Directing
Kenji Iwaisawa
Born January 1, 1981 · Tokyo, Japan (age 45)
Kenji Iwaisawa is an independent filmmaker and animator who was born in Tokyo Prefecture in 1981. After graduating from high school, Iwaisawa became an apprentice to the director Teruo Ishii. He began creating his own animation works by drawing on influences from live-action movies. In 2008 he finished his first animation piece, Fukuraicho, The Man in the Tunnel Alley. Henceforth, he focused on sh…
Known For
100 METERS · 2025100 METERS
★ 7.82025
MovieAnimationDrama
A gifted runner trains a determined but unskilled classmate, unaware he's creating a rival who will challenge him on the track for years to come.
Jinsei · 2025Jinsei
★ 4.02025
MovieDramaScience Fiction
Our hero (voiced by rapper ACE COOL), called by a different name in each chapter of his life, becomes a J-pop idol, an outcast, a leader, and an oracle in this hundred-year chronicle spanning the past, present, and future. Through a chance encounter with a transfer student, he trains to become an idol, starting his search for self-identity and a journey toward greatness beyond superstardom. Written, directed, edited and entirely hand-drawn by newcomer Ryuya Suzuki over eighteen months, JINSEI (meaning “life” in Japanese) is an anime tour-de-force that announces Suzuki to the world as a bold new talent in independent animation.
On-Gaku: Our Sound · 2020On-Gaku: Our Sound
★ 7.32020
MovieAnimationComedy
A bored trio of high school delinquents start a rock 'n' roll band together. They have no skill, money, or even a full set of drums, but are determined to jam out and impress their only friend.
Hina Is BeautifulHina Is Beautiful
MovieAnimationDrama
Set in Izu, Japan. Men are fighting over a woman called Hina. What is it exactly that makes Hina mislead men? As the men try to reveal their true feelings for Hina, strong, muscly men also get involved and the sound of the festival drum signals the start of a confrontation.
Taro Wanted to Become Water · 2021Taro Wanted to Become Water
2021
MovieAnimationComedy
Taro, who looks like a skull, doesn't stand out at school, but he is blessed with friends like Yasushi, who has a head that looks like the inside of a clam, and finds meaning in seemingly meaningless things as he goes about his daily life.
Mountain · 2010Mountain
2010
MovieAnimationDrama
Done with high school, a boy goes into exile in the mountains. His best friend, who hasn't found happiness in society, joins him.
Kotatsu Man · 2012Kotatsu Man
2012
MovieDrama
Ogasawara was supposed to spend New Year's Eve quietly alone in the kotatsu, but he is at the mercy of Goto, a mysterious man who appears every year. Iwaizawa's first live-action work, which he took on when he was trying to figure out whether he could compete with animation.
Nicky · 2008Nicky
2008
MovieAnimationMusic
A child is watching a music video on his television screen.


