ATSUSHI OGATA

film director, screenwriter, actor, improvisor, comedian

Born in Japan, I lived in London as a baby, moved back to Tokyo when I was 2 years old and then to New York when I was 13.  I grew up bilingually and biculturally, and I graduated from Harvard  and MIT, studying Philosophy, French, Economics, Computer Science and Video Art. After working as a software researcher in Japan, I was invited to Cologne, Germany as a guest artists at the Media Arts Academy.  My meditative video art works were screened at festivals and museums world-wide and won numoreous prizes.

I further studied screenwriting and film directing at the Maurits Binger Film Instutute in Amsterdam and acting at HB Studio in New York. My screenplays received funding from TV and Film Funds in Germany and the Netherlands. I  appeared weekly as a comedy actor on Dutch TV.  My comedic short film "Eternally Yours" was selected for New Directors/New Films at the MoMA and Lincoln Center in New York, while my feature “Cast Me If You Can” was released theatrically in Japan, broadcast on TV, released on DVD’s, streamed on iTunes in North America and screened on international airlines.

More recently, I created online streaming series with my iconic, cross-cultural "Yukata Cowboy ®" character, who travels and lives in different countries. These series have been garnering prizes at festivals around the world, ranking #12 in the Web Series World Cup in 2015 and 2021.  Post-pandemic, I've been back in New York City and also perform stand-up comedy.  (More info on my works can be found here.)

I've taught screenwriting and directing at YouTube Space in Tokyo and given presentations and workshops at Harvard, M.I.T., University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Temple University Japan, Rice University, University of San Antonio, Webster College (Leiden, The Netherlands), Art Academies (Split, Croatia), Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (University of Dundee, Scotland).

Whenever I teach students or work with my cast and crew, I always try to inspire, excite and challenge and encourage them to think outside the box. It would be an honor and a pleasure to share my knowledge and experiences in working with you, helping you discover, develop and fine-tune your own unique voices.