Neo Sora

{{Infobox person

| name = Neo Sora

| image =

| caption =

| alt =

| birth_date = 1991{{cite web|url=https://infra-magazine.com/2024/06/21/in-conversation-neo-sora/|title=Neo Sora|website=Infra Magazine|date=June 21, 2024|access-date=August 10, 2024}}

| birth_place = New York, New York

| nationality =

| occupation = Director, screenwriter

| years_active = 2010–present

| spouse =

| relatives = {{Plainlist|

Ryuichi Sakamoto (father)

}}

Neo Sora (born 1991) is an American film director and screenwriter. He has directed narrative and documentary films, including Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023) and Happyend (2024).

Early life

Sora was born to manager Norika Sora, and film composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in New York, New York, and was raised in both New York and Tokyo.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/24102027/ryuichi-sakamoto-opus-concert-film-neo-sora-interview|title=Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last performance is his son’s first feature film|website=The Verge|first=Kevin|last=Nguyen|date=March 16, 2024|access-date=August 10, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.neosora.com/about|title=About|website=Neo Sora|access-date=August 10, 2024}} Sora graduated from Wesleyan University in Philosophy and Film Studies.{{cite web|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/neo-sora/|title=25 Faces of Independent Film: Neo Sora|website=Filmmaker|access-date=August 10, 2024}}

Career

Sora is a member of the filmmaking collective Zakkubalan alongside Albert Tholen and Aiko Masubuchi.{{cite web|url=

https://www.zakkubalan.com|title=About|website=Zakkubalan|access-date=August 10, 2024}} Sora has directed music videos for Shuta Hasunuma & U-zhaan, BIGYUKI, Rachika S and Biki Zoom, Anthony Naples, Beta Librae, Jason Moran and Dairo Suga.{{cite web|url=https://www.neosora.com/works|title=Works|website=Neo Sora|access-date=August 10, 2024}}

In 2020, Sora directed the narrative short film The Chicken which had its world premiere at the 73rd Locarno Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/festivals/shorts-locarno-film-festival-1234729985/|title=10 Short Films Not to Miss at Locarno Film Festival|website=Variety|first1=John|last1=Hopewell|first2=Jamie|last2=Lang|date=August 10, 2020|access-date=August 10, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://directorsnotes.com/2020/08/11/locarno-2020-best-short-films/|title=The Best Short Films of the Locarno Film Festival|first=Redmond|last=Bacon|website=Directors Notes|access-date=August 10, 2024}} It also screened at the 2020 New York Film Festival and the AFI Fest.{{cite web|url=https://hyperallergic.com/589644/what-not-to-miss-2020-new-york-film-festival/|title=What Not to Miss at the 2020 New York Film Festival|website=Hyperallergic|first=Ela|last=Bittencourt|date=September 21, 2020|access-date=August 10, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.afi.com/news/afi-fest-2020-presented-by-audi-full-lineup-announced/|title=AFI FEST 2020 presented by Audi Full Lineup Announced|website=AFI Fest|date=October 6, 2020|access-date=August 10, 2024}}

In 2022, Sora directed the narrative short film Sugar Glass Bottle, which premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://filmguide.hamptonsfilmfest.org/events/sugarglassbottle/|title=Sugar Glass Bottle|website=Hamptons International Film Festival|access-date=August 10, 2024}}

In 2023, Sora directed the documentary Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus revolving around the last concert performed by his father, Ryuichi Sakamoto, which had its world premiere at the 80th Venice Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/09/ryuichi-sakamoto-neo-sora-opus-premiere-venice-1235536428/|title=Spirit Of Ryuichi Sakamoto Returns To Venice With Concert Film ‘Opus’; Director Son Neo Sora Talks Composer’s Love Of Cinema & Complex Relationship With Piano|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Melanie|last=Goodfellow|date=September 5, 2023|access-date=August 10, 2024}} The film was released in March 2024 by Janus Films.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/venice-ryuchi-sakamoto-opus-janus-films-new-york-film-festival-1235733746/|title=Venice Standout Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus Sells to Janus Films in North America Ahead of New York Film Festival Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Leo|last=Barraclough|date=September 25, 2023|access-date=August 10, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/spotlight/ryuichi-sakamoto-opus-director-neo-sora-1235940038/|title=‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus’ Director Neo Sora on Filming His Father’s Final Performance|website=Variety|first=Todd|last=Gilchrist|date=March 15, 2024|access-date=August 10, 2024}}

In 2024, Sora wrote and directed Happyend which had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in the Orizzonti section.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/venice-film-festival-lineup-2024-full-list-1236018399/|title=Venice Film Festival Lineup: ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, Almodovar, Guadagnino, Kurzel, Larrain & More In Competition – Full List|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|date=July 23, 2024|access-date=August 10, 2024}} It also made its North American premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and screened in the Main Slate of the 62nd New York Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/festivals/tiff-2024-centrepiece-lineup-sets-presence-seed-of-the-sacred-fig-1235032888/|title=‘Presence,’ Cannes Favorites ‘Seed of the Sacred Fig’ and ‘To a Land Unknown’ Join TIFF Centrepiece Lineup|website=IndieWire|first=Ryan|last=Lattanzio|date=August 6, 2024|access-date=August 6, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2024/daily/62nd-new-york-film-festival-main-slate-announced/|title=62nd New York Film Festival Main Slate Announced|website=Film at Lincoln Center|date=August 6, 2024|access-date=August 10, 2024}} It was previously selected for the 2022 Sundance Institute Screenwriting and Directing labs.{{cite web|url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/sundance-institute-announces-2022-fellows-for-directors-screenwriters-and-native-labs/|title=Sundance Institute Announces 2022 Fellows for Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs|website=Sundance Institute|date=May 9, 2022|access-date=August 6, 2024}} In 2025, he was given the 2024 Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for Happyend.{{cite news |title=日本映画監督協会新人賞に「ＨＡＰＰＹＥＮＤ」空音央監督 |url=https://news.at-s.com/article/1697517 |access-date=3 June 2025 |work=福岡新聞Digital |date=April 24, 2025}}

In 2025, Sora wrote and directed the short film A Very Straight Neck starring Sakura Ando, which will have its world premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/07/locarno-short-medium-length-competition-titles-1236446462/|title=Locarno Sets Short & Medium Length Competition Titles, Neo Sora & Salvatore Mereu To Debut New Works|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Zac|last=Ntim|date=July 1, 2025|access-date=July 8, 2025}}

Filmography

=Feature film=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Director ! Producer ! Writer
2024 \| Happyend \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}}

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Director

! Producer

! Writer

2024

| Happyend

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

=Documentary film=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Director ! Writer ! Producer
2023 \| Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Director

! Writer

! Producer

2023

| Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

= Short film =

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Director ! Writer ! Producer
2020 \| The Chicken \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}}
2022 \| Sugar Glass Bottle \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}}
2025 \| A Very Straight Neck \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}}

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Director

! Writer

! Producer

2020

| The Chicken

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

2022

| Sugar Glass Bottle