We are excited to announce the films chosen for the JDFF 2026 Competition !!

Congratulations to all the filmmakers whose works have been selected.

Presenting the five short films:

#1 Mopim

Dir. Yutaka Mizuochi

On her 100th birthday, an elderly woman named Setsu Kurita lies in a hospital room late at night, about to face a lonely death. A man dressed in black appears to “escort” her to the afterlife. With only a little time remaining, he tells her that, by God’s grace, she can return to her younger self and be taken anywhere she wishes

#2 DRUNK

Dir. Yuki Otsuka

Haruna (25), who shows signs of alcohol dependency, spends her days drinking and having fun every night. But she repeatedly causes trouble for her friends and ends up apologizing to them again and again.
One day, Haruna loses her job and even starts bragging about it to her friends.

#3 Round And Round

Dir. Hayato Otogi

On an autumn afternoon, Sana and Asa reunite at the park where they once spent their days.What begins as small talk slowly sets the memories that had been paused for ten years back into motion.Told in a single, fixed shot, this is a quiet story of two people — and two unspoken confessions.

#4 Michiko’s Encounters on the Road

Dir. Emika Takei

Michiko works as a camera car driver for a map app. She struggles to make peace with the world around her and carries a quiet loneliness within. Cruising through the city with her favorite radio show playing, losing herself in imagined worlds, is the only moment she feels free to exist just as she is. But one unexpected incident disrupts her quiet routine and brings a turning point to her life.

#5 OVERTHINKING

Dir. Gianmaria Fiorillo

A man and a woman meet outside a movie theater. During their conversation, the man occasionally looks at the camera; the woman, on the other hand, seems to pretend nothing is happening. During their evening, the man seems increasingly annoyed by the presence of the camera and incredulous that the woman remains indifferent