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We are pleased to announce the 11 films selected as finalists for UFPFF 2026. While we had originally planned to select 10 films, the exceptional quality of the submissions led us to select 11.
The finalist films will be screened at UFPFF 2026, held on September 20th at Human Trust Cinema Shibuya. On the day of the event, the student directors will share the thoughts and intentions behind their films. We hope you’ll join us.
“What should I do from here on?”
Director: Ye Lin（Musashino Art University/China）
Mr. Ogawa, who lives alone, is admitted to a nursing home. Yuko, the proprietress of the cafe he used to frequent, tries to visit him, but the ward office tells her that his consent is required. However, Mr. Ogawa has Alzheimer’s disease and no longer remembers Yuko.
Profile:
Born in China in 1994. Currently a student at Musashino Art University.
“I am Japanese”
Director:Hibiki Tanikawa（Nanjing University/Japan）
A Japanese graduate student hitchhikes from Nanjing to Xinjiang, documenting the human encounters that lie behind the numbers of public opinion polls.
Profile:
Master’s student at the School of Journalism and Communication, Nanjing University. Documents grassroots cultural exchange between Japan and China through hitchhiking journeys across China.
“Piano on the cliff”
Director:Valeriia Sobolevski（Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK)/Russia）
A musician is playing the piano on a cliff, a shape-shifting cat is interfering with him. The musician learns to play the world itself$2014discovering that real music comes from within.
Profile:
Director of animation and CGI from Vladivostok. Graduated from Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK). Exploring the connection between music and visual storytelling in her films. Currently works as a mangaka’s assistant.
“Correct answer”
Director: Yuiri Ogawa（Kanagawa Prefectural Sagamihara Iyasaka High School/Japan）
Throughout life, we are repeatedly forced to choose$2014not only as individuals, but as communities, societies, and nations. Among countless options, we cling to what we believe is “right” and move forward. Yet that sense of rightness must never be allowed to hurt someone, let alone take a life. This film was made with that conviction.
Profile:
Born in 2008. Third-year student in the General Course, Art Club, at Kanagawa Prefectural Sagamihara Iyasaka High School. Recipient of the Encouragement Award at the 20th International High School Art Exhibition and an Honorable Mention at the 70th All Japan Student Art Exhibition.
“Bury Their Sons”
Director: Jesse Brasler（SUNY Purchase College/USA）
France. 1944. A German soldier and an American soldier meet, one on one, face to face.
Profile:
Jesse Brasler is a 19-year old actor, writer, and filmmaker. He is currently pursuing his BFA in Acting at SUNY Purchase. As for his filmmaking, his new film *E42* has participated in several film festivals.
“Breathing”
Directors: Song Nan, Mai Rimei（Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University/China）
Re-choreographed from Song Nan’s children’s group dance piece “Breath,” this work pushes extreme time compression and vertical-screen storytelling. Focusing on innocent child victims of war, it portrays a girl gripped by fear and helplessness, conveying the anti-war message: “There is no way to peace, peace is the way.”
Profile:
Song Nan is an experienced dance artist, choreographer, and director pursuing a Master’s in Film, TV, and New Medias at BNBU, creating dance films that express spiritual activity through physical form and cinematic perspective.
“Milk Flowing Land”
Directors: Ester Pazur, Stav Friedman, Roni Salinger, Amit Levi（Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design/Jerusalem）
A stop motion film about everyday life unraveling under the weight of war.
Profile:
4 Bezalel Academy animation students specializing in handcrafted stop motion.
“A livingroom in Tainan”
Director: Gen Itazu（Japan Institute of the Moving Image/Japan）
For over 60 years, a betel nut shop has stood in Tainan, Taiwan, serving as an “open living room” for the city$2014a place where locals and travelers gather and smiles come easily. Centered around the unassuming warmth of Ms. Maryan, the film captures a quiet, everyday landscape of peace.
Profile:
Born in Aichi Prefecture in 2003. Currently enrolled at the Japan Institute of the Moving Image.
“The Supporter”
Director: Leila Noee（Iranian Youth Cinema Society/Iran）
Amid the turbulent days of war in Iran, an elderly man chooses to stay in the city against his family’s wishes, determined to help those displaced by the conflict. His decision opens a path back to a forgotten part of his past, unfolding a story of human courage, compassion, and a quiet return to oneself.
Profile:
Leila Noee is an Iranian filmmaker from Mashhad. With a Master’s in Media Management and a background in cultural journalism, she turned to filmmaking through her interest in human stories. “The Supporter” is her first short film.
“The room”
Director: Elham Mohamadzade（Islamic Azad University/Iran）
A mother is combing her young daughter’s hair when she suddenly hears an explosion.
Profile:
Born in 1986 in Kashan, Iran, Elham Mohamadzade is a filmmaker whose work explores human experience through nuanced storytelling. She studied under Asghar Farhadi’s Advanced Screenwriting Course.
“Carrying Home”
Director: Yoo Jay（Seoul International School (SIS)/South Korea）
Carrying Home is the story of Ukrainian refugees residing in South Korea, looking into the true meaning of home not just for them but for all people.
Profile:
I’m currently a junior at Seoul International School.
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