Lexus and the Weinstein Company Are Looking for the Next Generation of Emerging Filmmakers

Lexus and The Weinstein Company recently announced the fourth season of the award-winning Lexus Short Films at the Tokyo Short Film Festival. Each season, Lexus presents a theme to inspire and engage filmmakers to craft amazing stories. This season’s theme is TRANSFORMATION, which is born from the Lexus brand’s belief that amazing things happen when you transform the ordinary into extraordinary.

Filmmakers can submit their films for consideration utilizing Withoutabox (www.withoutabox.com), the premier submission service for film festivals and filmmakers. The partnership between Lexus and The Weinstein Company supports up-and-coming filmmakers by creating a unique opportunity for them to explore the art of filmmaking using all the latest technology and guided by renowned industry experts. This type of mentorship is similar to the process used in Lexus factories where master craftsmen, known as Takumi, teach and inspire the next generation.

For Season 4, an esteemed filmmaker selection committee, which includes Oscar nominee, writer and actor Taylor Sheridan (best known for the films ‘Hell or High Water’ and ‘Sicario’ and the television series ‘Sons of Anarchy’) alongside key executives of The Weinstein Company and Lexus, will be reviewing the submissions to select the four finalists. Joey Horvitz with The Weinstein Company will return to produce the next series of films.

Spiros Fotinos, Global Head of Brand Management and Marketing at Lexus, said, “The Lexus Short Films project is a way for us to give back and support the creative community that always inspires us as a brand. We’ve come a long way since Season 1 thanks to the great collaboration with The Weinstein Company, who shares our passion for supporting new, talented filmmakers and actors. We are really excited by this year’s theme as it is something that also drives us as a brand. Aiming to make the ordinary extraordinary is how we can create amazing experiences.”

According to Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, “Since its inception, the Lexus Short Films Series has helped to launch the careers of up-and-coming filmmakers from across the globe by providing them with the necessary tools to take their craft to the next level as well as increasing their exposure among the international film community. The theme for this year’s series identifies with the transformation of the Lexus brand, and the short films made around this topic will bring to light the idea that amazing things happen when you transform the ordinary into extraordinary. It has been a deeply rewarding experience to be involved so closely in nurturing the next generation of filmmakers, and I thank our customers and fans for supporting and encouraging our efforts with Lexus Short Films Series.”

Entries to the fourth season of the award-winning Lexus Short Films will be accepted until 24 August 2017. The four filmmakers will be announced in December 2017. To find out more about The Weinstein Company and Lexus International’s Lexus Short Films, please visit www.LexusShortFilms.com.