“MIRRORLIAR FILMS Season 8” and Post-Screening Talk Session
“MIRRORLIAR FILMS Season 8” and Post-Screening Talk Session
On Friday, November 28 at 4:15 p.m., “MIRRORLIAR FILMS Season 8” was screened at NTT CRED Hall No.1. The program is the latest installment of the short-film project MIRRORLIAR FILMS, produced by Mr. Chikara Ito, Mr. Shinnosuke Abe, and Mr.Takayuki Yamada. Since its launch in 2020, the project has released more than 50 short films by a wide array of directors, while striving to support regional revitalization and human-resource development through filmmaking.
This season was produced in collaboration with Okayama Prefecture, with Okayama-born talent Megumi participating as producer of “The Breath of the Blue Whale”. The lineup also included “ALI”, winner of the Special Mention at the 78th Cannes Film Festival; “CUT!”, officially selected for the Short Cuts competition at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival; “The empty vessel”, a drama depicting the emotional connection between a young man and an elder woman; “Love Bones”, a gentle romance between a male teacher who loves bones and a female teacher; and “Falling in Love with A#”, a warm and tender love story—six films in total.
Following the screening, a talk session was held with Director Eri Sawatari of “The Breath of the Blue Whale”, Director Michihito Fujii—known for “A Nameless Piece: Tokyo Moratorium” from MIRRORLIAR FILMS Season 4—and Producer Takayuki Yamada. The conversation was moderated by freelance personality Mr. Michita Kimura.
Director Sawatari, who usually works primarily in advertising, shared that she had long been interested in creating a dialogue-free film. After discussions with Ms. Megumi, the two developed a sci-fi love story together. Speaking about the film’s setting in Okayama Prefecture, she noted, “I wanted local audiences to feel compelled to take a photo when they see it. We were meticulous about both location and timing to capture the beauty of Okayama.”
Producer Yamada commented on the project itself, saying, “Creating short films together feels like having another school festival. It’s incredibly fun. We sometimes clash, of course, but that also becomes a positive source of stimulation.”
During the Q & A that followed, the audience posed questions from various angles of the filmmaking process. When asked what he keeps in mind when sharing ideas with others, Director Fujii emphasized the importance of communication and choosing words carefully to explain things logically.
In closing, Producer Yamada offered an encouraging message: “I make films because I want to tell people to try things they’ve never done before. Age, gender, nationality—none of that matters. I hope everyone will continue to take on new challenges.”
The hall erupted in applause as the talk session came to a close.