Producer YAMAGAMI Tetsujiro
Born 1954 in Kumamoto. Founded Siglo, Ltd. in 1986 as president.
Yamagami has produced over 40 documentaries, including “Uminchu: The Old Man and the East China Sea” (dir. John Junkerman, 1990) and “Artists in Wonderland” (dir. SATO Makoto, 1998).
He produced his first feature film, “The River with No Bridge” (dir. HIGASHI Yoichi) in 1992; it won best film, best director, and other prizes at the Mainichi Film Awards. Higashi’s “Village of Dreams” (1996) won a Silver Bear at the Berlin film festival, grand prizes at the Flanders and Amiens festivals, and a total of over 40 prizes internationally. It was also awarded the Fujimoto Prize for producers.
“Hush!” (dir. HASHIGUCHI Ryosuke, 2001) was invited to Director’s Fortnight at Cannes, to the Toronto, Rotterdam, and numerous other festivals, and is in distribution in more than 30 countries.
“My Grandpa” (dir. HIGASHI Yoichi, 2003) won the best Asian film prize at the Montreal film festival and several Japanese prizes for the debut performance of ISHIHARA Satomi. Higashi’s “Crying Wind” (2004), written by the Okinawan novelist MEDORUMA Shun, won the innovation prize at the Montreal film festival.
The documentary “Japan’s Peace Constitution” (dir. John Junkerman, 2005) won best documentary awards from Kinema jumpo and the Japanese Film PEN Club. SATO Makoto’s “Out of Place: Memories of Edward Said” was the closing film at the 2005 Yamagata documentary film festival and won the best documentary Mainichi Film Award in 2007.
“The Matsugane Potshot Affair” (YAMASHITA Nobuhiro, 2007) was invited to Rotterdam, Toronto, Pusan, and other festivals. “The Crying Wind” was released in 2004, and Innovation Award / Montreal World Film Festival 2004. HASHIGUCHI Ryosuke’s “All Around Us” was released in 2008, Panorama / Berlin Film Festival 2009.
“OKINAWA:The Afterburn” (JUNKERMAN John 2016), “Somebody's Xylophone” (HIGASHI Yoichi 2016), “Butterfly Sleep” (Jeong Jaeeun 2018), “Intimate Stranger”(NAKAMURA Mayu 2021), “Hoyaman”(SHOJI Teruaki 2023).