Who’s eligible?
All Kansas and Missouri students enrolled in beginning through advanced Japanese language classes in Spring 2025 are eligible to participate.
What then?
- Fill out and submit an online entry form (available Jan. 25, 2025) as an individual or in teams of up to 4.
- Write an original, all-Japanese script. All topics, genres and forms are acceptable. Creativity will be the most important factor in judging so you’re invited to think outside the box. A samurai musical? A horror movie with all dialogue in haiku form? A sumo baseball game? A dream, a memory, a fairytale… it’s up to the team.
- Assign roles (script writers, videographers, subtitle writers, actors, etc.).
- Work out soundtracks and special effects (if any).
- Choose location(s).
- Start filming!
- Edit and add subtitles. All dialogue in videos must be in Japanese, but all entries must also be subtitled in English. Videos will be screened at the Awards Ceremony and later posted to the festival archives, so we want to give everyone—including friends and family members who don’t speak Japanese—the chance to appreciate what you have created.
- Submit videos for judging online by Mar. 28, 2025.