Work
Bluebird
(in development)
Bluebird is a new Extended Reality (XR) project that unleashes short stories of unfiltered human desire around the globe to transform our perception of life.
“There is a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out but I’m too tough for him, I say, stay in there, I’m not going to let anybody see you.” -Charles Bukowski, “Bluebird”
To learn more, contact us.
nowhere to go but everywhere
Short Film
2022
Israel/Japan
After the devastating 2011 tsunami, Yasuo Takamatsu confronted his grief in the same ocean that stole his wife. "nowhere to go but everywhere" uniquely reflects the essence of the delicate relationship between humans and nature.
https://www.nowheretogobuteverywhere.com/
Awards
Best Documentary Short Film Award Santa Barbara Film Festival 2023
Festivals
Rotterdam International Film Festival - Rotterdam, The Netherlands/ World Premiere
Melbourne international Film Festival - Melbourne, Australia
San Sebastian Film Festival - San Sebastian, Spain
Open Air Kurzfilmfestival - Wien, Austria
Cinemancia - Medellín, Colombia
Montreal International Documentary Film Festival - Montreal, Canada/ North America Premiere
Cinema South Film Festival - Sapir, Israel
Dharamsala International Film Festival - Dharamsala, India
Santa Barbara International Film Festival - Santa Barbara, USA
Umi
Feature Narrative Film
(in development)
Proof of Concept Trailer
Japan/USA
I am the Sea.
I see you in my endless tide, scouring the floor of my depth, yet I am unmoved. I nourish and steal, then in your unending sorrow bring you where you need to be.
Nowhere to go but everywhere.
Survivors of a recent natural disaster, fisherman Kazuo and his teenage daughter Naomi struggle to rebuild their lives and their fragile relationship. When a mangled cellphone finds Kazuo, he turns to the ocean for answers, obsessively searching the murky underwater world where the decimated remnants of his island are submerged, believing that if he can just find what he is looking for, his daughter may finally forgive him.
The Birth of Saké
Feature Documentary Film
2015
Japan/USA
In a world where most mass produced goods are heavily automated, a small group of artisans must brave unusual working conditions to preserve a 2000-year-old tradition that we have come to know as saké. THE BIRTH OF SAKÉ is a cinematic documentary that reveals the story of passionate saké-makers and what it takes to make world-class saké at Yoshida Brewery, a 144-year-old family-owned small brewery in northern Japan. The workers at Yoshida Brewery are an eclectic cast of characters, ranging from 20 to 70 years old. As a vital part of this cast that must live and work for a six-month period through the brutal winter, charismatic veteran brewmaster Yamamoto and the brewery’s sixth-generation heir, Yasuyuki Yoshida, are keepers of this tradition, and are the main characters who bring the narrative forward. As craftsmen who must dedicate their whole lives to the making of this world-class saké, their private sacrifices are often sizable and unseen.
Stream the film: https://thebirthofsake.vhx.tv/
Awards
2015 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL - New York/ Best Documentary Director Special Jury Mention
2015 BEND FILM FESTIVAL - Oregon/ Best Director and Best Documentary
2016 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - California/ Best Documentary Film
John Schlesinger Award2016 ENVIRONMENTAL FlLM FESTIVAL - Washington DC/ Polly Krakora Award for Artistry
2016 CINEMA ASIA FILM FESTIVAL – Netherlands/ Audience Award
2016 WAIMEA FILM FESTIVAL – Hawaii/ Best Cinematography Award
2016 ASHLAND FILM FESTIVAL – Oregon/ Best Documentary Special Jury Mention Award
2016 Palmares 7th Cinema Planeta – Mexico/ Best Documentary from Youth Jury
2017 James Beard Foundation – USA/ Broadcast Media Award
Mother America
Short Film Series
In progress
Mother America is a series that explores the social fabric of contemporary America through the lens of mothers.
This five-part documentary series will take us into the home of several diverse American families as we explore motherhood in all its complexities. We’ll sit at their dinner tables and gain an intimate view of their lives, offering viewers an up-front look at how these mothers have been forced to confront today’s most divisive social issues, sometimes having to drastically re-evaluate their own personal and political views to raise and protect their children and family. On this journey we will see the different methods mothers use in order to rise above and heal their families and communities. Through their experiences we will begin to see how their very personal lives mirror the very political social issues challenging America today.
Fire Under the Snow
Feature Documentary Film
2008
Venerable Palden Gyatso, a Buddhist monk since childhood, was arrested by the Chinese Communist Army in 1959. He spent the next 33 years in prison. He was humiliated, starved, and tortured. He watched his nation and culture destroyed, his teachers, friends and family displaced, jailed or killed under Chinese occupation. Despite this, he remains unbroken, keeping the flame of his spirit ablaze.
Facebook Free Basics
Internet.org
Advertisement Series
2016
USA
Teaming up with Facebook, we filmed in the Philippines to capture 3 inspiring stories of how Internet.org and Facebook is connecting people and getting them online for free.
For more info: Internet.org
Morisawa / Matthew Carter
Teaser Trailer
2016
Japan
Capturing the process of the legendary font designer Matthew Carter, the creator of classic fonts Verdana and Georgia, as he creates his newest font for Japanese design firm: Morisawa.