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NEWS EVENT SPECIAL SERIES

A­R­T­I­S­T­S

Artists creating content together

Payal Kapadia

#MOVIE

Filmmaker born in Mumbai in 1986. Studied film directing at the Film and Television Institute of India.THE LAST MANGO BEFORE THE MONSOON, an experimental documentary short made in 2015, won the “Special Jury Prize” at the “International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam” in 2018. His first feature documentary “THE NIGHT I KNOW NOTHING” was screened in the Directors' Fortnight at the 2021 “Cannes International Film Festival” and won the “Golden Eye Award” for Best Documentary. 2023 “Yamagata International Film Festival” International Competition, "Robert and In 2023, he won the Robert and Frances Flaherty Award (Grand Prize) in the International Competition section of the Yamagata International Film Festival. In 2023, he won the Robert and Frances Flaherty Grand Prize in the International Competition at the Yamagata International Film Festival, and his first feature film, “All We See is Light,” won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival, making him one of the most sought after directors in the world.

Naoki Matayoshi

#OTHER

出戸学

メロウなサイケデリアで多くのフォロワーを生む現代屈指のライブバンド、OGRE YOU ASSHOLEのフロントマンでコンポーザー。2000年代USインディーとシンクロしたギターサウンドを経て、サイケデリックロック、クラウトロック等の要素を取り入れる。

mei ehara

#MUSIC

Singer-songwriter/writer. Began home recording during her student years and debuted with Kakubarhythm in 2017 with her first album ‘Sway’, produced by Kiseru's Tsujimura Go. Released her self-produced second album ‘Ampersands’ in 2020. She contributed to American singer-songwriter Faye Webster's album ‘I Know I'm Funny Haha’ (2021) and served as the support act for Faye Webster's US tours in 2024 and 2025. In September 2025, she released her first full-length album in about five years, ‘All About McGuffin’, and embarked on a tour across four US cities.

Khaki

#MUSIC

Formed in 2018 within a band circle at Waseda University. Based in Tokyo, this five-member band creates immersive art rock. All members handle lyrics and composition, independently planning and producing everything from music recordings and music videos to merchandise and establishing their own management office. They continue to make strides with their original approach, drawing significant attention. In 2024, they held their largest solo concert to date, “Solo Concert,” at LIQUIDROOM, with tickets selling out. In 2025, they embarked on their first nationwide tour as a band, “Khaki LIVE TOUR 2025.”

Takashi Iwasawa

#ART

The younger brother of the Iwasawa Brothers. Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1978, he graduated from the Department of Lifestyle Design at Musashino Art University Junior College. He handles planning and direction for the creative unit “Iwasawa Brothers.” Since his student days, he has worked freelance on video production, web design, and more. In 2002, he co-founded Battaneation Ltd. with his brother. Guided by the motto “The fun and interesting relationships between things, events, and people,” he creates bases that serve as footholds for the activities of people and organizations. He specializes in designing three-dimensional objects like spaces and furniture, as well as communication design utilizing both analog and digital methods. He has also handled numerous product developments and workshops. In recent years, he has been active in the art field, including exhibiting at the Setouchi Triennale.

LOSTAGE

#MUSIC

2001年秋に奈良で結成され、結成25年目を迎える。現在、楽曲のほとんどがサブスクや配信をしておらず、さらに大手の流通も通さずボーカル五味岳久が店長を務めるレコードショップ「THROAT RECORDS」店頭およびオンラインストア、ライブ物販のみでの販売で、CDの累計売上は50,000枚を越える。

Yohei Kameyama

#MOVIE

Born August 16, 1996. 3DCG animation director. In February 2022, he released the short animation “Milky Highway,” created as both a personal project and graduation work, on YouTube, where it garnered over 8 million views. Its sequel, the 12-episode short anime series “Galaxy Express Milky ☆ Subway,” broadcast and streamed from July 2025, has attracted attention both domestically and internationally, recording a total of 200 million views on YouTube.

cero

#MUSIC

Formed in 2004. The three members are Shohei Takagi, Yu Arauchi, and Tsubasa Hashimoto, who have released four albums. Each of the three composes, arranges, and produces their own music, and they also conduct live performances and music production with supporting members. The band is a Tokyo band that combines musical pleasure and storytelling skill, and their future releases and live performances are always in the spotlight.

Ana Lily Amirpour

Iranian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. His debut feature film, "The Vampire: The Girl with the Cruel Fangs" (2014), was screened at the "Sundance Film Festival" and made a splash; his second film, "Madtown" (2016), premiered at the "Venice International Film Festival" and won the "Special Jury Prize"; on November 17, 2023, his latest film, " Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon" will be released in Japan on November 17, 2023.

Yui Shitona

Graduated at the top of her class from Osaka College of Music with a major in Music Creation. She began studying ballet at an early age and has experienced various genres of music, including violin and street dance. Before her debut, she was selected as a featuring artist by DJ HASEBE, and became the talk of the town with NHK radio tie-ups, etc. Her "MUSEUM EP" released in 2023 was picked up by producer Hyada-in, and her latest work, "Groovin' Weekend," reached No. 15 on FM His latest work, "Groovin' Weekend," is doing well on FM NORTH WAVE, ranking as high as No. 15.

Ryota Ideguchi

Director of Nagasaki City Kita Community Center and Chitosepia Hall / Director of Nagasaki City Civic Activity Center / Part-time lecturer at Katsusui Women's College (performing arts theory) Born in 1979 in Nagasaki City. After studying museology at Tokyo Gakugei University, he worked as a researcher at the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture before becoming the director of Nagasaki City Titocepia Hall in 2015. His cutting-edge planning and management style that does not rely on subsidies have attracted attention as a new form of small- and medium-sized public hall in a rural area, and he has been planning and managing the Kita Community Center since 2020 and the Civic Activity Center since 2023. He also gives lectures nationwide on facility management based on his knowledge in the field.

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