FOOLISH PIGGIES FILMS is a Japanese film production company established in 2013 by film director Hirobumi Watanabe and film music director Yuji Watanabe.

■Hirobumi Watanabe

Born in 1982 in Otawara, Tochigi Prefecture, Watanabe Hirobumi majored in Japanese literature in college and, after graduation, entered Japan Academy of Moving Images. His graduation project, the 41-minute film The Light Pig of August (Hachigatsu no Karui Buta), won the Grand Prix at the Fuji Film Lovers Festa, as well as other honors. 

In 2013 he teamed with his brother Yuji, a film composer, to launch Foolish Piggies Films in his native Otawara. Their first production was also Watanabe’s first feature film, And the Mud Ship Sails Away... The film premiered at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival and was screened widely abroad. It was released theatrically in Japan in December of 2014. 

His third film, POOLSIDEMAN, won the Best Picture prize in the Japanese Cinema Splash section of the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival. It was invited to many other festivals, winning the Nippon Vision Jury Award at the 17th Nippon Connection festival. After that Watanabe released at least one film a year, always with Watanabe Yuji as composer and Bang Woo-hyun as cinematographer. 

But on his most recent film, I’m Really Good (2020), Watanabe served as his own cameraman. It is also his first feature in which his grandmother, who died last year at age 102, does not appear. After nearly a decade of consistency, with many of the same people behind and in front of the camera, Watanabe’s career seems to be reaching a turning point. 

■FILMOGRAPHY

 I'm Really Good(2020) 

2020 22th UDINE FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL Special Screening

Cry(2019)

2019 32th Tokyo International Film Festival  Japanese Cinema Splash Best Director Award
2020 22th UDINE FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL Special Screening

Life Finds A Way(2018)

2018 MOOSIC LAB 2018

2019 19th Nippon Connection Film Festival

 2019 EstAsia cinema d'oriente 2019

2020 22th UDINE FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL Special Screening

Party 'Round the Globe(2017)

2017 30th Tokyo International Film Festival

2018 41th Göteborg Film Festival

2018 23th Kino pavasaris

2018 72th Edinburgh International Film Festival

2018 6th Helsinki Cine Aasia

2018 18th Nippon Connection Film Festival

2020 22th UDINE FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL Special Screening

POOLSIDEMAN(2016)

2016 29th Tokyo International Film Festival  Japanese Cinema splash Award

2017 52th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

2017 13th Eurasia International Film Festival

2017 13th Cinemalaya

2017 5th Helsinki Cine Aasia

2017 17th Nippon Connection Film Festival  NIPPON VISIONS JURY AWARD
2017 21th EIGASAI

2017 Ireland JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL 2017

2017 12th Camera Japan Festival

2017 7th Lima Independent International Cinema Festival

 2017 EstAsia cinema d'oriente 2017

7Days(2015)

2015 28th Tokyo International Film Festival

2016 6th Lima Independent International Cinema Festival

2016 4th Detour On the Road Film Festival 2016 

And the Mud Ship Sails Away...(2013)

2013 26th Tokyo International Film Festival

2014 22th Raindance Film Festival

2014 2th Helsinki Cine Aasia

2014 14th Nippon Connection Film Festival

2014 9th CAMERA JAPAN

2014 1th Aberdeen Film Festival

2015  18th San Francisco Indie Fest

2015 9th JAPAN CUTS

2015 29th Takasaki Film Festival