To all the movie-makers out there, listen up. If you have a short film incorporating a car theme in some way, or you’re planning to shoot a film in the next month or so, why not enter it in the recently established International Auto Film Festa?
Created in Japan in 2023, and now entering its third judging and awards season, the International Auto Film Festa is arguably the only annual film festival focused on cars and car culture.
In 2024, the festival received over 470 entries from 65 countries, with Portugal’s director Mario Bock winning the Grand Prix award for his film ‘Gears & Dunes: The Old Road To Dakar.’ You can watch this winning movie and other finalists at: autofilmfesta.net
Festival founder and automotive videographer Yoshiyuki Shimizu, says anyone with a short film can enter. The only conditions are that participation is free, the film must be no longer than 15 minutes, and the entry must be shot in either English or Japanese or feature subtitles in either English or Japanese. Entries may be submitted to the festival’s website online (see link below) from early January through to February 28, 2025. Judging will take place in March with an awards ceremony in Tokyo on April 26.
SEND ENTRIES TO THIS LINK.
As of January 2025, the international judging panel comprises several Japanese judges including festival founder Yoshiyuki Shimizu, the chief editor of Japan’s premier automotive magazine ‘Car Graphic’ Tetsuya Kato and former F1 racer Ukyo Katayama, in addition to Portuguese film director Mario Bock, American automotive reporter Jaclyn Trop, British motor journalist Mike Rutherford and yours truly.
The festival plans to collaborate with a major car show in Japan in 2026, elevating the gathering into a fully-blown 3-day film festival with multiple movie viewings for judges and enthusiasts alike. More on that at a later date.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
I’m pretty sure this is a first. A car film festival that anyone can enter and it’s free. Just make sure you have shot your film after January 2024, and keep the film under 15 minutes in length.