Kenichi Ugana
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
A film director and scriptwriter. Graduated from the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business Administration, Aoyama Gakuin University.
His first feature film, "Gangro gal's Riot" was based on the 1990s Japanese culture of ganguro gals, and was released in theaters nationwide in 2016.
He then director his second feature film, "Good Bye Silence", which depicts young people who discover music in a world where music is banned, and was released in theaters nationwide in 2018. After multiple encore screenings, Kaito Yoshimura won the TAMA New Actor Award and Takumi Saito won the Nikkan Sports Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2019, his third feature film, "Wild Virgins", in which a virgin over 30 transforms into a wizard, was released in theaters nationwide. This work had its international premiere at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, one of the three major fantastic film festivals in the world.
In 2020, the fourth feature film "Rolling Marbles" which depicts women living in Tokyo, was released in theaters nationwide as a commemorative film for the 15th anniversary of the founding of the famous Japanese culture magazine Nylon Japan, and had its international premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival.
The "Extraneous Matter" series, including the feature film "Extraneous MatterX-Complete edition-", has been screened at over 85 film festivals including Motelx, Torino Film Festival, Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema, Screamfest, Etrange Festival, and LA Shorts International Film Festival, and has won 11 top awards including the Another Hole In The Head Film Festival. It will be released in theaters nationwide from January 2022. In 2023, a spin-off TV series "Extraneous MatterX-Another Story-" was broadcast on Tiokyo Mx.
In 2022, the short film "Visitors" was selected for over 40 film festivals, including Slamdance Film Festival, Fantasporto, Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema, LA Shorts International Film Festival, Tampere Film Festival, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival, and Leeds International Film Festival. It won the top prize at three film festivals, including the New York Shorts International Film Festival.
A special screening of Kenichi Ugana's short films "Made In Ugana: The Very Special Seance" was held at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema in October 2022, and was released in theaters in December of the same year. In the same month, "The Empty FlowerpotL", which depicts the surviving family member of a murder case, was released theaters.
In August 2023, the romance horror comedy "Love Will Tear Us Apart" will have it's world premiere at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, one of the world's three major fantastic film festivals, and has won top awards at the South African Horror Fest, Portland Horror Film Festival, and Romford Horror Film Festival. In October, the war film "The Girls" had its world premiere at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema and was released in theaters.
"VisitorsI-Complete edition-", a feature-length version of the short film "VisitorsI", also stars Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Entertainment. After its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, it won special mention awards at the Torino Film Festivals and Nippon Connection, and was screened at film festivals around the world, including Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, and was screened in more than 35 cinemas nationwide from February 2024.
On June of the same year, the 20th anniversary film "We Are Aliens" of the famous Japanese culture magazine Nylon Japan began screening at 45 theaters nationwide, and it become a hot topic as it was sold out continuously.
In the summer of the same year, a new movie shot entirely on location in New York. In the winter of the same year, a new Taiwanese-Japanese co-production movie is scheduled to be shot.
Fantasy Pack's new feature film "The Gesuidouz", scheduled for theatrical release in 2025, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness section, and has since been screened at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema, Leeds International Film Festival,Sitges Film Festival, Kaohsiung Film Festival, South by Southwest in Sydney, and more. Despite writing most of his own screenplays, he is extremely prolific, and his fantastical, punk's style has earned him a reputation at film festivals around the world.
In addition, the 2024 Kaohsiung Film Festival held "Director In Focus: Kenichi Ugana", screening six of his feature films.
"The Gesuidouz" won the Audience Award and "We Are Aliens" won the Special Jury Prize in the Temps0 category at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema in 2024.
His first feature film, "Gangro gal's Riot" was based on the 1990s Japanese culture of ganguro gals, and was released in theaters nationwide in 2016.
He then director his second feature film, "Good Bye Silence", which depicts young people who discover music in a world where music is banned, and was released in theaters nationwide in 2018. After multiple encore screenings, Kaito Yoshimura won the TAMA New Actor Award and Takumi Saito won the Nikkan Sports Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2019, his third feature film, "Wild Virgins", in which a virgin over 30 transforms into a wizard, was released in theaters nationwide. This work had its international premiere at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, one of the three major fantastic film festivals in the world.
In 2020, the fourth feature film "Rolling Marbles" which depicts women living in Tokyo, was released in theaters nationwide as a commemorative film for the 15th anniversary of the founding of the famous Japanese culture magazine Nylon Japan, and had its international premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival.
The "Extraneous Matter" series, including the feature film "Extraneous MatterX-Complete edition-", has been screened at over 85 film festivals including Motelx, Torino Film Festival, Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema, Screamfest, Etrange Festival, and LA Shorts International Film Festival, and has won 11 top awards including the Another Hole In The Head Film Festival. It will be released in theaters nationwide from January 2022. In 2023, a spin-off TV series "Extraneous MatterX-Another Story-" was broadcast on Tiokyo Mx.
In 2022, the short film "Visitors" was selected for over 40 film festivals, including Slamdance Film Festival, Fantasporto, Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema, LA Shorts International Film Festival, Tampere Film Festival, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival, and Leeds International Film Festival. It won the top prize at three film festivals, including the New York Shorts International Film Festival.
A special screening of Kenichi Ugana's short films "Made In Ugana: The Very Special Seance" was held at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema in October 2022, and was released in theaters in December of the same year. In the same month, "The Empty FlowerpotL", which depicts the surviving family member of a murder case, was released theaters.
In August 2023, the romance horror comedy "Love Will Tear Us Apart" will have it's world premiere at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, one of the world's three major fantastic film festivals, and has won top awards at the South African Horror Fest, Portland Horror Film Festival, and Romford Horror Film Festival. In October, the war film "The Girls" had its world premiere at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema and was released in theaters.
"VisitorsI-Complete edition-", a feature-length version of the short film "VisitorsI", also stars Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Entertainment. After its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, it won special mention awards at the Torino Film Festivals and Nippon Connection, and was screened at film festivals around the world, including Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, and was screened in more than 35 cinemas nationwide from February 2024.
On June of the same year, the 20th anniversary film "We Are Aliens" of the famous Japanese culture magazine Nylon Japan began screening at 45 theaters nationwide, and it become a hot topic as it was sold out continuously.
In the summer of the same year, a new movie shot entirely on location in New York. In the winter of the same year, a new Taiwanese-Japanese co-production movie is scheduled to be shot.
Fantasy Pack's new feature film "The Gesuidouz", scheduled for theatrical release in 2025, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness section, and has since been screened at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema, Leeds International Film Festival,Sitges Film Festival, Kaohsiung Film Festival, South by Southwest in Sydney, and more. Despite writing most of his own screenplays, he is extremely prolific, and his fantastical, punk's style has earned him a reputation at film festivals around the world.
In addition, the 2024 Kaohsiung Film Festival held "Director In Focus: Kenichi Ugana", screening six of his feature films.
"The Gesuidouz" won the Audience Award and "We Are Aliens" won the Special Jury Prize in the Temps0 category at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema in 2024.
