SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL & ASIA 2009

Born in Kyoto, 1940.
Masahiko made his screen debut in “Crazed Fruit”(56). Since then he has built his acting career and has received a Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor with “Manon”. Also he has appeared in Juzo Itami’s works including “A Taxing Woman” for which he received the Japanese Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is one of the most highly acclaimed actors in Japan with Japanese Academy Awards for Best Actor for “Puraido:Unmei no Toki”(98) and Mainichi Film Awards for “Wakrenu Riyu”(98). Recently he has appeard in “Rakugomusume”(08) and “Rakujitu moyu”(TV Asahi). He recently debuted as a director under the pseudonym Masahiko Makino, taken from his uncle Masahiro Makino, with his film “Nezu no Ban”(06). Followed by “Jirocho Sangokushi”(08) and “Asahiyama Dobutsuen”which was released in Feburary 2009.

After graduating from Rikkyo University,
Nagashima was selected in the first round of the 1988 draft by the Yakult Swallows. He stayed with the team until 1993 when he was traded to the Yomiuri Giants. He retired from baseball in 1996, became a K-1 reporter, and later a sports commentator for the “Pro Yakyu News” and “The Dokusen Sunday”. At the same time, he also began an acting career. His performance in “Audrey”, an NHK drama series was well-received and his first film appearance in “Mr. Rookie” won him the Hochi Film Award, as well as the Japan Academy Award for “Best New Actor”. In February 2002, he served as NTV’s main newscaster for the Salt Lake Winter Olympics and in June 2004, ran as the first Japanese torch relay runner at the Athens Olympics. He won an acting award at the ACC CM Festival in October 2004. “Postman”, the first film he produced and starred in premiered in March 2008.

Yu was born on June 5th, 1984 in Okinawa.
She has been active as a top model for fashion magazines including “CanCan.” As an actor, she has appeared on screen in films such as “Akihabara@Deep”, “Pulukogi” and “Kanna-san, Dauseiko Desu!”. She has also appeared in several TV dramas, ‘Binbo Danshi’, ‘Seigi no Mikata’(NTV), ‘Karei naru Ichizoku’(TBS), and ‘Mei-chan no Shitsuji’(CX). In 06, she debuted as an artist with a single titled ‘Real You’. So far she has released 7 singles and 1 album and on May 20th, 2009 she will release ‘free’. She has also appeared in advertisements for Canon PIXUS, PEPSI NEX and Shinsei Bank’s personal loan service, Lake.