Akio Fujimoto was born on March 15th, 1988, in Osaka. In college, he studied psychology and family sociology and went to England and New Zealand to further his studies. After graduation, he enrolled in the Visual Arts academy, an institution that produced world-renowned director Naomi Kawase among others. There, he learned the essence of filmmaking and worked as the chief of the selection committee for the student film category at the Nara International Film Festival. In 2012, he completed his first short film as a director, called Psychedelic Family. A subtly paced piece based on his own experiences in a crumbling family, it received many positive reviews at international film festivals. He moved to Tokyo for his first feature, Passage of Life (2018).
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
