The Californer - SAKKA Presents acclaimed Japanese short film initiative MIRRORLIAR FILMS to Global Audiences Outside

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Volumes 1 & 2 to Stream Worldwide from May 29 Through June 19

LOS ANGELES - Californer -- SAKKA, a U.S.-based Japanese film distribution hub founded by producer Chiaki Yanagimoto, will present the acclaimed Japanese short film initiative MIRRORLIAR FILMS to global audiences outside Japan, launching its first international streaming event on May 29, 2026.

Launched in 2020, MIRRORLIAR FILMS is a Japanese short film production initiative created to discover and nurture emerging creators while inspiring broader interest in the art of filmmaking. Produced by actors Shinnosuke Abe and Takayuki Yamada, together with producer Chikara Ito and others, the project embraces a free and innovative approach that brings together established and independent talents regardless of age, gender, profession, or genre.

Over the course of the project, MIRRORLIAR FILMS has brought together a wide range of notable filmmakers, including Takeshi Fukunaga (Ainu Mosir, Tokyo Vice, Shōgun), Kazuaki Kiriya (Casshern, Goemon), Nobuhiro Yamashita (Linda Linda Linda, Let's Go Karaoke!), Michihito Fujii (The Journalist, 18x2 Beyond Youthful Days), and actor-and-filmmaker Tadanobu Asano (Mortal Kombat II, Shōgun, Ichi the Killer). Alongside emerging creators, the project has also provided established filmmakers with a space for freer and more personal expression through the short-film format.

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The project also incorporates selected works submitted by independent filmmakers. These films are curated into omnibus programs presented through special events, theatrical releases, and streaming platforms. By 2026, MIRRORLIAR FILMS had released eight editions and presented a total of 58 short films in theaters across Japan.

Available for a limited three-week engagement through June 19, SAKKA's streaming event will feature Volumes 1 and 2 — internationally presented as the project's first and second editions — bringing together 18 short films by 18 filmmakers. Audiences will be able to access Volume 1, Volume 2, or both volumes during the streaming period.

The launch marks the first step in SAKKA's broader international rollout of MIRRORLIAR FILMS. SAKKA plans to continue presenting additional volumes from the project to audiences worldwide outside Japan.

For SAKKA, the global rollout of MIRRORLIAR FILMS reflects a broader effort to introduce distinctive contemporary Japanese filmmaking initiatives to audiences outside Japan. While selected individual MIRRORLIAR FILMS titles have previously streamed internationally, this marks the first time the project will be presented globally as a continuing branded initiative — positioning it not simply as a collection of short films, but as an ongoing platform for creative discovery that reflects the diversity, vitality, and evolving energy of contemporary Japanese cinema.

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Streaming period: May 29, 2026 – June 19, 2026.

Any press or other inquiries can be sent to hello@sakkafilms.com.