Ryuhei Kitamura (北æ ' é¾ å¹³, Kitamura RyÅ«hei) (born May 30, 1969)
is a Japanese filmmaker.Kitamura was born in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
He dropped out of high school at age 17 and relocated to Sydney,
Australia, where he attended a school for visual arts. His first film
as director was the short Exit, which he made as his graduation piece
at age 19.After graduating, he returned to Japan to establish Napalm
Films, his independent production studio. His first feature-length
films Heat After Dark and Down to Hell were successful in film
festivals, and he soon found his first mainstream success with the
cult film Versus. The film launched the career of stars Tak Sakaguchi
and Hideo Sakaki, and brought Kitamura international recognition when
it was released on DVD outside Japan in 2004.In 2002, Kitamura
directed the short film The Messenger: Requiem for the Dead as part of
the Jam Films project, as well as Alive. In 2003, he directed a
feature film adaptation of the manga Azumi, and Sky High, a prequel to
the popular Japanese television drama. He collaborated with director
Yukihiko Tsutsumi in the Duel Project, in which the two challenged one
another to produce the best dueling movie with minimal production time
and budget, with Aragami being Kitamura's contribution. Also in 2003,
Kitamura served as producer for the film Battlefield Baseball, the
directorial debut of Versus co-writer YÅ«dai Yamaguchi. Kitamura
directed 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars, the 28th installment in the
renowned kaiju franchise. The film was the first of Kitamura's
projects to hold its premiere in Hollywood. In 2006, Kitmura directed
LoveDeath, before relocating to Los Angeles, California.
is a Japanese filmmaker.Kitamura was born in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
He dropped out of high school at age 17 and relocated to Sydney,
Australia, where he attended a school for visual arts. His first film
as director was the short Exit, which he made as his graduation piece
at age 19.After graduating, he returned to Japan to establish Napalm
Films, his independent production studio. His first feature-length
films Heat After Dark and Down to Hell were successful in film
festivals, and he soon found his first mainstream success with the
cult film Versus. The film launched the career of stars Tak Sakaguchi
and Hideo Sakaki, and brought Kitamura international recognition when
it was released on DVD outside Japan in 2004.In 2002, Kitamura
directed the short film The Messenger: Requiem for the Dead as part of
the Jam Films project, as well as Alive. In 2003, he directed a
feature film adaptation of the manga Azumi, and Sky High, a prequel to
the popular Japanese television drama. He collaborated with director
Yukihiko Tsutsumi in the Duel Project, in which the two challenged one
another to produce the best dueling movie with minimal production time
and budget, with Aragami being Kitamura's contribution. Also in 2003,
Kitamura served as producer for the film Battlefield Baseball, the
directorial debut of Versus co-writer YÅ«dai Yamaguchi. Kitamura
directed 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars, the 28th installment in the
renowned kaiju franchise. The film was the first of Kitamura's
projects to hold its premiere in Hollywood. In 2006, Kitmura directed
LoveDeath, before relocating to Los Angeles, California.
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