy Award Nominations Announced! Yuya Ishii, Miki Mizuno, Kazuki Kitamura, Chieko Murata, Ayaka Wada, Yusuke Hirota, and 9 Others

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) 2026, an Academy Award-accredited and one of Asia's largest international short film festivals, has announced the official judges for each category that will lead to next year's Academy Award nominations. The judges include director Yuya Ishii, highly acclaimed at the Berlin International Film Festival and known for soul-stirring masterpieces like 'The Moon' and 'The Great Passage'; actress Miki Mizuno and actor Kazuki Kitamura, who deliver overwhelming performances and presence in numerous acclaimed works; Christine Ji of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival; Ryan Ashore of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Lab, among other internationally knowledgeable individuals. Additionally, Chieko Murata, producer of the film 'National Treasure' and from Milliagons Studio, has been appointed. For the Animation category, director Yusuke Hirota, known for the film 'Poupelle of Chimney Town,' Ayaka Wada, former 'Hello! Project' and 'ANGERME' member now active as a musician and writer, and Tomoyuki Sugiyama, a pioneer in digital content, have been selected. They will unearth the possibilities of visual expression beyond genre boundaries. *Order of listing is arbitrary.

https://www.shortshorts.org/2026/competitions-awards/#jury

■ Live Action International Category
Judging 29 nominated films out of 2,295 submissions from 99 countries and regions worldwide, excluding Asia.

■ Non-Fiction Category
Judging 16 nominated films out of 354 submissions from 61 countries and regions worldwide.

Above Judges:
Yuya Ishii, Christine Ji, Miki Mizuno

■ Live Action Asia International Category
Judging 23 nominated films out of 781 submissions from 46 countries and regions in Asia, excluding Japan.

■ Live Action Japan Category
Judging 22 nominated films out of 255 submissions.

Above Judges: Ryan Ashore, Kazuki Kitamura, Chieko Murata

■ Animation Category
Judging 23 nominated films out of 503 submissions from 56 countries and regions worldwide.
Above Judges: Ayaka Wada, Yusuke Hirota, Tomoyuki Sugiyama

Tickets for the Award Ceremony go on sale today!

The announcement of each winning film will take place at the Award Ceremony on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The Grand Prix (George Lucas Award) and Best Awards for the Live Action International, Asia International, and Japan categories, as well as the Animation and Non-Fiction categories, will be announced.

SSFF & ASIA 2026 Live Action International Category and Non-Fiction Category Judges (arbitrary order, titles omitted)

Yuya Ishii (Film Director)
Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1983. His graduation film 'Bare Essence of Japan' ('05) won the Grand Prix at the 29th Pia Film Festival. He made his commercial film directorial debut with 'Sawako Decides' ('09), a 19th PFF Scholarship film. His film 'The Great Passage' ('13) won Best Picture and Best Director at the 37th Japan Academy Film Prize. 'The Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue' ('17) ranked first in the 91st Kinema Junpo Best Ten and was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival. Recent works include 'Love Will Tear Us Apart,' 'The Moon,' 'A Madder Red,' and 'Why Do People Write Love Letters?'

Christine Ji (Selection Committee Member, Short Film Section, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival)
Studied English Literature at Chung-Ang University and received her Master's degree from the same university's Graduate School of Arts with a thesis on 'Ang Lee's Films as Popular Auteurs.' She served as a programmer for the Chungmuro International Film Festival from 2007 to 2008 and for the Seoul International Family Film Festival from 2010 to 2011. From 2014 to 2016, she served as a judge for the Grand Off-World Independent Film Awards in Poland. From 2013 to 2021, she worked as a programmer for the Asiana International Short Film Festival. Since 2023, she has been a selection committee member for the short film section at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.

Miki Mizuno (Actress)
After debuting as an actress in her teens, she has been active in a wide range of films, dramas, and stage productions. She won Best Actress at the 28th The Television Drama Academy Awards and Best Action Actress at the 2nd Japan Action Awards. She presides over the theater unit 'Propeller Dog' and is involved in scriptwriting, directing, and producing in addition to her acting career. In 2025, she established a new theater project company, All Out Challenge Inc., and is...