TOKYO Lift-Off 2026

Network Round Shorts

Monday 25th April – Sunday 31st May 2026

Tokyo Lift-Off film festival logo

2. One More Photo

1. The Boy from Outer Space


Director, Writer, Producer// SUNG HO KIM

Country of Origin // South Korea

Synopsis //One day, a boy suddenly went missing. The detective, who responded to the report, did not pay much attention to the testimonies of students and parents claiming that they had been harmed by the boy’s strange behavior. Based on the boy’s condition, suspected to have an intellectual disability, and his impulsive violent tendencies, the detective pursued the investigation with the preconceived notion that the boy had been bullied. Then, a girl who claimed to be the boy’s only friend appeared, making an unbelievable statement that the boy was actually an alien.

2. FOXBODY

2. Shutter Chance


Director, Writer, Producer// Nagai Shogo

Country of origin// Japan

Synopsis // Lovers torn apart by fate (the Fukushima nuclear accident) meet as adults, but the boy who was deprived of his hometown and the girl who could not leave her hometown cross paths. However, their hearts are healed through the depiction of a “shutter chance” – the happiness that might have existed – that they missed taking.

NWR Website Thumbnails (9)

2. CHAIN

3. Bartogay Lake


Director, Producer,// Katya Mokolo

Writer//Thomas Schmitt

Producers//Dmitrii Grebennikov, Andrey Rasputin

Country of Origin // France

Synopsis // An old man crosses the boundless Kazakh steppe, driving alone. Haunted by memories of a lost love, he stops by Bartogay Lake, flowers in hand. But as he tries to step out, his car door refuses to open, trapping him between past and present.

2. CHAIN

4. Your Plate, My World


Director, Writer, Producer// Thirakhun Hsiao Srismith

Country of Origin // Taiwan

Synopsis //YOUR PLATE, MY WORLD: A delve into the true world of curator and Michelin chef, André Chiang: To where does he find his true world? Is it success, hardwork, or the creative process? This microdoc documents the inner workings of André Chiang’s restaurant, RAW, located in Taipei, Taiwan.

NWR Website Thumbnails (11)

2. CHAIN

5. Why can’t I just be me?!


Director,Writer, Producer // Jasmine Doctor

Producer // Dan Hale

Country of Origin // United States
Synopsis // “Why can’t I just be me”, is an animatic that focuses on my personal experiences of being a “weird black girl.” This animatic talks about a topic that not only relates to me but can be shared experiences that others can connect with. It explores the stereotypical preconceptions of blackness and analyzes the misconceptions that can be presented while representing them through visuals.

2. CHAIN

6. The Writer


Directors, Writers // Austin Glasser, Luke Madenwald

Producer//Joey Horvitz

Country of Origin // United States
Synopsis //Self isolated, a writer navigates the pressure of the film industry, family, and the looming presence of his father, only to lose himself to his ambitions.

NWR Website Thumbnails (13)

2. CHAIN

7. HOME-STAY


Director, Writer// NGÔ THANH PHONG

Country of Origin // Vietnam

Synopsis // After spending the night in a cozy homestay, Quynh’s body grows weaker and weaker, to the point where she realizes she may no longer be able to leave this place.

2. CHAIN

8. KILLA MAID!


Director, Writer, Producer //Chonnajun Waitayawinyoo

Country of Origin // Thailand, United States

 

Synopsis //  Killa Maid! is a Japanese-style commercial for a murder scene clean-up service with a magical twist. The ad opens with Killa Maid arriving at a luxurious Tokyo penthouse after a brutal Yakuza gang massacre. Armed with her signature cleaning tools—like the Neko Scrub, Neko Incinerator, and her go-to method of pushing bodies out the window—she gets to work tidying up the bloody chaos.

NWR Website Thumbnails (15)

2. CHAIN

9. Violeta


Director, Writer, Producer // Bi Naluna

Writer,Producer// Felipe Dagort

Country of Origin // Brazil
Synopsis // After losing her baby, Helena spirals into turbulent emotions. Alone, she faces her inner shadows, seeking meaning in the void of pain that consumes her. Inspired by the creator’s real experiences and those of many other women.

2. CHAIN

10. Blood Domina


Director, Writer // Nick Nakamoto 

Producers // Marcela De Luna

Country of Origin // United States

NWR Website Thumbnails (17)

2. CHAIN

11. Simulating Space


Director,Producer // Dave Croyle

Producers// Scott Davidson, Payal Cudia, ary Joyce, Magda Kuczkowska, Maria Athanas, Mona Mattis

Country of Origin // United States
Synopsis // The space industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation, spearheaded by scrappy start ups, ambitious national space programs, and bold innovators. In this documentary, we explore how simulation is revolutionizing the space sector, pushing the limits of innovation, and driving mission success in an increasingly challenging and unforgiving environment.

2. CHAIN

12. Bruce Dickinson – Tears of the Dragon – Orchestra – 2026


Director // LEO LIBERTI

Director// ANTOINE DE MONTREMY

Writer// BRUCE DICKINSON

Producers//BRENDAN DUFFEY, RAFAEL PENSADO

Country of Origin // United Kingdom

Synopsis //This year (2026), besides marking Iron Maiden’s 50th anniversary, Bruce Dickinson reimagines his classic Tears of the Dragon exactly as he had always envisioned it, now accompanied by a full orchestra. But instead of creating a traditional music video, he presents a poetic short film that blends music and dance, rich in subtext and filled with Easter eggs, with his music serving as its emotional and narrative backbone.

Screenshot 2026-05-25 at 8.17.14 PM

2. CHAIN

11. 갑옷 뒤에


Director,Writer // 유이제 Yije 유

Producer// 나진우 진우 나

Country of Origin // South Korea
Synopsis //  A man begins to wear layers of clothing as a form of protection from the world.
As reality and illusion blur, his “armor” grows heavier, isolating him from others and himself.
Through encounters and fragments of memory, he is forced to confront the fear of being seen.

2. CHAIN

12. Wasyugama


Director // Hiroko Yano, Joe Tremain

Country of Origin // Japan

Synopsis //  A young woman returns home after many years to find her father is about to close his pottery studio forever. Why has she come back?

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2. CHAIN

13. The Green Hell


Director, Writer, Producer// Dirk Drebelow

Director// Peter Lichtefeld

Country of Origin // United States
Synopsis // Homage to Francis Ford Coppolas Beginning of APOKALYPSE NOW, turning Captain Willard into a race driver and the war in the jungle into a race event on the famous “Nordschleife”, well known as the Green hell.

2. CHAIN

14. Piece


Director, Writer, Producer// Kyoung Don Mun

Producer// Molly Fleming

Country of Origin // South Korea

Synopsis //A soldier takes time away from the army to visit his mother however their time together is not what it seems.

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