Biography

Based in Japan, film director and screenwriter Masaki Nishiyama born in 1999 and began creating films independently at the age of 14. While in high school, his first short film was selected for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2019, one of the largest short film festivals in Asia. In 2021, his vertical-format horror short Smahorror won the Best Vertical Film Award at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2021 and became the first vertical-format film ever nominated at the 25th LA Shorts International Film Festival, the largest short film festival in the U.S. recognized by both the Academy Awards and BAFTA. The Invisible Half, filmed when he was 23, marks his feature film directorial debut.

- IMDb mini biography by: Masaki Nishiyama