Directors at Tokyo Festival Describe Odd Paths to Feature Debut

A former hunter whose debut film earned a Grand Prix at a Croatian festival recently received a direct offer of collaboration from Mexican director Carlos Reygadas. The conversation took place after a screening at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival, where five first-time directors detailed the unconventional methods behind their latest features.

The panel, titled How We Make Films, convened at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya and was moderated by TIFF programming director Ichiyama Shozo. The participants included Ueda Shinichiro, Saito Kisin, Natori Satoshi, Matsumura Shingo, and Yaza Takenoshin. Ichiyama noted that the selection usually favors newer Japanese directors, but he invited Ueda because of the vertical format used in his film Earthlings in Love.

Ueda explained that his project began as a 30-episode microdrama series for social media. Despite its origins, the budget was equivalent to a regular independent film. He stated that the team treated the production as a theatrical release from the start, which allowed it to function as a vertical feature.

Saito Kisin described the creation of his debut Kefi. He met a producer who secured a sponsor with a specific theme of maternal love. The sponsor eventually allowed the team creative freedom, resulting in a film about three sisters reacting to their father's death. Saito said he added his own preferences to the project because the sponsor left the direction open.

Natori Satoshi discussed his film Chihiro | Akemi, set in a house in eastern Hokkaido. A former hunter and advertising director, Natori used his experiences in the wilderness to shape the narrative. He compared the repetitive nature of hunting to his life in Tokyo, noting that social roles were stripped away in the forest. The film won the Grand Prix at the Split Film Festival in Croatia, where Natori met Reygadas. Reygadas told Natori the film was crazy and expressed interest in a future Japan-Mexico collaboration.

Yaza Takenoshin shared how he came to work with cinematographer Kitagawa Yoshio, who is known for his work with Oscar winner Hamaguchi Ryusuke. Yaza had never directed a feature or managed a budget, so he messaged Kitagawa directly. Kitagawa agreed to shoot the film and connected Yaza with a producer who approached financiers. Yaza said he was the youngest person on set and described the environment as generous and open.

Matsumura Shingo emphasized the creative freedom he experienced while making Between Us, a film that explores the overlap between theater and reality. The group agreed that the ability to make the specific type of film they envisioned was a common thread in their production processes.

Natori concluded by stating that it is important for a director to create a feature-length film that satisfies them and that they can only make because it is their first time. The panel ended with the directors discussing the idiosyncratic nature of their respective debut projects.