Kenjo McCurtain is an award-winning filmmaker who moved to Japan to pursue his craft after graduating with a BA in Film Studies in the UK, where his work was screened at the university’s annual film festival.
Kenjo has written and directed four short films. Make-Believers (2020), a Japanese romantic musical is his feature film debut as director. Kenjo is a Kyoto Filmmakers’ Lab alumni and bilingual in English and Japanese.
Works:
‘Necropolis’ (2014): selected for the Fukuoka Independent Short Film Festival and ranked in Yahoo’s top ten videos online thereafter;
‘Automation’ (2017) winner of Best Director and Best Actor at the English Riviera Film Festival, Official Selection at Bali International Film Festival and Hollywood Verge Awards;
‘Yamome’ (2018) winner of the Independent World Best Short Film Award at Mt. Fuji Atami Film Festival, Best Actress and Best Drama Short at Genre Celebration Film Festival, the 2019 Shorties Film Festival Best Editing and Best Film winner, and Official Selection for various film festivals worldwide;
‘Transmission’ (2019) a genre effort – is a psychological-horror short adapted from a short story by H.P. Lovecraft and updated to modern day Japan.
‘Make-Believers’ (2021) a feature romantic musical-drama, World Premiered at the 2021 RiverRun International Film Festival in May 2021 as part of the RE:Vision Independent Feature Competition; was winner of the Jury Award at New York Film Week, the Golden Capybara Award for Best Feature Film at Tiete Film Festival and Grand Prix award at Japan Indies Film Festival. Official Selection for 2021 RiverRun Film Festival.
‘The Orange of Daydreams’ (2024) is a innovative and whimsical new short film ala ‘Amelie’ that follows colorblind, cat-lover, Mariya who hires loner-hacker, Tomo, to help her catch a killer of stray cats, and in the process falls in love. It is scheduled for a festival run from late 2024.