You can now register for The Milk & Shake 2027
May 5th 2027 | Sapporo Art Park
CUT48 Challenge
CODE48 Hackathon by TMS is where builders come to execute. A high trust sprint with the right tools, the right mentorship, and the right room to turn ambitious ideas into working demos at speed.
Storytelling Challenge
Tell a cinematic story
from scratch in 48 hours
The Cut48 Cinematic Storytelling Challenge arrives with its inaugural edition, offering aspiring Japanese and Japan-resident filmmakers the opportunity to conceive, produce, and complete an original short film, animation, cinematic blog, or documentary within an intense 48-hour timeframe.
Presented through a partnership between The Milk & Shake Festival, and other allied groups, the initiative aims to foster the next generation of storytellers and filmmakers by encouraging bold storytelling, creative experimentation, and collaboration in a high-energy production environment.
Applications are open to teams of up to five creatives, aged 18 and above. Solo creators are also welcomed.
Before the competition begins, selected participants will attend a hands-on mentorship program exploring the fundamentals of storytelling and short film production. Once the challenge officially starts, teams will have just two days to write, film, and edit a three- to six-minute short film inspired by assigned themes and a surprise creative element—such as a specific location, prop, or visual prompt—revealed shortly before production commences.
The program concludes with a series of Professional Days, where participants engage with filmmakers and industry experts through workshops, panel discussions, networking sessions, and public film screenings.
Two teams will be recognized as winners of the Challenge and presented with official certificates. In addition, the directors of the winning teams will earn a free ticket to The Milk & Shake Festival 2028, while their films will be showcased during the next edition of the TMS Festival.
Applications are now open
TSForum Sapporo 2027
- May 5-8, 2027
- Sapporo Sosei Square, Sapporo, Japan
Strategy Oriented. Purpose-Driven.
Join business leaders, senior executives, academics, and creative leaders in Sapporo for practical strategic sessions, debates and discuss on AI and the future of work, Frontier Technologies, and Innovation and Impact.
- Learn from 35+ expert speakers from companies like IBM, Microsoft, Google Developer Experts
- Get actionable insights on performance, scaling, and modern JS architecture through
- 6+workshops and talks
- Network with senior frontend & Node.js developers
Co-organized by our partner: Hokkaido Entrepreneurship Expo (HEEX)
The Milk&Shake 2026, emerging and established innovation leaders across technology, education, and the arts converge to share ideas, connect, and enjoy fellowship together. No big egos. Here, friends become family.
The Milk&Shake 2026 will hold on 6th May 2026 at Sapporo Sosei Square (SCARTS Court)
More Details
Frequently Asked
Questions
Who can apply?/How do you form a team?
To enter the Cut48 Challenge by TMS, teams must meet the following requirements:
Form a team of 2 to 5 participants. Whether you’re an experienced filmmaker or creating your very first film, all skill levels are encouraged to apply. Solo creators are welcomed to apply too.
All participants must be at least 18 and be Japanese nationals or legal residents of Japan.
Each team must appoint a team leader, who will serve as the director and submit the application on behalf of the entire team.
What are the Application Requirements
As part of your application, we’d like to learn more about you, your creative journey, and what drives your passion for filmmaking.
You’ll fill a simple form on behalf of your team. After that, you are encouraged to summit the following option but recommended files:
A personal statement (in English, maximum 1,000 words) addressing the following:
Why do you want to participate in the Cut48 Challenge
What inspires your creative work, and what motivates you as a filmmaker?
How would you describe your creative vision, and what do you hope to discover or achieve through this experience?
What unique skills, perspective, or strengths would you contribute to your team and the challenge?
Why is the opportunity to compete for an international residency in France important to you?
An optional short film script. This may be an original script written around the suggested challenge themes or a script you’ve previously developed.
Links to previous creative work (optional). If available, include links to films, videos, or other multimedia projects that showcase your experience and creative style.
