札樽ゆうばり国際映画祭 (1)

Festival start: 21 March 2027      Festival end: 21 March 2027

An inclusive international film festival championing absolute freedom of expression, accepting short films, features, and project proposals of any genre, theme, or production year. Filmmakers worldwide are invited to submit their most innovative works, with no restrictions on premiere status, AI usage, or content.

Grand Prize for Best International Short Film
Grand Prize for Best International Feature Film
Grand Prize for Best International Project
Grand Prize for Best Domestic Short Film
Grand Prize for Best Domestic Feature Film
Grand Prize for Best Domestic Project
Grand Prize for Best Hokkaido Short Film
Grand Prize for Best Hokkaido Feature Film
Grand Prize for Best Hokkaido Project
Grand Prize for Best Sapporo Project
Grand Prize for Best Otaru Project
Grand Prize for Best Yubari Project

(The following awards are presented in the International, Domestic, and Hokkaido categories.)
Best Drama Award
Best Fantasy Award
Best Science Fiction Award
Best Horror Award
Best Thriller Award
Best Comedy Award
Best Suspense Award
Best Animation Award
Best AI Award
Best Experimental Film Award
Best Documentary Award
Best Musical Award
Best Music Video Award
Best Director Award
Best Actor Award
Best Actress Award
Best Screenplay Award
Best Editing Award
Best Cinematography Award
Best Idea Award (Project Competition)
Best Fastest-to-Production Project Award (Project Competition)
Best Media Mix Project Award (Project Competition)
Best Original Score Award
Best Poster Award

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

(Rules for Short and Feature-Length Films)

・Please submit your entry digitally via Festhome, or the Japanese-only submission method (bank transfer).

　* For YouTube submissions, please provide a link to a private video.

　　 For Vimeo submissions, if you have set a password, please include it.

　　 The link must remain active throughout the festival period.

　　 This festival recommends using a private YouTube video.

・Films in languages other than Japanese must have English subtitles embedded.

・Films of any production year are eligible.
　(While many film festivals often impose restrictions such as “produced in [year],”
　it may simply be that the film was too innovative for its time,
　or perhaps… that festival simply lacked the discernment to recognize its merit.

　Our festival aims to maximize every possibility to discover wonderful works.)

・Participation in this competition is open to anyone—individuals or organizations—regardless of nationality. Age and gender are also not restricted.

・There are no restrictions regarding premiere screenings or online releases.

・We accept films of all genres and themes.

・Even if a film contains political or commercial propaganda, violence, adult content, racism, or any other form of discrimination, it will be accepted if such elements are necessary to the film’s expression.

　We do not prohibit any form of expression.

・The use of AI is permitted. However, please clearly indicate whether the AI was used for the entire work or only a portion of it.

・There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit. Please complete the online submission process and pay the entry fee for each entry.

・Even if you have submitted a work in the past, you may resubmit it. (This applies only to works that did not win an award.)

・For short films, we require high-definition (HD) digital files (minimum resolution 1080p) in MP4 format (H.264, H.265) or using the ProRes codec.

　However, entries that do not meet these specifications will not be disqualified. (If there are any issues, the festival will contact you.)

・Please send all support inquiries to support@sasson-yuubari.com.

・Submission Deadline: Sunday, February 28, 2027　　

・Filmmakers must hold full rights to their submitted works, including music and visuals.

・This film festival may promote film clips based on the provided press kit.

・Selected works may be screened at events such as post-festival screenings, following prior confirmation with the entrant.

・By submitting your work, you agree and grant us the right to screen your film for three years for live screenings or two years for online screenings (streaming), starting from the announcement of the awards.

・The copyright to the film remains with the entrant.

・No screening fees will be charged for any film screenings.

・Not all films that win awards at the awards ceremony will be screened (either in-person or online).

・Official selections will be notified via email, Festhome. Films officially selected will be eligible for all awards.

・No individual feedback will be provided for films that are not selected.

・Films that have been officially selected cannot be withdrawn from the festival program or other festival materials.

・Entrants shall indemnify and hold the Festival harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and litigation costs) arising from copyright, trademark, credit, publicity, or the loss or damage of submitted materials.

・All technical issues regarding submitted films are the sole responsibility of the filmmakers.

・Films in languages other than Japanese without English subtitles will be automatically rejected without a refund.

・If you encounter any issues with the submission process, please contact the festival team as soon as possible. We will do our best to assist you.

・Refunds will not be issued for any reason.

・The festival will not cover any travel or accommodation expenses related to participation in the festival.

・By submitting an entry, you agree to these terms and conditions and consent to receiving emails from the festival.

　We will not sell applicants’ information to third parties.

・ Please review the guidelines, Terms of Use, Disclaimer, and Rights before submitting your entry.

・The festival reserves the right to change the festival dates or venue.

　All filmmakers will be notified of any changes via email or other means.

・The festival reserves the right to update the Terms of Use.

(Project Guidelines)

・Submissions must be sent digitally via Festhome, or the Japanese-only option (bank transfer).

・After submitting the application form, please send a PDF to entry@sasson-yuubari.comまでお送り
ください.

・For project proposals in languages other than Japanese, only English submissions are permitted.

・Projects may have been produced in any year.

・Eligible works are those that have not previously been adapted into a film or television drama.

・Participation in this competition is open to any individual or legal entity, regardless of nationality. There are no restrictions based on age or gender.

・We accept film proposals in all genres and on all themes.

・Even if a proposal includes political or commercial propaganda, violence, adult content, or any form of discrimination—such as racial discrimination—it will be accepted as long as it is necessary for the film’s artistic expression.

　We do not prohibit any form of expression.

・The use of AI is permitted. However, please clearly state whether the AI was used for the entire work or only a portion of it.

・There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit. Please complete the online submission process and pay the entry fee for each submission.

・Even if you have submitted a work in the past, you may resubmit it. (This applies only to works that did not win an award.)

・Please submit a one-page PDF proposal for the film project you wish to produce, in A4 or letter size.

・Please send all support inquiries to support@sasson-yuubari.com.

・Submission Deadline: Sunday, February 28, 2027　　

・If the work is based on a pre-existing source material, submissions will only be accepted if you own the film adaptation rights.

　Please be sure to indicate this in your submission.

・Film project proposers must hold full rights to the submitted work.

・This film festival may use the provided press kit for promotional purposes.

・By submitting your work, you grant this film festival the first right of refusal to adapt your project into a film for a period of three years from the date the awards are announced.

・The copyright for the project belongs to the applicant.

・Not all projects that receive awards at the awards ceremony will be made into films.

・Notifications will be sent via email, Festhome.

　Officially selected projects will be eligible for all awards.

・Individual feedback, such as comments and advice, will be provided for projects that were not selected.

・We will provide individual feedback, such as comments and advice, on entries that were not selected. (Scheduled to be provided within approximately one month after the film festival ends.)

・Films that have been officially selected cannot be withdrawn from the film festival program or other materials.

・Applicants shall indemnify and hold the festival harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and litigation costs) arising from copyright, trademarks, credits, publicity, or the loss or damage of submitted materials.

・If you encounter any issues with the submission process, please contact the festival team as soon as possible. We will do our best to assist you.

・No refunds will be issued for any reason.

・The festival will not cover any travel or accommodation expenses related to festival participation.

　We will not sell applicants’ information to third parties.

・Please review the guidelines, Terms of Use, Disclaimer, and Rights before submitting your entry.

・The festival reserves the right to change the dates or venue of the festival.

　All filmmakers will be notified of any changes via email or other means.

・The festival reserves the right to update the Terms of Use.