Mitsuyo Miyazaki, known as Hikari, is a Japanese writer, director and producer of film and television. She is best known for directing the film 37 seconds, and three episodes of the Netflix series Beef.
Early life
Originally from Osaka, Japan, Hikari moved to the United States at 17 years old to be a foreign exchange student in Utah. She then graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Theater Arts, Dance and Fine Arts from Southern Utah University in 1999,[1] and in 2015 was honored with the school's Outstanding Alumnus Award.[2] She moved to Los Angeles after graduating, and worked as an actor for several years. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Film and TV Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2011.[3]
Career
Film
Hikari released her first short film, Tsuyako, in 2011. The film was shown at 100 film festivals worldwide, receiving 50 awards including Best Short Film and Best Screenplay.[4] It was followed by A Better Tomorrow, which premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and Where We Begin, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015.[4] In 2019 she premiered her feature-film debut 37 Seconds to critical acclaim at the Berlin International Film Festival.[5][6][7]
In July 2020, author Rainbow Rowell announced on her Twitter that the film adaptation of her book Eleanor & Park would be directed by Hikari.[8]