Toshiro MATSUNAGA

After graduating from Waseda university, worked in an independent film production, as a TV/PV director, and a TV commercial producer, while producing and directing independent films.
In 1993, he completed the short film Initial K, which was invited to the Humboldt International Film Festival (USA 1994) and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival (France 1994), the largest short film festival in the world, and is archived in the collection of the CNC (Centre national du Cinéma et de l’Image animée) library, France.
In 1996, he completed IF HE HAD BEEN ROBERTO, the 30-minute short film without any dialogue. This film was invited to 14 international film festivals around the world, won the Grand Prix at Uppsala International Short Film Festival (Sweden), that led to the nomination for the Best Short Live Action Film at the 70th Academy Awards.
AWARDS FOR IF HE HAD BEEN ROBERTO
– Grand Prix (Best Fiction Film Award at Uppsala International Short Film Festival (Sweden 1997)
– First Prize for Montage and Second Prize for Soundtrack at Ghent International Fiction Film Festival (Belgium 1997)
– Judge’s Choice Award at Humboldt International Film Festival (California, USA 1997)
– The 70th Academy Awards Nominee for Best Live Action Short Film
In 1998, he acquired the right to the original French mystery novel “The Ideal Suspect”.
In 2000, he produced the pilot film “Strange” of “The Ideal Suspect” to raise funds.
1998–1999, he produced international co-production of TV commercials in Korea, Canada, etc.
At the end of 2001, he moved to the United States.
In 2003, he moved to Scandinavia, and later while staying in France, traveled back and forth mainly to southern Europe, including Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
In 2023, upon his return to Japan, while he was in the process of developing his three long-held film projects, another idea for a film occurred, and he is currently working on the four projects together.

Taika Maaria

While studying photography at an art university in Helsinki, Finland, she came to Japan as an exchange student in 2000.
While living in Japan, she participated in independent film productions as a still photographer, including the production of the pilot film (Titled “Strange”) of “The Ideal Suspect” mentioned above.
After returning to Finland, she began working as a writer and photographer for newspapers and magazines, and later traveled throughout Europe, working as a freelance journalist.
From 2023 onwards, she has been working on three long-held film projects and writing the screenplays together with her husband.