内山拓也（Uchiyama Takuya）Born in 1992 in Niigata, Japan, he studied at Bunka Fashion College and began his career as a stylist before turning to film. At 23, he directed his debut feature film, Vanitas, which screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and won the audience award at the Pia Film Festival in Tokyo. His theatrical debut, Sasaki in My Mind, premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival and won several newcomer awards. 2024 saw the release of The Young Strangers, a co-production between Japan, France, South Korea and Hong Kong for which he also wrote the screenplay.