Born in Osaka in 1964, after graduating from university, he joined Kinema Junpo and Seiyu's film division, where he worked on discovering new filmmakers by organizing projects such as the Tokyo International Film Festival's Nippon Cinema Now section and the Sundance Film Festival in Tokyo. Meanwhile, he also began his own creative activities. In 1999, he made his debut as a screenwriter with "Kimpatsu no Sogen" ("The Blond Prairie"). Since then, he has worked on screenplays for films such as "Oh! Mikey," "Gozu", and "Ichi the Killer"(both titles directed by Takashi Miike). In 2005, he made his directorial debut with "Tokyo Zombie." Following this, he has worked as a writer and director on projects such as "Nihon no Uta: Haru no Ogawa", the "Edogawa Rampo Short Story Collection" series, and the "Seishi Yokomizo Short Story Collection" series. As an actor, he has appeared in films such as "Kill Bill"(directed by Quentin Tarantino) and "Wife of a Spy"(directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa).

"I served as a judge again this year. In the 'Choice of Kanazawa' (International Section), we reviewed 41 films selected from 335 submissions, and for the 'Rising New Film Director' (Domestic section) award, we evaluated 4 works chosen from 132 entries, for a total of 45 films. I provided individual critiques during the awards ceremony, so please check the official website, which will be updated soon with the award results. I believe that the introduction of the 'Choice of Kanazawa' category last year has effectively transformed the Kanazawa Film Festival into an international event. It’s rare for a film festival to have judges watch 45 films, but the experience of encountering such diverse global cinema was invaluable. Once again, I was reminded that there are cultures we Japanese cannot fully understand, although there are also commonalities.

One of the personal highlights of this year's film festival is "The Masterpiece", a short film by Korean director Lee Dae-han, which won the Grand Prix for short films. The story follows a successful music video director who is hired by a mysterious artist with a large budget to shoot a music video. When the director arrives at the specified location, a greenhouse in a desolate field, he is greeted by a strange, towering man. Believing him to be the artist, the director tries to make sense of the man’s cryptic stories and even endures watching a nonsensical dance. However, the director’s patience finally reaches its limit.

The film is an incredible showcase of tension and dialogue, particularly in the unsettling atmosphere between the two characters. Not only is the psychopathic man’s character compelling, but the music video director himself is also portrayed brilliantly. The unpredictable progression of the story makes it a truly fascinating watch. Director Lee Dae-han, who usually directs music videos, revealed that the character of the self-proclaimed artist was inspired by his own experiences with eccentric clients in the industry. While the plot may seem absurd, the clash between these characters hints at the broader potential of cinema, making it a masterpiece in its own right.

This year’s festival also saw the arrival of many international guests, and though time was short, I had the chance to interact with several of them. It made me realize how crucial it is to improve my own English skills."

Born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture in 1980. Program Coordinator at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. As a member of the film club of the NPO Kanazawa Art Gumi, he organized screenings of "The Tohoku Documentary Trilogy" directed by Ko Sakai and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and "OUT OF PLACE =Memories of Edward Said" directed by Makoto Sato.

"After watching all the films screened at the Kanazawa Film Festival 2024, I was reminded of the significance of learning about the world through film. Rather than the state of the world being conveyed only through news reports and sensational images, films vividly depict the thoughts and emotions of people living in those places as part of their daily lives. While it is necessary to view them from a distance as fiction, the fact that these are human beings living as individuals stirs emotions and gives us the opportunity to begin thinking about people around the world as one people, transcending borders and ethnicities.

I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the high-quality works that won awards in each category, including "CRIMSON SNOUTS", which won the Grand Prix for Feature Film, and "THE MASTERPIECE" which won the Grand Prix for Short Film. Visual The giant creature that appear in "THE COMPLEX FORMS" which won the Best VFX Award, were so horrifying that they evoked the instinctual and existential fear of humans being preyed upon, and were truly amazing. I would like to leave my comments on each work to the comments made by each judge at the award ceremony, but in addition to the award-winning works, short works such as "THE MIST" which depicts the reality of the war in Ukraine, and "...UNTIL" which shows women without hijabs going out into the streets of Tehran and bravely dancing like a flash mob, filmed on an iPhone, were very impressive in terms of learning about the world through film. Also, personally, I highly praise the intelligent and elegant experimental attempt of "A Song for Juliet."

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt respect for the Kanazawa Film Festival's bold decision to select 41 foreign films out of the 45 films in total, and as a film fan, I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers, film industry personnel, translators, and staff for their excellent work. I hope that even more visitors will attend next year, and that the Kanazawa Film Festival will develop even further as an international film festival."