1st Annual Japanese Shorts Festival
This year, JCCC will host the first annual Japanese Shorts Festival (JSF).
Although students will be competing for awards, the primary objective of the JSF is not to determine who is “best” at Japanese syntax and semantics, but to encourage students to use Japanese to express themselves creatively by writing, producing and acting in their own original short Japanese language videos.
Participants can go beyond what is traditionally covered in languages classes, learning to communicate ideas and emotions in another language and incorporate culture-appropriate nonverbals (e.g., facial expressions, backchannel communication, tone and volume of voice, and conversational turn taking) in their performances. The JSF will provide students with the opportunity to recognize, appreciate and practice aspects of Japanese culture and thinking.
Linguistic skills are important, but many other communication skills are equally or perhaps even more important in ensuring that intercultural communication is successful.
Additionally, although the products of individual applicants will be accepted, production teams of up to four will be encouraged.
Working in teams on writing scripts, deciding on settings, and all the other creative and technical steps that go into filming shorts will require participants to negotiate, to compromise, and to reach consensus—skills that are critical not only in communication between people from divergent cultures as Japan and the United States, but in every interaction.