Hamaguchi Ryūsuke

Film director. Born in 1978 in Kanagawa Prefecture. His master thesis work for the Tokyo University of the Arts, Passion (2008), was hailed at both Japanese and overseas film festivals. In 2015, four actresses in his feature Happy Hour shared the best actress award at the Locarno Film Festival, and the film was also fêted at other overseas film festivals. He won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival for Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021). Won four awards at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscar for best international feature film for Drive My Car (2021). Won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival for Evil Does Not Exist (2023). He has become the second Japanese film director since Kurosawa Akira to win an Oscar and awards at all three major international film festivals.