![ASIFA-JAPAN [Internationale Association du Film d'Animation - Japan Branch]](../common/images/img_logo.gif){kind=logo}
Koji YAMAMURA
Animation Filmmaker
PROFILEKoji Yamamura was born in Japan on June 4, 1964. He has made first animated film at 13 years old. Between 1983 and 1987, he studied painting at Tokyo Zokei University. While a student, he have worked in art assistance and special effects modeling for Majors movies. Same time he was influenced from short animated films in Canada, Russia, and Europe. Especially from Ishu Patel, Yury Norshtein and Priit P ärn. After graduation, he started his career as an animation background artist at Mukuo Studio. In 1989, he left the studio to work freelance. In 1993, he founded Yamamura Animation, Inc. In 2002, He signed a contract with Acme Filmworks as an animation director. Yamamura has created many short animation films using a variety of techniques. Mt. Head (2002) was nominated for an Oscar in 2003, and awarded the 6 Grand Prix include Annecy 03, Zagreb 04 and Hiroshima 04. Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor (2007) awarded the Grand Prix at Ottawa in 07. He is first grand prix winner in all major international animation film festivals.
He has jury, lecture and held workshops at numbers of international film festivals for popularizing and advancement of art animation. He is also an illustrator and several picture books are published.
His big exhibition ”Yamamura Animation Museum" have held at Aichi Expo 05 in Japan and some other exhibitions have held at gallery and public museum in Japan.
His films have been awarded more than 60 international prizes. Retrospective screenings of his works have been held in over the world at Melbourne International Film Festival, National Film Theater in UK and so on.
He won the prize the Best Director-Animation Film Chicago International Children's Film Festival (1993), Distinguished Artist Award from Asian Animation Film Festival (2006) and ALBÍN BRUNOVSKÝ HONORARY MEDAL: Award for outstanding contribution to the field of animation from Biennial of Animation Bratislava International Festival of Animated Films for Children (2008)
He is currently a sub-chairman of the Japan Animation Association (JAA) and has been a visiting professor of Tokyo Zokei University since 2004 and a professor of department of Animation, Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts since 2008.
| 2007 | » "Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor" Grand Prize:Ottawa International Animation Festival Best Short Film: ANIMADRID Golden Jabberwocky:International Film Festival Etiuda&Anima Grand Prize:I Castelli Animati Grand Prix:Internationales TrickFilm Festival STUTTGART Grande Prémio:MONSTORA Lisbon Animated Film Festival Grand Prize:HIROSHIMA 08 12th International Animation Festival Prize for the Best Short Film: AniFest in Třeboň Best Film in Category III: KROK International Animation Festival / Silver Dove:International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film Silver Peg Bar:animanima Inaternational Animation Festival in Servia Excellence Prize: Japan Media Arts Festival Ofuji Noburo Prize: Mainichi Film Awards
Prémio ONDA CURTA:MONSTRA Lisbon Animated Film Festival Excellence Prize:Japan Media Arts Festival Special Jury Prize:Hida International Animation Festival of Folktales and Fables |
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| 2006 | » "Fig" |
| 2005 | » "The Old Crocodile" (2005) The Best International Animation Film: The 3th annual International Animated Film Festival in Vilnius -Tindirindis Excellence Prize: Japan Media Arts Festival The Best Film in Category B: CINANIMA2005 Award for best screenplay: Wissembourg Animated Film Festival (RICA) |
| 2003 | » "Pieces" |
| 2002 | » "Mt. Head" The 2003 Oscar Nomination Grand Prix: ANNECY 2003 / 16th World Festival of Animated Film in Zagreb /10th Hiroshima International Animation Festival / MEDIAWAVE2003 /15th Filmfest Dresden / The "RICA" Grand Best animated short film: Rencontres Internationales du Cinéma d'Animation de Wissembourg Best Film Animation: FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE FILMETS DE BADALONA Best Film Animation: The 2nd Annual International festival of animated films AniFest 2003 Trebon Auszeichnung Computeranimation /Visual Effects: Ars Electronica Festival Silver Dove: The 46th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film 2 PRIZE: Festival Internazionale Cinema d'Animazione e Fumetto 2004 Special Jury Award: CHIAVARI INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED FILM FESTIVAL / 8th I CASTELLI ANIMATI / The International Animated Film Festival in Vilnius Excellence Prize: 2002 (6th) Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival / Interfilm 19 short film festival Belrin Guilty Pleasures from each member of the jury (from Konstantin Bronzit): Holland Animation Film Festival Best Animation selected by the Jury: Kinofilm 8th Manchester International Short Film festival Prix du Public for the best short film: 9th CINEMA TOUT ECRAN Festival Best Soundtrack Creation award: CLERMONT-FERRAND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Special Mention:19th International Short FilmFestival Berlin / 12. Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart |
| 2000 | » "Jubilee" Holland Animation festival Guilty Pleasures from Marc Glassman 4th Music Video Awards '99-BEST MALE VIDEO |
| 1999 | » "Your Choice !" Won 1st PRIZE from the Adult July in Animated Shorts 1999 Chicago Internationale Children's Film Festival |
| 1996 | » "Bavel's Book" Won the 1st prize, Animation, Adult July for from Chicago International Children's Film Festival Prize for Outstanding film Animation for T.V. Category:'97 Seoul Animation Expo |
| 1995 | » "Pacusi"
Awarded Honorable Mention Short Animation Film by Festival's Adult July Chicago International Children's Film Festival
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| 1993 | » "A House" (1993) Won Best Director-Animation Film Chicago International Children's Film Festival Won The Prize of ANIFILM Praha for unconventional and inventive technigue of animated film Zlin Film Festibal-xxxiv.1994
Won The Prize of ANIFILM Praha for unconventional and inventive technigue of animated film Zlin Film Festibal-xxxiv.1994 Won Best Director-Animation Film Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Won The Prize of ANIFILM Praha for unconventional and inventive technigue of animated film Zlin Film Festibal-xxxiv.1994 Has been awarded the Second Prize of Category C The5th International Animation Festival in Japan Hiroshima'94 Won Best Director-Animation Film Chicago International Children's Film Festival |
| 1991 | » "The Elevator" Has been awarded the 1st Prize of Category C The 4th International Animation Festival in Japan Hiroshima'92 |
| 1990 | » "Perspektivenbox researcher's search" |
| 1989 | » "Japanese-English Pictionary" Won Special Jury Prize Award from Image Forum Festival '90 |
"Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor"
© Yamamura Animation／SHOCHIKU
"A Child’s Metaphysics"
© Yamamura Animation
"Mt. Head"
© Yamamura Animation
