- A graduate of Le Fresnoy, Studio National des Arts Contemporains (France) and the Institute of Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies at the University of Tokyo, Atsuhiko Watanabe makes films inspired by contemporary theater, choreographic works and electronic music. Among his main works, the following should be noted "A, (2001)", dance video made in collaboration with Mariko Aoyama, a Japanese choreographer and former dancer of Pina Bausch, presented at the Mori-Yu Gallery in Kyoto, at "Art in Casa Osaka" 2001, and the re-edited version, "Adagio" (2002) selected at the Festival Vidéo Forme of Clermont-Ferrand 2023. His two short films produced with the support of the Fresnoy and the French Ministry of Culture, "Alienation (2003)", selected at 56th Locarno International Film Festival 2003, and "Resonance of Tears" (2004), selected in competition at 34th International Film Festival Rotterdam 2005, which received the Jury Special Prize at 8th Short Shorts Film Festival Tokyo 2006, and was invited to 29th International Short Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand 2007.
In 2008-2016, he was an Associate Professor as well as Director of the Department of Cinema at Tokyo Zokei University, working with a renowned filmmaker, Nobuhiro Suwa as its president, in Japan. His documentary on ballet, "Hannah O'Neill, Première danseuse of Paris Opera Ballet" (running time: 50 min) was broadcast in September 2019 then rebroadcast in May 2020 and July 2023 on the Japanese TV channel, WOWOW. It is a documentary film about Hannah O'Neill, finally named "Danseuse Étoile" in March 2023, of the Paris Opera Ballet.
Since the time of Paris Lockdown, he has made three experimental animated short films in which he has worked entirely on his own, from the visuals to the music. The first one, "Horror" has been officially selected for sixteen international film festivals, including Kiev Film Festival 2021 (Best Experimental Film), NewFilmmakers New York 2021 and The Fine Arts Film Festival Los Angeles 2021. The second opus, "Subjectile" (2021) was selected as "Best Animated Short Film" and "Special Jury Prize for Best Experimental Film" at International Motion Picture Film Festival of India 2021 as well as at other international film festivals. His third animated short film "Thanatos" (2021) was firstly selected at the 16th Cyprus International Film Festival 2021 (Honorable Mention). It also gained recognition at 75th Salerno International Film Festival 2021 and 10th Mumbai International Short Film Festival 2021. The film was honored with the Best Animated Short Film Award at the Stockholm Short Film Festival in 2022. This film has so far been selected for and has won awards at over 40 international film festivals, including 4th Wallachia International Film Festival 2022 (Best Experimental Short Film), 18th Athens Animfest 2023 (2nd Prize/Experimental Competition), Beijing International Short Film Festival 2022, and 40th Asolo Art Film Festival 2023.
Atsuhiko's dance film, titled "Telos" (2023), is an attempt to explore new frontiers in narrative film by focusing on the interaction between contemporary dance and cinematic directions. By eliminating the need for pantomime explanation, he aims to convey the heroine's psychology, haunted by the temptation of death, through the abstract contemporary dance choreography. In 2023, this film won the Best Experimental Film Award at the Paris International Short Festival and has been selected at various international festivals, including 12th Cambodia International Film Festival, 28th VideoDanzaBA International Festival, The B3 Festival of the Moving Image (Short Film Competition) at B3Biennale-Frankfurt, 6th TANZAHOi International Festival for Dance in Hamburg, and 77th Salerno international Film Festival 2023 in Italy.
