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Kazuyoshi Kumakiri was born in 1974 in Hokkaido, Japan. He graduated from Osaka University of Arts’Visual Concept Planning Department.
His thesis film “Kichiku” was awarded second place at the 20th PIA Film Festival and it received high acclaim. The film was officially invited to be screened in more than 10 other international film festivals such as the Panorama section of the 48th Berlin International Film Festival. It also won the Grand Prize at the 28th Taormina International Film Festival in Italy.

His PFF (PIA Film Festival) scholarship film, “Hole in the Sky” was officially invited to the Young Forum section of the 51st Berlin International Film Festival, and also it was awarded the RIPRESCI Prize in the 30th Rotterdam International Film Festival. Since then he has been exhibiting a series of works such as his films,
“ANTENNA” (which attracted public attention at the 60th Venice International Film Festival) and “Volatile Woman”, ”Green Mind, Metal Bats” and “Freesia: Bullet Over Tears”.

In 2008, his work “NON-KO” was exhibited at the many International Film Festivals around the world such as the Spectrum section of the 38th Rotterdam International Film Festival. It was named Japanese Film of the Year by avant-garde film magazine EIGA GEIJUTU (Film Art) in 2008.

As his film “Sketches of Kaitan City”was released in December 2010, he led professional actors and city locals around Hokkaido in a group collaboration further increasing his recognition and his sense of production. This work became an award-winner at many festivals such as the 23rd TOKYO International Film Festival, the 12th Cine Manila International Film Festival, winner of the Matsumoto CINEMA Select Award in 2010, the 25th Takasaki Film Festival, as well as the Jury prize at the 13th Deauville Asian Film Festival.

“BRAZING Familia” and “BUNGO The Married Woman” were released in September,2012.
The retrospective show of the work from "Kichiku" to "Sketches of Kaitan City" was carried out by film festival INDIE 2012 of Brazil.
His new work “Summer’s End ” will be released next year.

[Filmography]

1997 Film “Kichiku” Director・Screenwriter・Editor
2001 Film “Hole in the Sky” Director・Editor (Screenwriter: Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, Akizuki Gen)
2003 Film “ANTENNA” Director (Screenwriter: Takashi Ujita, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri)
2004 Long-shortfilm “Asagao” Director・Editor (Screenwriter: Takashi Ujita, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri)
Long-shortfilm “Sister’s Homemade Dish”
Director・Editor (Screenwriter: Takashi Ujita, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri)
Long-shortfilm “Hideshi Hino”Theater of Horror”The Ravaged House” Director
Film “Volatile Woman”
Director・Editor (Screenwriter: Takashi Ujita, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri)
2006 Film “Green Mind, Metal Bats” Director
2007 Film “Freesia: Bullet Over Tears” Director
2008 Film “NON-KO” Director
2009 Shortfilm “Plus One vol.3 Tsuruzono family’s Vertigo” Director
2010 Shortfilm “BUNGO MAGIC” Director
Shortfilm “Plus One vol.3 Tsuruzono family’s Vertigo” Director
Film “Sketches of Kaitan City” Director
2012 Film “BRAZING Familia” Director
Shortfilm “BUNGO The Married Woman” Director

[Awards]

1997 Film “Kichiku”
Official invitation at the Panorama section of the 48th Berlin International Film Festival
Grand Prize at the 28th Taormina International Film Festival (Italy)
The second place at PFF award of the 20th PIA Film Festival (Japan)
The Independent award at the Osaka Film Festival (Japan)
Official invitation for the 26th Hong Kong International Film Festival
Official invitation for the Leeds International Film Festival (UK)
Official invitation for the Toronto International Film Festival
Official invitation for the Stockholm International Film Festival
Official invitation for the Exground Film Festival (Germany)
Official invitation for the Gijon Film Festival (Spain)
Official invitation for the Etranger Film Festival (France)
Official invitation for the Helsinki International Film Festival
Official invitation for the Los Angels Film Festival
Official invitation for the Taipei Film Festival
Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris ‘The Other Side of Contemporary Japanese Cinema – A Voice from Kansai’ (11/France)  *screening as a part of the event
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)


