Devan Yukio Fujinaka
Directing
Biography
Devan Yukio Fujinaka was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. In the late 2010s he became heavily involved in the internet art scene, collaborating with many members of the community to create stunning visuals for musicians such as ICYTWAT, Otuyyuto, A$AP Mob, and more. In 2020, he wrote, edited, directed, and produced his debut short picture Hitman with a budget of just $2000, winning Jury Prize at the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. He spent one semester at Azusa Pacific University Cinematic Arts and dropped out in the winter of 2021 to start working on his first large-budget experimental short film, Sunset on 44. The picture was completed in 2023 and won Honorable Mention for Best Short Film at the Hawai'i International Film Festival. Fujinaka is also known for his highly conceptual art, with his paintings and works being displayed in galleries of downtown Honolulu and Los Angeles County.
Known For
A young fugitive desperately tries to make enough money to escape the island of Oahu with his younger sister, all by moving contrabands with his estranged friend on the streets of Kaneohe.
Sunset on 44
A short rumination on the volatile childhood of a man living out his last days on the eastern shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
Kotsuage
A 2045 bounty hunter frantically races against the clock to free his childhood best friend from jail, leading him to a decision that could destroy his conscience forever.
Hitman
A short art film by SOE.
Vestige
The upcoming romantic drama and debut solo feature by Devan Fujinaka that vignettes the life of Miyoshi, a beautiful novelist and poet from the rebuilding town of Lahaina, Hawaii. Struggling to find her identity after the devastation brought by the wildfires of 2023, she crosses paths with Nobu, a stock-broker from San Francisco, ensuing a romance of missed connections and shallow lust. Their tested commitment and shifting influence on each other seeps into Miyoshi's recollection and construe of her life experiences and spiritual connection with the land.
The Banyan Inn
With a track-record of having never completed a successful robbery, two amateur thieves have pulled a job that has fallen completely apart. As they ditch their stolen car and carry their loot deeper and deeper into the jungle, their arrogance grows.