Akiko Izumitani is a female director/writer born and raised in Kyoto, Japan. After graduating from high school, she came to the United States to pursue her dream to be a director in Hollywood. She is also a member of AWD (Alliance of Women Directors) in Los Angeles.

 

Akiko first earned recognition through her feature-length documentary, "Silent Shame" (2010). It won numerous awards worldwide, including Best Feature in the Beijing Movie Festival, and has a screening at an Oscar Qualified film festival. 

 

Several years later, Akiko directed "Kung Fu Date,” which won the Remi Award at the Houston Film Festival, and "Sukiyaki with Love" (Semi-Finalist of NBCUniversal Shortcuts). Her action short film, “The Other Side” won The Best Short Film at Sacramento Asian Film Festival and ECA Award by ICG and had a screening sponsored by ICG at DGA.

 

Biography

Akiko was a finalist of Women of Color Commercial Directing Program (Top 10 out of 100+) in 2020, a semi-finalist of NBC Female Forward (Top 20 out of 1000) in 2018, Sony Directors Program (Top 25 out of 250) in 2017, and 2019, and ABC Director's Program in 2014. She was also considered to be an episodic director of AMC’s The Terror Season 2 by Scott Free. Akiko was selected as one of the top rising Asian American filmmakers in 2013.

 

While she was working for 20 Century FOX as a project manager, she also studied screenwriting, taught man-to-man by Monte Merrick (Writer of Mr. Baseball and Memphis Belle), and Jonathan Tsuneishi (A script analyst at 20 Century Fox.) She is an active member of Santa Monica Screenwriting Group to exchange notes with Nicole Perlman (Writer of Captain Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy), Ben Kim (Writer of Queen Sugar), and James ‘Doc’ Mason (Writer of The Cage).

 

After working for 20 Century FOX, she became a set production assistant in Bullet Train where she also worked as a set Japanese consultant to advise a stunt coordinator, a set decoration department, and prop masters. She also helped Michael Shannon and Andrew Koji with the Japanese dialect. 

 

Currently, Akiko is in the festival run for Yae: The Blind Samurai Woman. She also wrote a series pilot and its bible based on the film. 

 

Achievement

  • Finalist of Women of Color directing program 2020 (Top 10 over 100)

  • Semi-Finalist for NBC Female Forward 2018 (Top 20 over 1000)

  • Sony Diversity Directing Program 2017 and 2019 (Top 25 over 250),

  • ABC Diversity Directing Program 2014

  • NBCUniversal Short Cuts 2013 (Top 14 over 200)

Awards
Yae: Blind Samurai Woman
Co-Writer, Producer and Director

Dances with Films Film Festival

Official Selection

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Durban International Film Festival

Official Selection

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Asian American International Film Festival

Official Selection

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Flicker's Rhode Island International Film Festival

Official Selection

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HollyShorts Film Festival

Official Selection

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DTLA Film Festival

Official Selection

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The Other Side: Short Film

Story, Producer and Director

 

Winner of Emerging Cinematographer Award by International Cinematographers Guild (ICG)

 

CAAM (San Francisco Asian Film Festival)

Official Selection

 

Los Angeles Pacific Asian Film Festival

Official Selection

 

Sacramento Asian Film Festival

Winner of the Best Narrative Short Film

Winner of the Best Cinematography

 

Short Shorts and Asia (Oscar Qualified Film Festival)

Official Selection

 

HollyShorts Film Festival

Official Selection

 

Aruba Film Festival

Official Selection

 

Bali International Film Festival

Official Selection


Sukiyaki with Love: Short Film

Writer, Producer, Editor, and Director

 

NBC Universal Shortcuts

Semi Finalist

 

Emerging Filmmaker’s Forum

Official Selection

 

CAAM (San Francisco Asian Film Festival)

Official Selection

 

Kung Fu Date: Short Film

Writer, Producer, Editor, and Director

 

Houston International World-Fest

Winner – Gold Remi Award (Romantic Comedy)

 

Raindance Film Festival (UK) (Oscar qualified film festival)

Official Selection

 

San Diego Asian American Film Festival

Official Selection

Silent Shame: Feature Documentary

Writer, Producer, Editor, and Director

 

Beijing International Movie Festival

Winner - Golden Duck Awards

 

Beijing International Film Festival

Official Selection

 

Action On Film International Film Festival

Winner – Best Political Statement Movie

First Runner Up – Best Documentary

 

End of the Pier International Film Festival

Winner - Best International Feature Film

 

Accolade Competition

Winner – Best of Show

 

San Gabriel International Film Festival

Winner – Best Feature Documentary

 

Myrtle Beach Film Festival

Official Selection

 

The Foyle Film Festival

Official Selection

 

Indie Spirits Film Festival

Official Selection

Commercial

Hotta Liesenberg Saito & Co  - Director – Asahi Homecast


Megatronics  - Director – Asahi Homecast


Asahi Ryokuken  - Director – Asahi Homecast


NEX-USA  - Director – Asahi Homecast

Network

Script Writers Group Santa Monica

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Alliance of Women Directors

 

2010 - present
2010 - present

 

Akiko has an impeccable character. Her dedication to her work is simply outstanding. Her drive and vision are equally on par, keeping her crew and talent in the moment and on point. As for the experience, Akiko brings plenty to the table, directing in multiple genres.

 

                                                                        - Jason Hampton - Freelance Filmmaker Group Owner

 

Akiko is not only her great talent as a director, but also her work ethic, professionalism and dedication with which she is pursuing her career. She is passionately committed to bringing her voice and style to the big screen.

-James Yi - Producer

 

 

Official Site of Akiko Izumitani