Visionary Director Yuya Ishii, Acclaimed Actors Miki Mizuno and Kazuki Kitamura, and International Industry Leaders Convene to Judge Asia's Premier Short Film Festival

TOKYO, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) 2026, an Academy Award^®-accredited festival and one of Asia's premier short film platforms, has appointed its official jury to select the next wave of Oscar^®-eligible talent.

This year's prestigious panel is anchored by Yuya Ishii, the award-winning director of The Moon and The Great Passage, whose work has garnered international acclaim at the Berlin International Film Festival. Joining him are several high-profile figures from the global film industry, including renowned actor Kazuki Kitamura, celebrated for his versatile performances across international productions; acclaimed actress Miki Mizuno; and Yusuke Hirota, the visionary director behind the hit animated feature Poupelle of Chimney Town.

The jury also features international festival experts and cultural leaders, including Christine Ji (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival), Ryan Ashore (Red Sea Film Lab), and Chieko Murata (Myriagon Studio), alongside musician and author Ayaka Wada and digital pioneer Tomoyuki Sugiyama.

Together, they will evaluate 113 nominated films selected from over 4,200 submissions worldwide to determine the winners of this year's top honors.

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

• Live Action Competition (International Category) & Non-Fiction Competition
  • Live Action (International): 29 nominees selected from 2,295 submissions across 99 countries and territories (excluding Asia).
  • Non-Fiction: 16 nominees selected from 354 submissions across 61 countries and territories.

Jury: Yuya Ishii, Christine Ji, Miki Mizuno

• Live Action Competition (Asia International & Japan Categories)
  • Asia International: 23 nominees selected from 781 submissions across 46 countries and territories in Asia (excluding Japan).
  • Japan: 22 nominees selected from 255 submissions.

Jury: Ryan Ashore, Kazuki Kitamura, Chieko Murata

• Animation Competition
  23 nominees selected from 503 submissions across 56 countries and territories.

Jury: Ayaka Wada, Yusuke Hirota, Tomoyuki Sugiyama

Award Ceremony: June 10th, 16:30-19:30 JPT

The Award Ceremony, the grand finale of the festival, serves as the culmination of 2026. This prestigious event will unveil the winners of the three Live Action categories, the Non-Fiction competition, and the Animation competition. Notably, the winners of these five categories will earn eligibility for nomination at the following year's Academy Awards^®—the highest number of qualifying spots offered by any single film festival in the world.

For those unable to attend in person, the Award Ceremony will be live-streamed globally.

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SOURCE Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia