Japan is not a bad place to be a young filmmaker. There are a number of festivals here that feature the work of up-and-coming directors, including the pioneering Pia Film Festival, which has been discovering and nurturing directorial talents since 1977.
Additionally, many festivals abroad are also constantly on the hunt for the next hot first- or second-time director. In other words: first Pia, then the world. Dozens of Japanese filmmakers have followed this path (or something like it) for decades, including Aya Igashi.
The 24-year-old director is still a standout among her peers, however. In 2016, her short film “Tokeru” won a Special Jury’s Award at the 2016 Pia festival. Then, in 2017, it was selected for the Cinefondation section at the Cannes Film Festival, making Igashi the youngest Japanese filmmaker to be so honored. The following year, when she was 22, her first theatrical feature, “A Crimson Star,” was released in Japan.