SSFF & ASIA 2026 Kicks Off! Star-studded Guests Including Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takumi Saitoh, Kuruma Takahira, Aoi Morikawa, Oshiro Maeda, Shogo Hama, Hiro Asahina, Hirona Nagahama, and Ayaka Honmo Appear at the Opening!

To celebrate the opening of the festival, the Academy Awards accredited and one of Asia's largest international short film festivals, "Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2026" (SSFF & ASIA), held its Red Carpet & Opening Ceremony on Monday, May 25, 2026, at MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives.

Marking its 28th edition, the theme for this year's festival is "Cinema Engineering." "Camera, lighting, sound, and AI. Combining these elements precisely to construct an experience that reaches the audience's heart." This year's festival shines a light on cinema as a form of "design science." The festival has officially started, allowing audiences to enjoy a curated selection of about 250 works from among 5,000 submissions across more than 100 countries and regions, both at physical venues and via the online grand theater.

https://www.shortshorts.org/2026/

A large crowd gathered for the red carpet ceremony, where gorgeous guests dressed in splendid fashion appeared. As a first-time initiative, comments were gathered directly on the red carpet. The first to appear were actor Tetsuya Bessho, the president of SSFF & ASIA, and LiLiCo, the festival ambassador. Bessho greeted the audience, saying, "Thanks to everyone, this film festival, which started in 1999, has reached its 28th year. We are truly grateful to welcome so many guests again this year to celebrate our opening." LiLiCo brightened the atmosphere by reflecting on the festival's history: "I started as the festival ambassador in 2014, making it 13 years. In my mind, it only feels like the 6th year, so it sent a little shiver down my spine. 13 years since 2014, that's a long, long time!"

## Excerpts from Red Carpet Attendees

From "Chojudai" (Super Teens), festival navigators Hirona Nagahama, Ayaka Honmo, Ren Fujii, and Dan Fujiwara, who spread the appeal of short films from a teenage perspective, made their appearance. Nagahama, who experienced a cute mishap by stepping out too early on her first red carpet, commented, "It's been a dream of mine to stand on the red carpet, so I feel like I'm in a dream right now, and it feels great!" Honmo followed up by saying, "I thought I'd be nervous, but thanks to the mishap, I'm standing on this carpet quite relaxed right now, so it's super fun!"

From "BREAK SHOT," director Kuruma Takahira (Reiwa Roman) making his directorial debut, along with actors Aoi Morikawa, Oshiro Maeda, Nao Takahashi, Yuto Endo, Tomohiro Kodama (Salty Gorilla), and Kemuri Matsui (Reiwa Roman), made their appearance. When asked about what to look forward to in the film, Takahira passionately stated, "We welcomed Tomohiro Kodama from Salty Gorilla as the lead, and among a luxurious cast, the film is shot to convey his charm to the fullest, so please watch it." When asked about his fashion focus for the day, he began, "Well, there are holes in various places..." to which Matsui quickly interjected with good timing, "You mean Morikawa, right?" Morikawa then answered with a smile, "My dress today is reversible, so you can wear the back in the front. It's really wonderful, and I paired this distinctive black dress with various jewelry." Furthermore, when Matsui was asked about his partner's success this time, he drew laughter from the venue by commenting, "I was tricked into being in this movie, so I don't even know why I'm here. It's amazing. Please help me!"

Representing this year's featured special program, the "Culinary Program: Memories of Food," which connects the world's diverse values through the universal lens of "food," was the team behind the story of four girls weaving friendship, "How We Came to Frequent Mendokoro Maro." Producer Takumi Saitoh, actor Hiro Asahina, director Takumi Koyama, and actors Ririka, Kaetsu Ohno, and Koto Ichimanda appeared. Addressing fans looking forward to the work, Saitoh sent a message: "It's a film where you can feel the future of cinema and the possibilities of short films through the 'ramen' that Hiro Asahina faced during the COVID pandemic. The wonderful cast members portray a youth ensemble, so I would be happy if you could savor it with both your heart and your palate." Asahina added, "I never thought that the person who used to come watch the Short Shorts Film Festival in Kyoto during my university days would be standing here. I'd be thrilled if watching this movie makes everyone want to eat ramen."

## Excerpts from the Opening Ceremony

At the opening ceremony, four award announcements and