International Auto Film Festa Invites Submissions For Car-Themed Short Films Until February 2025

Published: Thursday, January 16, 2025, 0:51 [IST]

The International Auto Film Festa, founded in Japan in 2023, is a unique film festival dedicated to car-themed short films. It has quickly gained recognition as the only annual event of its kind. In 2024, the festival attracted over 470 submissions from 65 countries. The Grand Prix award was claimed by Portuguese director Mario Bock for his film ‘Gears & Dunes: The Old Road To Dakar.’

Festival founder Yoshiyuki Shimizu encourages filmmakers with short films to participate. The entry requirements are simple: films must be no longer than 15 minutes and should be in English or Japanese, or have subtitles in these languages. Participation is free, and entries can be submitted online from early January until February 28, 2025.

Enter Your Short Film in Auto Film Festa

The judging process will occur in March, followed by an awards ceremony in Tokyo on April 26. Interested participants can submit their entries through the festival's website at autofilmfesta.net/entry/. This platform also offers access to watch the winning movie and other finalists.

The international judging panel for the festival includes several notable figures. Among them are Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Tetsuya Kato from 'Car Graphic,' former F1 racer Ukyo Katayama, Portuguese director Mario Bock, Peter Lyon, Jaclyn Trop, and Mike Rutherford. These judges bring diverse expertise to the evaluation process.

Looking ahead to 2026, the festival aims to collaborate with a major car show in Japan. This partnership will transform the event into a three-day film festival featuring multiple screenings for both judges and car enthusiasts. Further details about this collaboration will be shared later.

For any inquiries regarding participation or other aspects of the festival, interested parties can reach out via email at [email protected].