Welcome to Our Fest

Genre colors all film, and we're here to celebrate that whether you create sci-fi works, horror, noir, westerns, etc. We love them all. Indie filmmakers are encouraged to submit. We don't have a premiere requirement or any made by dates so don't hesitate to submit. We're looking for the best genre films and scripts regardless of budget. Our jury consists of industry veterans and professionals around the world.

If selected, your film will be screened to a live audience in Tokyo, giving you an incredible opportunity for international exposure!

Please Note: We used to have 4 rounds of judging prior to our Tokyo screening then we switched to 2 but now we've changed to a completely traditional festival format so we won't be doing awards before our screening (so no announcements or results before our Nov event), we won't have any different rounds, and although less films will be selected now like most other festivals, all official selections will screen in Tokyo. Only the official selections will then be eligible for our awards that will be announced after our yearly screening. We used to be partnered with the Bloodstained Indie Film Festival for this as noted before but that is no longer the case so we're both separate now. The screenings of several years ago took place in Shanghai but we changed to Japan a while back.

Web series are welcome and can be submitted under shorts. If we receive enough high quality web series entries, we will have a Best Web Series award, and we may have separate web series genre awards depending on the number of entries. Animated genre films are welcome too and can be submitted under the appropriate category like Horror Short or Sci-Fi Short, etc. If your film fits more than one genre like if it's both Horror and Sci-Fi, you can pick the category you feel is most appropriate but don't worry since we can move it to a different category if necessary. We're not that picky and obviously some films are a blend of different genres but we love to see those too.

Judging Process: Once a film wins a particular category, we don't list it again under nominees in the same category it already won (we felt this was redundant), but of course, a film cannot win without first being nominated by our judges behind the scenes. But in our process, after a film wins a specific category, it changes from nominee to winner in that category so that's why we don't list it again.



2024 Tokyo Festival


Screening Event Schedule

Saturday, November 23, 2024
Cinema House Otsuka
4-7-4-101 Sugamo, Toshima-ku
Tokyo 170-0002
Live In-Person Showing
https://cinemahouseotsuka.com/access/
 
2pm Event Begins
2:03pm Autopilot (US Sci-Fi)
2:20pm BFFR (US Comedy)
2:35pm GAME SHOW (Chinese Sci-Fi)
2:47pm Velours Rouge (UK Horror)
2:54pm From the Dark (US Fantasy)
3:01pm Black Pines (US Horror)
3:09pm A Question of Y (US Comedy)
3:26pm 5 min Break for Discussion, Bathroom, etc.
3:31pm Il caso è chiuso, andate in pace (Italian Drama)
3:41pm Cactus Noir (Mexican Noir)
3:45pm A Shining Example (US Comedy Horror)
4:01pm Homeward Journey (Chinese Sci-Fi)
4:27pm Mushroom Cut (Dutch Fantasy)
4:35pm Exit Pangea (German Sci-Fi)
5:55pm Event Finished
 
Google Maps Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HYJH8GZoZqDzbheB8



Official Selections

The Hitchhikers
GAME SHOW
Black Pines
The Styrofoam Shaman
Saving Christmas at Crackenberry Castle
Red in the Wood
The Delicacy of Sin
A Question of Y
Cravings
The Communing Engine
Antinean
BFFR
Velours Rouge
Chosen
Virulence
Night of the Mummy
The Art of the Matter
A Shining Example
Homeward Journey
We Want Your Baby
The silence
The Fairest Thing on This Black Earth
Mushroom Cut
Exit Pangea
Grandma Böse
Contamination
From the Dark
Mile Marker 666
A Lonely Dreamer
Steve's Law
Autopilot
Il caso è chiuso, andate in pace
Cactus Noir

2023 Tokyo Festival


Winners

Best Sci-Fi Short
Radio Telescope

Best Horror Short
A Taco
Sincopat
Mr. Murphy

Best Noir Short
Black Suede Purse

Best Action Short
Cafe Racer

Best Fantasy Short
Angelman

Best Drama Short
Rubbernecking
Best Comedy Short
Toshie the Nihilist
[INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE]

Best Visual Effects
Mind Leech

Best Actor
The Handbook - Josh Fish

Best Actress
Toshie the Nihilist - Rino Higa

Best Director
Pop!
[INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE]
Best Cinematography
Dead
Radio Telescope

Best Editing
The Ugly Rug

Best Score
The Bar Fight

Best Short Screenplay
Transport
Luck Be A Lady
Midnight Near Norway

Best Feature Screenplay
Trickster
Dream Hopper
Yokai Apocalypse



Nominees

Best Drama Short
The Bar Fight

Best Horror Short
Pop!

