Chief Advisor

Takenobu Igarashi (Sculptor)

(Photo: Shinya Hujiwara)

Born in Takikawa City, Hokkaido in 1944. B.A. from Tama Art University of Graphic Design, Tokyo in 1968 and M.A. from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), College of Fine Arts in 1969. Worked as an instructor from 1975 to 1976. After working as a graphic/product designer, became a sculptor in 1994. His acclaimed work includes a calendar for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, logos for Meiji Dairies Corporation, Suntory Hall, Tama Art University and Oji Paper, YMD and OUN products, as well as a series of sculptures and graphics using letters of the alphabet as motifs. The most known sculptor works are "Dragon Spine" at Ichinosaka-Nishi Park in Takikawa, "KUMO" at Azabujuban shopping street and "from the land of memory" at Tokyo midtown. As his works in Hokkaido, logo of the Sapporo JR Tower, Landscape of the Sapporo JR Tower, Big Clock of Stars at the Sapporo JR Station, "Komorebi" Hokkaido Medical Center for Child Health and Rehabilitation, "Asparagus" Hotel Miura kaen in Takikawa and many other works. Living in Yokosuka city. Guest professor at Tama Art University and Adviser at Kanazawa Institute of Technology.

Advisor

Ryusuke Ito (filmmaker & Assistant Professor, Hokkaido University of Education)

Born in Sapporo in 1963. Also known as Kenji Murasame, he started writing reviews on animation and manga, and also edited manga magazines when he was a student of Tokyo Zokei University. M.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He acts as a filmmaker and a video artist. His experimental film "plate" series has been screened at the various international and domestic film festivals. He dedicates himself to the promotion of independent films in Sapporo.

Shunji Suzuki (TV and Radio Program Scenario Writer)

Shunji Suzuki is a member of Pajama-to, a group of supporting professionals who work for Kinichi Hagimoto, a famous Japanese comedian. He wrote scenarios for a lot of Mr. Hagimoto's comedy shows including "Kin-don", a legendary comedy program, and "Kinchan-no-Kaso-Taisho", a famous masquerade contest. He also writes novels based on TV drama series, and writes for films.

Koji Morimoto (Animation Film Director)

Born in Wakayama in 1959. After graduating from Osaka Designers' College, he started his career as an animator at MADHOUSE Ltd. where he made his first original drawings for "Ashita-no Joe". He was one of the creators who made "AKIRA" and "Lensman". He directed his first film "Franken's Gears" and now has been working more as a director than as an animator. He is currently a member of Studio 4℃ and keeps producing great works such as "THE ANIMATRIX" and a PV for Hikaru Utada.

Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Producer)

Born in Hokkaido in 1965. Among his works, the most well recognized are "Space Channel 5", "Rez", "Lumines" as videogames, "Genki Rockets" as music unit. In 2006, he was chosen by the Producer Guild of America(PGA) as one of the 50 most innovate producers in the field of Digital Entertainment. He is a lecturer at Nihon University College of Arts, Keio University and a guest professor at Kanazawa Institute of Technology. President of Q Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Michael Arias (CG artist)

In 1987, he worked for Dream Quest Images as SFX artist and was involved in the productions of Hollywood movies. Since then, he has been working with many Hollywood directors as SFX/CG artist. He developed motion programs for attractions of Universal Studios. He also developed CG for "Toon Shaders" (SOFTIMAGE). He was involved in the production of a Hayao Miyazaki's film, "Princess Mononoke", and produced "ANIMATRIX". He debuted as a director with "Tekkon Kinkreet" which is to be premiered in December 2006.

Wilson Tang (Art Director)

Wilson Tang is currently the Senior Art Director at Electronic Arts: Black box Studio in Vancouver, Canada where he is over seeing the visual direction of the Need for Speed franchise, as well as the creation of other original content and IP. Prior to E.A. he worked at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) for 7 years as Visual Effects Art Director. Projects at ILM include Spielberg's "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence", Ang Lee's "The Hulk", and most recently "Poseidon". In spring 2006, he directed 2 full CG commercials for Toyota Scion .

Sumito Mochizuki (CG Artist, Professor at Sapporo City University)

B. A. in Design at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He became a free-lance designer/puppet artist in 1974. He worked on the advertising art for the world of Butoh Dance "DaiRaKuDaKan" and also made properties for a famous kids TV program "Hirake Ponkikki". He was the Art Director for International Film &TV Festival of NY (Silver Prize). In 1996, he took his current position at Sapporo School of the Arts. He is a member of Digital Image, a CG Artists group, and presents his works at two or more exhibitions a year.

Hiroaki Takeuchi (Animation producer/ Associate Professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design)

After graduating from Keio University, he started working for YOUNG JUMP, a weekly manga magazine, as a free-lance producer. In1984, he established Think Corporation where he produced digital anime and comic books. In 1988, he established CoMix Wave Inc. and produced a variety of original anime including Makoto Shinkai's "The voices of distant star". In 2002, he became famous as a producer of "THE ANIMATRIX" which was an international smash hit. He now works in Tokyo and Hollywood, and is engaged in several anime projects.

Steve Baker (Creative business entrepreneur)

Born in England in 1956. He has spent most of his working life managing creative talent in the music, art, design, advertising and film industries. In 1991, he co-founded Tomato, a multi-disciplinary London based creative company and was Managing Director there until he moved to Japan in 2004. He now acts as a business consultant specializing in creative industries, with an emphasis on start-ups and new technology. He is also a lecturer and writer and continues to be active in the business of intellectual property exploitation.

Kenta Hiramoto (Professor at Graduate School of Hokkaido University)

Born in Niigata in 1964. MBA graduate from Hokkaido University. He was an Associate Professor of the Economics Department at Shiga University and at Hokkaido University before taking his current position in 2000. His research fields include Management Strategy, Strategy and Structure of Japanese Companies, Strategic M&A, Innovation Strategy for Local Businesses, and Application of Information Systems and Competitive Advantages.

Chief Coordinator

Toshiya Kubo (Media Producer)

Born in Otaru in 1957. Representative of Maverick Creative Works. After graduating from the Department of Broadcasting, Faculty of Arts, Nihon University, worked for an advertising agency, a game company, and a CG production. Established Maverick Creative Works in 2002. Executive committee member/producer of SAPPORO Short Fest and one dot zero, a short film festival. Specialist in marketing, entertainment business and character licensing business.