Short Films (International Competition, Japan Competition)

Naohiro Ukawa

Japan

Born in 1968, Ukawa is an all-round artist who works as a filmmaker, graphic designer, VJ, university professor, writer, and "Genzai-Bijutsuka (contemporary artist focusing nowness). He considers himself a “MEDIA THERAPIST”, who erases the existing framework of fine art and popular culture, which makes him the freest man to express in Japan. In March 2010, he suddenly launched his own live-streaming studio and channel DOMMUNE, which boasts overwhelmingly high popularity and quality among the hundreds of streaming programs, and has been a hot topic of conversation in Japan and abroad for 10 years since its launch. In November 2019, it will move to the Creative Studio on the 9th floor of SHIBUYA PARCO, Tokyo and evolved as SUPER DOMMUNE, with the aim of UPDATE with the most advanced/avant-garde technology after 5G.

Hiroko Tasaka

Japan

Curator of the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum/Yebisu International Festival for Art and Alternative Vision. She has curated “exonemo UN-DEAD-LINK” (2020), “Japanese Expanded Cinema Revisited” (2017) , and “Apichatpong Weerasethakul: Ghosts in the Darkness” (2016–17) etc. She was a director of Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions 2018 and 2020, which she has worked as one of the curators since 2009.

AC-Bu

Japan

AC-bu is a creative team especially known for their high-energy, highly-condensed imagery expression. Over the years, they have received numbers of noticed awards after their first grand prix prize for NHK Digital Stadium Award. Recognized music video works includes “group_inou / THERAPY” , “Orange range – Sushi tabetai feat. Soi sauce)” , “Powder / New Tribe” and so on. Also known for their work for creating “Bobunemimimmi” a regular segment of a worldly praised animation program POP TEAM EPIC “Powder / New Tribe” has nominated for 2019 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the commissioned films category, same year, been presented at Ars Electronica Animation Festival. AC-bu have been invited as guest professor for Kyoto University of Art and Design from 2019 semester.

Feature Films and Student Films

Sunao Katabuchi

Japan

Animation film director. Specially appointed professor at Nihon University College of Art. While studying at the Nihon University College of Art, he participated as a scriptwriter in Hayao Miyazaki's "Sharlock Hound". Directed the TV series "LASSIE" (1996), the feature film "Princess Alite" (2001), the TV series "BLACK LAGOON" (2006), and Mai Mai Miracle (2009). In This Corner of the World (2016), set in Hiroshima and Kure, achieved an unusually long run, and a new film, In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World, with new episodes, was released in December 2019.

Yujin Choi

Korea

Yujin graduated from University with a Bachelor of History and obtained her master degree of Business Administration in Cultural Studies in 2007. As a professional, Yujin had been invited as committee member of several film festivals and writes article and report regularly. She is general manager of Korean Independent Animation Filmmakers Association from 2007, and also festival director of Indie-AniFest from 2017. She distributes korean independent animation from 2010, the project name is ‘AniSEED’.

Yoko Yuki

Japan

Filmmaker. Lives and works in Tokyo. After graduating from the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts, she has been creating works based on her daily impressions, using a variety of materials and art materials. He has been involved in the production and direction of Marza Animation Planet, and is also studying 3DCG animation now. He has won many awards at domestic and international film festivals such as New Chitose Airport International Animation Film Festival 2015 (Japan Grand Prix), 17th Digicon6 (Japan Gold), and Japan Media Arts Festival.