Anshul Chauhan (born 1986) is an Indian film director, producer, and former animator based in Japan. He is best known for directing films such as December (2022), Kontora (2019), and Bad Poetry Tokyo (2018). Beyond directing, Chauhan has also contributed as an animator to projects such as Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Tron: Uprising.
Anshul Chauhan | |
|---|---|
 Chauhan in 2023 | |
| Born | 1986 (age 37–38) Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Rashtriya Military School, Dholpur |
| Occupations |
|
| Notable work | Bad Poetry Tokyo, Kontora, December |
| Spouse | Mina Moteki |
Early life and education
editChauhan was born in Mainpuri, Agra in Northern India in 1986, one day after his grandfather had passed away.[1] His father was a "strict military man" who schooled Chauhan at a military academy in Rajasthan.[2] Chauhan went to university and studied geography.[3] He later developed an interest in animation and Japanese history after being influenced by his favourite anime, Naruto.[4]
Career
editAfter graduating, Chauhan became an animator in 2006 and animated shows such as BBC's children's show Everything's Rosie and Disney's Tron: Uprising.[5] He was also part of the production of Delhi Safari.[6] After relocating to Tokyo in September 2011, He joined Square Enix and animated for video games such as Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III along with animating TV shows such as Transformers: Robots in Disguise.[7]
In 2016, Chauhan founded Kowatanda Films, his own production company, to start directing films.[7] Initially, he only made short films. He later went back to India to direct his first feature film with no intention to return to Japan, however, when he finished, he lost the film due to a faulty hard disk drive.[4] He later moved back to Japan and directed his first feature film, Bad Poetry Tokyo (2018), which won him the Best Narrative Feature Film at the Venice Film Week and the Grand Prize for Best Film at the Brussels Independent Film Festival.[3]
After making Bad Poetry Tokyo, Chauhan was approached by a producer who asked him to write another script after being impressed by his film. Chauhan spent six to seven months writing a script about bullying at a Yokosuka military academy. However, the producer got scared and left after reading it, considering it to be anti-government.[8] After this, Chauhan wrote his second feature film, Kontora (2019), which was the first Japanese release to win the Grand Prix Award for Best Film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.[9] He stated that his inspiration for Kontora was from war diaries of Japanese soldiers.[10]
In 2022, Chauhan directed his third feature film, December (2022),[11] featuring Shogen of Brillante Mendoza’s Gensan Punch.[12] December was nominated for the Kim Jiseok award at the 27th Busan International Film Festival.
Chauhan is currently working on another film, Tiger, starring Takashi Kawaguchi, Maho Nonami, and Yuya Endo. It is planned to be released in 2025.[13]
Filmography
editFilm
editAs director and producer
edit| Year | Title | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tokyo Apple | Short film | |
| 2016 | Soap | Short film | [14] |
| What's Left of Us | Short film | ||
| 2017 | Kawaguchi 4256 | Short film | [14] |
| 2018 | Bad Poetry Tokyo | Feature film | [15] |
| 2019 | Kontora | Feature film | [1] |
| 2021 | Leo's Return | Short film | [16] |
| 2022 | December | Feature film | [7] |
As animator
edit| Year | Title | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Lego Hero Factory: Savage Planet | Animator | [17] |
| 2012 | Delhi Safari | Animator | |
| Gladiators of Rome | Animator | ||
| 2015 | Guardians of Oz | Animator | |
| 2016 | Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV | Animator | |
| Gantz: O | Animator |
Television
editAs animator
edit| Year | Title | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Back at the Backyard | Animator; 5 episodes | [17] |
| 2008 | FarmKids | Animator; 4 episodes | |
| 2011 | Everything's Rosie | Lead animator; 26 episodes | |
| 2012 | Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot | Animator; 26 episodes | |
| Tron: Uprising | Animator; 15 episodes | ||
| 2013 | Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures | Animator; 11 episodes | |
| 2014–15 | Transformers: Robots in Disguise | Animator; layout artist; 12 episodes | |
| 2018 | Record of Grancrest War | Animator; 3 episodes |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | UFC Undisputed 3 | Animator | [17] |
| Skylanders: Giants | Animator | ||
| 2016 | Final Fantasy XV | Animator | |
| 2019 | Kingdom Hearts III | Animator | |
| 2020 | Final Fantasy VII Remake | Animator |
References
edit- ^ a b Hadfield, James (18 March 2021). "Pushing against the grain of Japan's film industry". The Japan Times. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Wadhwa, Megha (18 March 2020). "An Indian take on making a Japanese film". The Japan Times. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ a b Aiyar, Pallavi (28 March 2020). "The Indian who made a Japanese movie". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ a b Kuwahara, Rika (18 June 2020). "An Indian Filmmaker Brings a Unique Perspective to Japanese Cinema". nippon.com. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Eagen, Daniel (20 August 2023). "An Indian director's take on Japan's courtroom reality". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "Festival Scope". pro.festivalscope.com. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ a b c Steen, Emma (5 April 2023). "Now showing: Anshul Chauhan's 'December' is a compelling tale about grief and retribution". Time Out Tokyo. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Jason, Genki (15 July 2020). "Interview with Kontora Director Anshul Chauhan [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2020]". Genkinahito. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ Brzeski, Patrick (13 February 2022). "Berlin: Japan-Based Filmmaker Anshul Chauhan Preps Court Room Drama 'December'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Jason, Genki (15 July 2020). "Interview with Kontora Director Anshul Chauhan [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2020]". Genkinahito. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Pryor, VN (6 August 2023). "NYAFF 2023: Interview With Anshul Chauhan, Director of DECEMBER". cinapse.com. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Hopewell, John (28 April 2022). "'Gensan Punch' Star, Producer Reteam with SC Films for 'December' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ Kotzathanasis, Panos (1 September 2024). "Anshul Chauhan's 'Tiger' Kicks Off Filming with an ensemble cast". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ a b Kotzathanasis, Panos (18 May 2020). "Interview with Anshul Chauhan: I think people tend to mistake love for romance". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Schilling, Mark (16 January 2020). "'Bad Poetry Tokyo': Indian director's first feature reveals major talent". The Japan Times. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Kotzathanasis, Panos (21 August 2021). "Short Film Review: Leo's Return (2021) by Anshul Chauhan". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ a b c "Anshul Chauhan | Director, Producer, Animation Department". IMDb. Retrieved 11 December 2023.