Q. What does “CON-CAN” mean?
A. CON (魂) & CAN (観) are two Japanese kanji characters that mean “Soul” and “Watch”. Put them together and they convey the message that movies illustrate the directors' souls.
Q. What is the key concept behind the CON-CAN Movie festival?
A. The key concept behind the CON-CAN Movie Festival is to discover and showcase creative talent from all over the world.
Q. Who operates CON-CAN Movie Festival?
A. CON-CAN Movie Festival is operated by the CON-CAN Media Plaza, a branch of Media Research, Inc. based in Tokyo, Japan.
Q. What is Media Research, Inc.?
A. Media Research, Inc. is a company involved in several businesses related to information technology, translation, publishing, television, and education. Media Research, Inc. provides both financial support for the CON-CAN Media Plaza and the subtitling in both Japanese and English for movies submitted to the festival.
Q. What is the CON-CAN Movie Festival?
A. The CON-CAN Movie Festival itself is the internet's first ever fully fledged movie festival, complete with domestic & international juries and an award ceremony. The internet environment makes it possible to add an interactive, audience-participation component to the movie festival.
Q. When does the Movie Festival officially begin/end?
A. CON-CAN Movie Festival begins a month after the submissions deadline and ends with the Award Ceremony. Please refer to the Schedule for a detailed timeline.
Q. What is the CON-CAN Award Ceremony?
A. The CON-CAN Award Ceremony is the grand finale of the CON-CAN Movie Festival. The three nominated directors are invited to Japan with all expenses paid. The award ceremony is a day long event which begins with nominations and presentation of cash prizes and plaques. These are followed by a screening of the three nominated movies (Press conference is arranged for the director’s separately). The reception following the award ceremony includes VIP guests from a variety of prestigious global companies and representatives of multiple movie associations located in Japan.
Q. What are the merits of making a submission to the CON-CAN Movie Festival?
A. Your movies will be seen by audiences worldwide and be subtitled at no expense in both English and Japanese. In addition, if you are one of the three nominated directors, you will be invited to the Award Ceremony in Japan and may win US$10,000. Further benefits include the possibility of directors or movies being picked up by major film distributors and media outlets with which we have close ties to.
Q. How is the CON-CAN Movie Festival different from other movie festivals?
A. The CON-CAN Movie festival possesses all of the familiar elements other movie festivals have: a jury board, premieres, audience awards, legal documentation & contracts concerning submissions, and an award ceremony. However, unlike other movie festivals, CON-CAN uses the internet to eliminate any physical limitations on participation. The CON-CAN audience members can watch movies from anywhere in the world and movie directors enjoy global exposure.
Q. What happens after the festival?
A. Movies submitted to CON-CAN are archived and available for viewing on our website. The website also includes promotional campaigns and news updates about the CON-CAN directors.
Q. What sort of premieres does the CON-CAN Movie Festival provide?
A. We have two main categories of premieres:
1. Global Premiere
2. Japan Premiere
Q. How do I become a CON-CAN member?
A. Anyone can become a member of the CON-CAN Movie Festival. Simply go to the MEMBER REGISTRATION page and fill out the form. After finishing the registration process, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with your password which will allow you to log in the CON-CAN website.
Q. Who are the past CON-CAN Award Winners?
A. Please refer to the Past Festival Movies page located in the MOVIE ARCHIVE menu.
Q. Is the CON-CAN Movie Festival affiliated with other movie festivals?
A. Yes. We have had many successful collaboration projects with movie festivals around the world.