Yôko Yamanaka

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Yôko Yamanaka
Born1997 (age 27–28)
Nagano, Japan
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active2017-present
Notable work

Yoko Yamanaka (born 1997) is a Japanese filmmaker known for her 2017 film, Amiko , and 2024 film, Desert of Namibia .

Contents

Career

Yamanaka dropped out of the Nihon University College of Art to create her debut film, Amiko. [1] [2] She wrote the screenplay at 19 years old, six months after graduating from high school. The film premiered in 2017 at the Pia Film Festival and won the Audience Award and the Hikari TV Award. [3] Amiko subsequently showed at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival, making Yamanaka the youngest director ever to premiere a film at the Berlin festival at only 20 years old. [2] [4]

Her next feature film, Desert of Namibia, screened at the Directors’ Fortnight at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. [5] She won the FIPRESCI Award at the festival for her work directing the film. At age 27, Yamanaka was the youngest female director to win this award and the sixth Japanese director to win. [6] [3]

Personal life

Yamanaka was born in Nagano in 1997. [2] [7] Her mother is Chinese. [8]

Filmography

YearFilmCredited as
Director Producer Writer
2017 Amiko YesYesYes
2019See You on the Other Side (short) [9] YesNoYes
2024 Desert of Namibia YesNoYes

References

  1. ↑ Kotzathanasis, Panos (2024-10-18). "Interview with Yoko Yamanaka". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Macabasco, Lisa Wong (2025-05-15). "With 'Desert of Namibia,' Yôko Yamanaka Creates a Heroine for Our Thoroughly Addled Times". Vogue. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  3. 1 2 Takuya, Matsumoto (2024-10-30). "Yamanaka Yōko's "Desert of Namibia" Shows Young Film Director's Promise". nippon.com. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  4. ↑ Foulkes, Sarah (2018-07-29). "'Amiko' Is A Microbudget Wonder And A Different Kind Of Coming-Of-Age Movie [Fantasia Film Festival]". SlashFilm. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  5. ↑ Schley, Matt (2024-05-15). "Cannes 2024: Japan hot projects". Screen. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  6. ↑ "Japanese Director Yamanaka's Film Wins Critics Award at Cannes". Japanese Times. 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  7. ↑ Kotzathanasis, Panos (2024-10-18). "Interview with Yoko Yamanaka". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  8. ↑ "Talks with directors: Yoko Yamanaka". psycho-cinematography. 2018-08-04. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  9. ↑ Symchuk, Adam (2020-07-24). "Short Film Review: See You on the Other Side (2019) by Yoko Yamanaka". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
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