Filmography: "Telos":Fiction / Experimental / Dance Video (4K), Paris, 2023 (duration: 14'54). 77th Salerno International Film Festival 2023, Italy. The B3 Festival of the Moving Image (Short Film Competition), B3Biennale-Frankfurt 2023, Germany. 28th VideoDanzaBA International Festival 2023, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 6th TANZAHOi International Festival for Dance, Germany. 12th Cambodia International Film Festival 2023. Best Experimental Short, Paris International Short Festival 2023, France. 35th Girona Film Festival 2023, Spain. 12th Athens International Digital Film Festival 2023, Greece. Best Actress in the Short Movies category, International Independent Film Festival of Madrid / Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid (FICIMAD) 2023. Best Experimental Film, Phuket International Film Festival 2023, Thailand. Best Cinematography, Korea International Short Film Festival 2023, South Korea. Brussels Capital Film Festival 2023, Belgium. Best Choreographic Movie, 5th Wallachia International Film Festival 2023, Romania. Best Performing Art, Dhaka International Cultural Film Festival 2023, Bangladesh. Best Short Film, Tagore International Film Festival 2023, India. 14th Strangloscope - Experimental Audio, Video / Film and Performance International Film Festival 2023, Brazil. Best Fantasy & Inspirational Film, 8 & Halfilm Awards / Toronto Special Edition 2023, Canada. Best Director in the Short Movies category, Dubai Festival 2023, UAE. Best Choreography and Best Song, 8 & Halfilm Awards / Venice Special Edition 2023, Italy. Best Choreography & Best European Drama, Sweet Democracy Film Awards/Francis Scott Fitzgerald Awards 2023, France. 13th Mediterraneo Festival Corto 2023, Italy. 10th Goa Short Film Festival 2023, India. 13th Pune Short Film Festival 2023, India. 8th Bayamon International Film Festival 2023, Puerto Rico. Buenos Aires Indie Shorts Awards 2023, Argentina. Butterfly International Film Festival 2023, France.
"Thanatos": Experimental film / Animation (Full HD), Paris, 2021 (duration: 10'46). 40th Asolo Art Film Festival 2023, Italy. Best Animated Short Film, Stockholm Short Film Festival 2022, Sweden. Honorable Mention, 16th Cyprus International Film Festival "Golden Aphrodite" 2021. 75th Salerno International Film Festival 2021, Italy. 19th In The Palace International Short Film Festival 2022, Bulgaria. Beijing International Short Film Festival 2022, China. 2nd Prize/Experimental Competition, 18th Athens Animfest 2023, Greece. Ribalta Experimental Film Festival 2023, Italy. International Short Film Festival Canton 2022, China. Paris Lift-Off International Film Festival 2022, France. Fescilmar Film Festival - Spain sessions 2023, Venezuela. 13th Pune Short Film Festival 2023, India. Cine Paris Film Festival 2022, France. Best Experimental Short Film, 4th Wallachia International Film Festival 2022, Romania. 10th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival 2021, India. Outstanding Achievement Award, World Film Carnival Singapore 2022. Best Animated Film, Sofia Art Film Awards 2022, Bulgaria. Budapest Film Festival 2023, Hungary. Best Animated Film, 8 & Halfilm Awards / Toronto Special Edition 2023, Canada. Best Animated Short Film and Best Fantasy, 8 & Halfilm Awards / Venice Special Edition 2023, Italy. Best Music Video, 8&Halfilm Awards / Cannes Special Edition 2023, France. Best Fantasy and Best Music Video, 8&Halfilm Awards / New York Special Edition 2023, USA. Best Music Video, 8&Halfilm Awards / Dubai Special Edition 2023, UAE. Best Music Video, 8&Halfilm Awards / Berlin Special Edition 2023, Germany. Outstanding Achievement Award, Luis Bunuel Memorial Awards 2022, India. Filmyway International Film Festival 2022, India. Best Quarantine Film, Art Film Awards 2022. Best Director / Animation Film, Roshani International Film Festival 2022, India. Honorable Mention, Sydney Australian Film Festival 2022, Australia. Outstanding Achievement Award, Tagore International Film Festival 2022, India. Brussels World Film Festival 2022, Belgium. Vienna Indie Short Film Festival 2022, Austria. Berlin Shorts Award 2022, Germany. Paris International Short Festival 2022, France. Best Sound Track of Animation Film, Olhar Film Festival 2022, Brazil Boden International Film Festival 2022, Sweden. Lulea International Film Festival 2022, Sweden. 3rd Festival Internacional de Cine Animal y Ambiental 2022, Mexico. Europe Music Awards 2022, Slovakia 9th Festival Diseño Audiovisual Experimental Valdivia 2022, Chile. Honorable Mention, Dubai Festival 2022. UAE. Hollywood on the Tiber Film Awards 2021, Italy. New York Movie Awards 2021, USA.
