Kôji Shiraishi(I)

Koji Shiraishi is a Japanese writer, director and occasional actor. He was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan. He went to Kyushu Sangyo University, but was expelled in his sophomore year for non-payment of tuition. Despite this, he remained in the university's film club, where he made several independent films and later worked on August in the Water (1995) which gained him valuable experience. His first feature film Violence Men (1997) was inspired by the film C'est arrivé près de chez vous (1992) and in 1997 he moved to Tokyo to work a par-time job, while also working on the film The Wind Shall Blow (1998) together with Futoshi Kondô. Over the years, Koji has garnered a cult following with films such as Ura horâ (2008), Noroi: The Curse (2005), Kuchisake-onna (2007), Grotesque (2009), Cult (2013) and Sadako vs. Kayako (2016).