Cannes 2022: check out the shorts that won TikTok's competition

WHILE the Cannes Film Festival continues until May 28 with awards handed out that day, TikTok unveiled the winners of its international competition, TikTok Short Film last weekend. This festival of short films was held online in parallel to the event in the South of France. We take a look at the short films that won the first edition of this event from the social network.

The TikTok Short Film competition awarded four aspiring filmmakers. The final decision of the social network's jury saw two winners tie for the Grand Prix category. The first, creator Mabuta Motoki, from Japan, takes us to his homeland to discover a traditional art and an ecological message in his short film Kitte kitte iino? (meaning 'Is it okay to cut trees?'). Matej Rimanić, the other winner, hails from Slovenia and entered his film Love In Plane Sight, which explores the universal concept of love at first sight without any dialogue. They both received a check for 10,000 euros (RM47,000) as an award.  

The prize for best edit was awarded to Tim Hamilton from New Zealand for Zero Gravity, for his humour- and special-effects filled entry. Finally, the prize for best script was awarded to French filmmaker Claudia Cochet for Modern Princess, a moving, feminist-themed work that denounces violence against women. The two winners  pocketed a check of 5,000 euros each. 

In addition to these prizes, the winners also had the privilege of seeing their works broadcast during the award ceremony on Friday, May 20, in the presence of the five members of the jury: Angèle Diabang, Senegalese director and producer; Camille Ducellier, French director; Basma Khalifa, Sudanese filmmaker and director; Rithy Panh, Franco-Cambodian director; and Khaby Lame, the famous Italian TikTok creator.

Official partner of the Cannes Film Festival, TikTok launched its competition with the hashtag #TikTokShortFilm on its platform from March 15 to April 8. To date, the keyword has reached more than 4.6 billion views. Participants had to tell a story of between 30 seconds and 3 minutes, in vertical format, to get a shot at a prize. "I would like to thank TikTok for giving me such a wonderful opportunity. I don't think there is such a great platform like TikTok to inspire the joy and motivation to make videos!", winner Mabuta Motoki stated.

The winning shorts of the TikTok Short Film competition

The Grand Prix 

Mabuta Motoki, Kitte kitte iino?

Matej Rimanić, Love In Plane Sight

Best Edit

Tim Hamilton, Zero Gravity

Best Script

Claudia Cochet, Modern Princess

– ETX Daily Up, May 25, 2022