THE VOICE ACTRESS
Festival Selections
World Premiere
Austin, Texas, USA
March 11-20, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
🐠 Special Jury Award Winner 🐠
"With its impeccable compositions and captivating lead performance, The Voice Actress offers a sensitive peek behind the scenes of an ever-changing industry. This patient study of imagination and aging achieves extraordinary depth thanks to Anna J. Takayama’s soulful direction, and we are delighted to support the career of such a remarkable talent."
- SXSW Mailchimp Support the Shorts Award Jury
The Martha's Vineyard Film Festival
East Coast Premiere
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA
May 19-21, 2022
Official Selection: Beyond Borders - Shorts From Around The World
Lighthouse International Film Festival
Long Beach Island, New Jersey, USA
June 2-5, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia
Japan Premiere
Tokyo, Japan
June 7-20, 2022
Official Selection: Japan Competition
🐠 Audience Award Winner, Japan Competition 🐠
West Coast Premiere
Palm Springs, California, USA
June 21-27, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
🐠 Jury Special Mention, Best of the Festival Award 🐠
"A visually stunning and moving portrait of an aging actress competing against the younger generation, which also seamlessly deals with grief and sexism, while ultimately embracing the courage to be different and to honor one’s true self."
- Palm Springs ShortFest, Best of the Festival Jury
DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival
Washington, D.C., USA
July 14-17, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
🐠 Jury Award Winner, Best Performance for Urara Takano 🐠
L.A. Shorts International Film Festival
L.A. Premiere
Los Angeles, California, USA
July 21-28, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
Asian American International Film Festival
New York, NY, USA
August 3-13, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts: Below The Line
Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
August 8-14, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
HollyShorts Film Festival
Los Angeles, California, USA
August 11-20, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
🐠 Best International Film Award Winner 🐠
Edinburgh International Film Festival
European Premiere
Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
August 12-20, 2022
Official Selection: New Shorts: Life/Work
Nevada City Film Festival
Nevada City, California, USA
August 26-28, 2022
Official Selection: Shorts Competition
🐠 Best Narrative Short Award Winner 🐠
🐠 Best Director Award Winner 🐠
Nara International Film Festival
Nara, Japan
September 17-19, 2022
For Youth 2022: SSFF & Asia Award Winners Program
Woodstock Film Festival
Woodstock, New York, USA
September 28-October 2, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition - Keep Showing Up
Nashville Film Festival
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
September 29-October 5, 2022
Official Selection: Shorts Mixtape 2: Narrative
Mill Valley Film Festival
San Rafael, California, USA
October 6-16, 2022
Official Selection: Shorts Program - One and Only
New Hampshire Film Festival
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA
October 6-9, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
Hamptons International Film Festival
East Hampton, New York, USA
October 7-16, 2022
Official Selection: Shorts Program - Looking Backward, Looking Forward
Raleigh Film & Art Festival
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
October 7-9, 2022
Official Selection: Best Shorts Competition
Raindance Film Festival
London, England, U.K.
October 26-November 5, 2022
Official Selection: Shorts Program - Radical Agendas
Urbanworld Film Festival
New York, New York, USA
October 26-30, 2022
Official Selection: On The Grind - Shorts About Work
New Orleans Film Festival
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
November 3-8, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
San Diego Asian Film Festival
San Diego, California, USA
November 3-12, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
Shorts Program - Making It
Leeds International Film Festival
Leeds, England, U.K.
November 3-17, 2022
International Short Film Competition:
Program 2 - Smoke on the Water
🐠 International Short Film Competition Winner 🐠
"Bold and delightfully original. A playful, tender and universal story about remaining unapologetically yourself in a relentless world, from a director with a refreshingly unique cinematic language. From the pacing to the use of colour, from the framing to the lead performance, Anna J. Takayama's 'The Voice Actress' is a vibrant, feminist gem of a film."
- Leeds International Short Film Competition Jury
Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA
November 3-27, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
Shorts Program - Divergence
Izmir Short Film Festival
Izmir, Turkey
November 14-20, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
New York Japan CineFest
New York, New York, USA
November 14-20, 2022
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
Fargo Film Festival
Fargo, North Dakota, USA
March 21-25, 2023
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition
🐠 Best Narrative Short Film Competition Winner 🐠
Athens International Film + Video Festival
Athens, Ohio, USA
April 10-16, 2023
Official Selection: Narrative Shorts Competition