Best Comedy Short
The Ugly Rug

Best Fantasy Short
A Cleaning

Best Director
Mr. Murphy
Toshie the Nihilist
Best Actor
[INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE] - Matthew MacCaull

Best Actress
Short Staffed - Rhona Ashwood

Best Visual Effects
La Soglia

Best Editing
DARK LENS

Best Score
Cafe Racer
Mind Leech
Best Cinematography
Angelman
The Handbook

Best Short Screenplay
COCO
Nilofar
GeoAnthem
The Gambler

Best Feature Screenplay
THE TWO OF US
Tribulation Trail
The Blue Blood Moon
Pocketful of Mondays
A Boy Among Champions


Screening Event Schedule

Sunday, November 5, 2023
Cinema House Otsuka
4-7-4-101 Sugamo, Toshima-ku
Tokyo 170-0002
Live In-Person Showing
https://cinemahouseotsuka.com/access/
 
2pm Event Begins
2:05pm [INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE] (Canadian Comedy)
2:18pm Angelman (French Fantasy)
2:30pm A Taco (Mexican Horror)
2:31pm Cafe Racer (Canadian Action)
2:46pm Black Suede Purse (US Noir)
2:48pm Mr. Murphy (Icelandic Comedy Horror)
2:54pm Rubbernecking (US Drama)
2:57pm Pop! (US Animation)
2:59pm Radio Telescope (US Sci-Fi)
3:17pm Sincopat (Spanish Horror)
3:30pm Toshie the Nihilist (Japanese Comedy)
3:45pm Q&A Session
3:55pm The Ugly Rug (US Comedy)
3:59pm A Cleaning (US Fantasy)
4:11pm Bookworm (Spanish Horror)
4:25pm DARK LENS (French Horror)
4:28pm La Soglia (Italian Animation)
4:32pm The Bar Fight (US Drama)
4:35pm Short Staffed (UK Drama)
4:42pm Dead (Polish Horror)
4:47pm The Handbook (US Horror)
4:54pm Mind Leech (Canadian Horror)
5:55pm Event Finished
 
Google Maps Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HYJH8GZoZqDzbheB8



Official Selections

Angelman
THE TWO OF US
Black Suede Purse
Bayou Juju
Toshie the Nihilist
Kelly James: A Western
A Boy Among Champions
The Ugly Rug
DARK LENS
Trickster
The Bar Fight
Harrowed
Luck Be A Lady
Short Staffed
Dead
Mind Leech
Waiting for You
Bookworm
GeoAnthem
A Taco
The Gambler
Transport
[INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE]
Midnight Near Norway
COCO
A Cleaning
Tribulation Trail
The Handbook
The Blue Blood Moon
Pocketful of Mondays
Cafe Racer
Dream Hopper
Yokai Apocalypse
The Garden of Earthly Delights
Mr. Murphy
Rubbernecking
The Golden Bokken
Time to leave
Just a Bit of Digging
GOODBYE GOD, I'VE GONE TO BODIE
Dead Innocent
Radio Telescope
Nilofar
Sincopat
Pheromone City
Night Heat
Pop!
La Soglia
Jeremías 33-3

2022 Tokyo Festival


Winners

Best Horror Feature
Flowing

Best Sci-Fi Short
Mom vs. Machine
Help3

Best Horror Short
Part Forever

Best Western Short
Colorado Discount

Best Noir Short
The Dutchman's Pipe

Best Action Short
Jumalauta

Best Fantasy Short
Anacleto Said No
The Boy and the Owl
Best Comedy Short
Help! I've Stolen Amy Adams' Nose!

