How to Direct, Produce and Distribute Japanese Movies with Chiaki Yanagimoto

This week, we have Chiaki Yanagimoto, a Japanese-born, Los Angeles-based producer with many award-winning features. After producing a series of genre films, Chiaki switched gears to documentaries, including “KAMPAI! For the Love of Sake,” which premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and was released by IFC Films/Sundance Selects. She is also a founder of SAKKA, a US-based distribution hub for Japanese independent films. As a unique multicultural creative force, she began her career working for Taka Ichise and is currently developing international documentaries and scripted films under her own Synepic Entertainment. Her first directorial feature, "AUM: The Cult at the End of the World," premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2023 in the US documentary competition. We’re thrilled to have her on the show!