2001 Film “Hole in the Sky”
Official invitation for the International Young Forum section of the 51st Berlin
International Film Festival
Winner, FIPRESCI Prize and Special Mention award in the 30th Rotterdam
International Film Festival
Official invitation for New Directors/New Films (01/NY)
Official invitation for the 37th Pesaro Film Festival (Italy)
Official invitation for Brisbane International Film Festival (01/Australia)
Official invitation for Edinburgh International Film Festival (01/UK)
Official invitation for Hong Kong International Film Festival (02)
Official invitation for Bangkok International Film Festival
Official invitation for Pacific Film Archive (US)
Official invitation for India International Film Festival (07)
Official invitation for the 10th Taipei Film Festival
Official invitation for Paris Cinema International Film festival (10)
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)


2003 Film “ANTENNA”
Official invitation for Competition award of the 60th Venezia International Film Festival
Competition award of the 60th Venice International Film Festival
Official invitation for the 28th Toronto International Film Festival
The 3rd New York Asian Film Festival (04)
The 6th Brasilia International Film Festival (04)
The 8th San Francisco Asia Film Festival (04)
The 12th Raindance Film Festival (04/UK)
Official invitation for the 41st Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival
Official invitation for the 5th San Francisco Independent Film Festival
Dongfang Film Festival (07/Italy)
The 5th Calendidonnna08 (08/Italy) *Screening as a part of the event
Japanese film Festival Singapore (11)
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)


2004 Long-shortfilm “Sister’s Homemade Dish”
Official invitation for Cine Asia Film Festival (Germany)
Long-shortfilm “Hideshi Hino “Theater of Horror” The Ravaged House”
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)
Film “Volatile Woman”
Official invitation for the 23rd Vancouver International Film Festival
Official invitation for the 33rd Rotterdam International Film Festival
The 6th Nippon Connection (06/Germany)
The 7th Barcelona Asian Film Festival
New Asian Filmmakers 06 (06/Spain)
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)


2006 Film “Green Mind, Metal Bats”
Special invitation for the 35th Rotterdam International Film Festival
Official invitation for the 8th Barcelona Asian Film Festival
Official invitation for the 22nd Warsaw International Film Festival
The 7th Asiatica Film Mediale (06/Italy)
Official invitation for the 8th San Francisco Independent Film Festival
The 8th Japanischen Filmfestes Hamburg (07/Germany)
Japanese Film Festival Singapore
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)


2007 Film “Freesia: Bullet Over Tears”
Official invitation for the 36th Rotterdam International Film Festival
Official invitation for Kinotayo Film Festival (France)
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)


2008 Film “NON-KO”
Official invitation for the 38th Rotterdam International Film Festival
Official invitation for the Nippon Cinema section of the 9th Nippon Connection (09/Germany)
Official invitation for the 44th Karlovy Vary International
Film Festival (Czech Republic)
Official invitation for the 44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czech Republic)
Official invitation for Japan CUT (NY)
Official selection for the Competition section of the 9th TOKYO FILMeX 2008
Official invitation for London Film Festival
Official invitation for the 10th Hamburg Japan Film Festival
Official invitation for the 11th Cine Manila International Film Festival
The best Film of the Japanese films of the year in the film magazine“EIGA GEIJUTSU”
Selected as the Scenario yearbook representative works 2008
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)


2010 Film “ Sketches of Kaitan City”
Official selection for the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival
Grand Prize, and The Best Actor Award at the Cine Manila International Film Festival (10/Phillipine)
Jury's Special Award at the 13th Deauville Asian Film Festival (11/France)
The 12th Jeonju International Film Festival (11/Korea)
The 11th Nippon Connection (11/Germany)
Japanese Film Festival Singapore
The Best Film Award at the Matsumoto CINEMA Select Award 2010
The Special Award at the 25th Takasaki Film Festival
The best cinematography and best music award at the 65th Mainichi Film Contest
The best 9 of the films in 2010 by the film magazine “Kinema Junpo”
Official invitation for Japan CUT (11/NY)
Kaohsiung Film Festival (11/Taiwan)
Camera Japan Festival (11/Netherlands)
VIENNALE Vienna International Film Festival (11/Austria)
Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris ‘The Other Side of Contemporary Japanese Cinema – A Voice from Kansai’ *screening as a part of the event (11/France)
INDIE 2012 (Brazil)


2012 Film “BRAZING Familia”
The 4th OKINAWA International Movie Festival the premiere showing (12)
 
Short film “BUNGO The Married Woman”
YAMAGATA International Movie Festival 2012