The most fabulous of The Fabulous Five is announced

The winner of this year’s ADFEST Fabulous Five, has been chosen from five young directors who represent the future of filmmaking excellence. The Fabulous Five were chosen from 26 scripts submitted from 6 cities. They represent the most impressive young directors and the scripts with the greatest storytelling potential, that bring a unique perspective to ADFEST’s 2025 theme, COLLiDE.

Congratulations to Mika Sasaki, Director, from TYO Inc., Tokyo who was this year’s winner for his short film, IM PERFECTION.

The other Fabulous Five finalists were:

Azlan Som, Assistant Director from Logic & Magic, Kuala Lumpur
Haruna Takahara, Director from HAT, Tokyo
Mayuka Kawamura, Director from AOI Pro., Tokyo and
Tomoya Matsushita, Director from AOI Pro., Tokyo

ADFEST asked Fabulous Five winner, Mika Sasaki, where his idea came from. He commented, “I’m Christian and in the Bible it is said that, ‘everyone is made so unique’. That’s what I have been thinking throughout my whole life. Everyone thinks I am crazy. But that is the main source of the film’s idea – each one of us is made unique on purpose.”

When asked how it feels to be one of the ADFEST 2025’s Fabulous Five, he said, “It is really exciting and nerve-wracking. This is my first work as a director and I had no idea what directors do. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many professionals. I am so blessed.”

Haruna Takahara was also asked where the idea for his film, ICE, came from. He answered, “I was thinking about the ‘family’ for a very long time. I was wondering on how or what it would be like to live in another family, to be a part of another family and I wanted to show this through my own vision, my own way as a new director, a film maker.”

…and in answer to how does it feel to be one of the ADFEST 2025’s Fabulous Five, he said, “I am very, very excited. This is not something I did expect at all. I did not expect my film to be chosen from all the contenders. And I must congratulate myself for this great achievement, for this opportunity that my film is seen by many around the world.”

Watch the Fabulous Five Films:

IM PERFECTION by MIKA SASAKI