Best Drama Short
PANAH
The Deepest Salvation

Best Visual Effects
Anacleto Said No

Best Actor
Flowing - Fabrizio Rongione

Best Actress
The Last Envelope - Sheeba Chaddha

Best Director
Flowing
Mom vs. Machine
Best Cinematography
The Resurrection of Spring
Blue

Best Editing
Handle With Care

Best Score
SISYPHUS

Best Short Screenplay
Be Careful
The Comeback of Irish Bobby Gunn
Saturday in the Park

Best Feature Screenplay
Sea Dragons
SHAPESHIFTER
The Darkest Shade



Nominees

Best Drama Short
The Last Envelope
Tóxico

Best Horror Short
Still Waters Run Deep

Best Noir Short
Graveyard
Wounds Don't Heal in the Dark

Best Fantasy Short
DRAWING BLANK

Best Sci-Fi Short
SISYPHUS
Best Director
The Cadaver
The Dutchman's Pipe

Best Actor
Help3 - Clément Barthelet

Best Actress
Mom vs. Machine - Nimet Kanji

Best Visual Effects
SISYPHUS

Best Score
Wounds Don't Heal in the Dark
Best Editing
Help! I've Stolen Amy Adams' Nose!

Best Cinematography
Amygdala

Best Short Screenplay
Tóxico
Residual
Regenesis
The Dishwasher
The Sugar Maple Tree

Best Feature Screenplay
Epidemic
Fear Catcher
Red River Reunion
Come into the Light
The Four Of Us Are Dying


Screening Event Schedule

Saturday, November 19, 2022
6th Floor 2-8-5 Shinkawa Chuo-ku
Tokyo 104-0033
Live In-Person Showing
 
3pm Still Waters Run Deep (UK Horror)
3:13pm Blue (Spanish Horror)
3:30pm Help3 (French Sci-Fi)
3:46pm Jumalauta (Finnish Animation)
3:49pm Wounds Don't Heal in the Dark (Dutch Noir)
3:58pm Handle With Care (UK Comedy Horror)
4:01pm The Deepest Salvation (Taiwanese Drama)
4:26pm 5 min Break for Discussion, Bathroom, etc.
4:31pm Amygdala (Danish Horror)
4:46pm Part Forever (Taiwanese Horror)
4:58pm The Resurrection of Spring (Egyptian Drama)
5:08pm The Dutchman's Pipe (Austrian Noir)
5:28pm The Cadaver (Turkish Horror)
5:44pm 5 min Break for Discussion, Bathroom, etc.
5:49pm Tóxico (Brazilian Drama)
6:03pm The Boy and the Owl (Portuguese Fantasy Animation)
6:15pm SISYPHUS (Australian Sci-Fi)
6:31pm Mom vs. Machine (Canadian Comedy Sci-Fi)
6:45pm PANAH (Iranian Drama)
7:00pm 5 min Break for Discussion, Bathroom, etc.
7:05pm Help! I've Stolen Amy Adams' Nose! (UK Comedy)
7:14pm Graveyard (US Noir)
7:27pm Colorado Discount (French Western)
7:35pm The Last Envelope (Indian Drama)
7:48pm DRAWING BLANK (US Fantasy)
7:53pm Anacleto Said No (Portuguese Fantasy)
8:07pm Flowing (Italian Horror)
9:40pm Event Finished
 
Google Maps Location: https://goo.gl/maps/s2qdjQWWGgxV1zwz5



Official Selections

Still Waters Run Deep
SISYPHUS
Jumalauta
Let's Play a Game
Mom vs. Machine
Handle With Care
The Deepest Salvation
Wounds Don't Heal in the Dark
The Cadaver
Tóxico
The Boy and the Owl
PANAH
Help! I've Stolen Amy Adams' Nose!
Saturday in the Park
Graveyard
Colorado Discount
The Last Envelope
DRAWING BLANK
Anacleto Said No
Toshie the Nihilist
The Comeback of Irish Bobby Gunn
Deadline to Death
Regenesis
The Sugar Maple Tree
Amygdala
Part Forever
The Resurrection of Spring
The Dutchman's Pipe
The Dishwasher
The Trait
Shelter the Lambs
Be Careful
Something Borrowed
SHAPESHIFTER
Residual
Tanked
Fear Catcher
Sea Dragons
Atomic Dummies
Thunder Lizards of the Bakongo
Donavan Emery, The Android & Himself
The Four Of Us Are Dying
THE HARD WAY
Come into the Light
Help3
Blue
Flowing
Godman
Red River Reunion
Suiciders Club
The Darkest Shade
Three Rivers Meet
The Garden of Earthly Delights
Bilious
Epidemic
Gullun Drift
Tales From The Devil's Highway
Mollie And The Kid
Witchweed