"Subjectile": Experimental film / Animation (Full HD), Paris, 2021 (duration: 10'45). Best Animation Film, Argenteuil International Film Festival 2021, France. Best Animated Short Film, Special Jury Award in Experimental Film section, International Motion Picture Film Festival of India 2021. Best Director Animation Film 3rd Place, iDEAL International Film Festival 2021, India. Best Animated Short Film / Best Experimental Short Film / Special Jury Award of Best International Short Film, Grass Root International Film Festival 2021, India. Outstanding Achievement Award, Culcutta International Cult Film Festival 2022, India. Best Animated Short Film / Jury Special Award in Experimental Short Film section, Hodu International Film Festival 2021, India. Outstanding Achievement Award, Druk International Film Festival 2021, Butan. White Unicorn International Film Festival 2021, India. International Sound Future Awards, New York, USA.
"Horror": Experimental Film / Animation (Full HD), Paris, 2021 (duration : 10'24) Best Experimental Film, Kyiv Film Festival 2021, Ukraine. Jury Special Award, Indo French International Film Festival 2021, india. Munich Music Video Awards 2021, Germany. International Music Video Awards 2021, England. Prisma Rome Independent Film Awards 2021, Italy. Rome Music Video Awards 2021, Italy. Vancouver Independent Film Festival 2021, Canada. Montreal Independent Film Festival 2021. Prague International Monthly Film Festival 2021, Hungary. Boden International Film Festival 2021, Sweden. Dubai Independent Film Festival 2021, UAE. Crown Wood International Film Festival 2021, India. The Fine Arts Festival Los Angeles 2021, USA. NewFilmmakers NewYork 2021, USA.
"Resonance of tears": Fiction (Digital Beta), Paris, 2004 (duration : 11'00) 34th International Film Festival Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2005 (in TV5 Tiger Cub Competition). 29th International Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand, 2007 Special Jury Prize, 8th Short Shorts Film Festival Tokyo, Japan, 2006. 10th Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin, France, 2005.
"Aliénation": Fiction (35mm), Paris, 2003 (duration : 11'45) 56th Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2003.
"Dialogue of the shadow": Experimental video (DVCAM), Paris, 2002 (duration : 13'20) Time Out Short Film Festival, Hong Kong, 2003.
"Adagio": Video-dance (DV), Paris, 2002 (duration :5'48) 18th Festival Vidéoformes, Clermont-Ferrand, 2003.
"Intermezzo": Video-dance (DV), Paris, 2002 (duration :3'25) "Tsunami Addiction @ Batofar", Paris, 2002.
"A, ( Kyoto Version 2001 )": Video-dance (DV), Paris, 2001 (duration :7'10) Festival " Osaka Art in Casa ", Osaka, Japan, 2002.
Documentary for TV: "Hannah O'Neill, Première danseuse of the Paris Opera Ballet": Production: WOWOW (Tokyo) and Abeilles Films (Paris), broadcast in September 2019, rebroadcast in May 2020 and July 2023 (HD, duration: 50 min)
"Angelin Preljocaj & the Paris Opera Ballet in Japan", in Première, WOWOW, documentary (HD), Tokyo, 2008 (duration :12'00).
"In search of the art of Comics", in "Inspiring European Life", NHK-BS1, documentary (HD), Paris, 2007 (duration :20'00).
Universe of contemporary dance : Alain Platel, in "Première", WOWOW, documentary (HD), Tokyo, 2007 (duration :12'00).- IMDb Mini Biography By: Atsuhiko Watanabe
- Gender / Gender identityMale
- Pronounshe/him
- Sexual orientationStraight
- Race / EthnicityAsian
- Nationality / Religious or Ethnic identityJapanese
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