How About Challenge Format and Production Guidelines?
Participating teams will create an original short film between 3 and 7 minutes in length. Films may take the form of fiction or non-fiction, including narrative, cinematic blog, documentary, or experimental approaches.
Each film must explore at least one of the following creative themes:
Exploring
Advancing
Creating
Thinking
Teams must also incorporate one additional sub-theme from the following options:
Impact
Time
Technology
Purpose
Preparation & Mentorship Program
Before the challenge begins, selected teams will participate in a two-day online learning and mentorship program designed to strengthen their filmmaking skills. Through briefings, workshops, and expert guidance, participants will gain practical insights into the process of developing, producing, and filming a short film.
The date for the program will be announced and attendance is mandatory for all participants, except for the dedicated writing workshop, which will be reserved specifically for the writer and director. Failure to participate may affect eligibility for the challenge.
Production Requirements
Teams are responsible for securing their own resources to complete their film, including any required funding, equipment, and production needs. Participants are welcome to use any filming equipment available to them, including smartphones.
The official filming period will take place from May 5th – 8th 2027
The Creative Twist
To test each team’s adaptability and imagination, shortlisted participants will receive an unexpected creative prompt 24 hours before filming begins. Teams must incorporate this new element into their final film. The prompt could range from a simple object or artifact to a larger visual element, such as a specific location feature or natural element.
Originality & Creative Ownership
The challenge is focused on creating new work. All submitted films must be developed specifically for this competition. Teams may not submit previously completed films, reuse existing scripts, or include footage created before the challenge.
Language Requirements
Films must include English-language audio. Teams may choose to film in Japanese; however, any Japanese-language films must include English or subtitles submitted the day after the challenge concludes.
Films produced entirely in English, or films without dialogue, will not require translation.
Film Submission & Usage Rights
Following completion of production, the team leader must submit the final film on behalf of the team.
By participating, teams grant the organizing partners—The Milk & Shake Festival and its allied partners—permission to use submitted films for official screenings, promotional activities, and communications related to the challenge and associated events.
Judging, Awards & Final Showcase
Following the completion of the challenge, all submitted films will be reviewed by a professional jury, who will select two winning teams to receive the official Cut48 Challenge Award.
The challenge will conclude with BeyondArt Event on May 8th 2027, featuring opportunities for participants to connect with industry professionals through screenings, discussions, and creative exchange.
The official film screening and awards ceremony will be held on May 8th 2026, where the winning teams will be announced and celebrated.
Both winning films will also receive further recognition through a screening at the next edition of the The Milk & Shake Festival.
In addition to the awards, the leaders of the two winning teams will be granted a Free ticket to The Milk & Shake 2028, providing a chance to further develop their filmmaking practice and gain international creative exposure.
More benefits may be announced when available.
Terms & Conditions
In the event that the competition is unable to proceed due to unforeseen circumstances, including force majeure events, the organizers shall not be held liable to applicants for any resulting impacts, expenses, or reimbursement claims.
The organizers reserve the right to update or modify these regulations when necessary to ensure the smooth operation and integrity of the competition. Participants will be informed of any significant changes as soon as reasonably possible.
By participating in the challenge, winning teams agree to grant the organizers the necessary rights to use and share the films created as part of the competition. This includes permission to reproduce, showcase, and distribute the submitted works through digital, audio, audiovisual, multimedia, and other relevant formats for purposes related to the challenge and its promotion.
Any film containing inappropriate material, unauthorized content, or evidence of plagiarism may result in immediate disqualification from the Cut48 Challenge.
Participants agree to take part in reasonable promotional activities connected to the challenge, including interviews, photography, and video recordings requested by the The Milk & Shake Festival. Selected participants may be featured in promotional campaigns across media outlets, social media channels, and partner platforms associated with the competition.
By submitting an application, participants provide consent for their name, image, likeness, and related materials to be used for promotional and communication purposes related to the Cut48 Dare Challenge.