J-Pop Group Ikimonogakari & Japan Academy Award Winner Eiji Uchida Collaborate on a Short Film "Stardust Children"

TOKYO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Awards©︎ accredited Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, will world premiere "Stardust Children" as the opening film of the festival online venue, which kicks-off on Tuesday, 04/27. Story based on the hit song by Ikimonogakari's "Kirakira ni Hikaru." Directed by Eiji Uchida, director of the Japan Academy Award winning film "Midnight Swan" & the subject of the hit film "Naked Director." The film was shot entirely on Sony's smartphone Xperia™.  

URL: https://youtu.be/JWfM_ArrTq8 
World Premiere at 2:00pm on April 27, JST 

The film is based on "Stardust Children"（Hoshikuzu no ko), which was inspired by Ikimonogakari's hit song "Kirakra ni Hikaru" & was chosen from submissions to Sony Music Entertainment's platform for user generated contents, monogatary.com.

Story: Annin Gogatsu
Original Concept: "Kirakira ni Hikaru" Written by Yoshiki Mizuno (Ikimonogakari) https://youtu.be/AKICeCLHLsw
Directed by: Eiji Uchida   Cinematography: Maki Itō   Written by Eiji Uchida & Lee Nawon
Cast: Haru Nakamura (Maruta), Ryōka Minamide (Senebu), Mai Kikuchi (Bella)
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy  24min.

Synopsis: Maruta is driven out of his land after he is considered to be cursed. After wandering through the forest, he encounters stardust children who are righteous & pure. Maruta befriends Senebu & Bella & the children but as the Star festival approaches…  

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2021

• Friday, June 11th to Monday, June 21st
  *Online screenings from Tuesday, April 27th
• Screening venues across Tokyo and online
• https://www.shortshorts.org/en
  *2021 website will be open on April 27th

This year Sony Group Corporation and Sony Corporation (summarize two companies as Sony) will once again support the Official Competitions (International, Asia International, Japan) to support the filmmakers who will create & set the new trends & styles of visual contents & is the gateway to a possible nomination in the short film category at the Academy Awards©︎. In addition, "Smartphone Film Competition" is supported to expand creative expression & opportunities for new challenges in discovering new forms of creativity unique to smartphones.

Website for the joint project by SSFF&ASIA2021 & Sony's Xperia.  https://www.shortshorts.org/sony/

※On April 1st, Sony Mobile Communications Corporation has been changed to its name to Sony Corporation.

PRESS ENQURIES
Committee for Short Shorts：Fuyumi Tanaka [email protected] +81-3-5474-8201

SOURCE Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia