NYFA MFA Alum Hiroki Ohsawa Returns to LA Campus with Students for Full Circle Filmmaking Experience

NYFA MFA Filmmaking alum Hiroki Ohsawa has worked as a film and commercial director while also sharing his filmmaking expertise with others. Recently Hiroki returned to the NYFA LA campus, bringing along his filmmaking students from Kinjo Gakuin University in Japan, where he teaches. It was a full circle moment for Hiroki, as his students had the unique opportunity to participate in a filmmaking workshop and visit Los Angeles.

Hiroki talked to us about the whole experience and about his career since graduating from NYFA. 

NYFA Alumni Network: Can you tell us about yourself, where you're from, and what brought you to New York Film Academy?

H.O: I am a worldwide award-winning film and commercial director and a full-time lecturer in Filmmaking at Kinjo Gakuin University. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, I studied filmmaking and media at Waseda University. While still a student, I directed and produced two award-winning films, along with the university’s promotional film. After graduating, I spent two years working in Intercorporate Toy Sales Operations for Bandai Namco Group before moving to Los Angeles in 2015 to further my filmmaking career through the MFA Filmmaking program at NYFA. My thesis film "The Alc-Man" (2019) was featured at the TCL Chinese Theater, the most iconic landmark theater in Hollywood.

NYFA Alumni Network: What projects have you worked on since graduating? Have you won any awards or been showcased in any festivals or competitions?

H.O: After graduating from NYFA, I have been working on films, commercials, and web series in both the U.S. and Japan for clients such as The Ohio State University, Hankyu Department Stores, and the Ministry of Education of Japan, among others. Most recently, I directed the film "The Deal" (2024, https://youtu.be/iqBaDUOzMbc?si=PAVTbUFDpbPzbsDa), which has been recognized at festivals worldwide. To date, my works have earned 15 awards and 21 nominations across seven countries.

NYFA Alumni Network: What is your favorite thing about being a director?

H.O: The most enjoyable part of being a director, for me, is the ability to be a driving force of creativity. Working from a script—often one I've written myself—I collaborate with actors to shape their performances, with the production designer to develop the visual style, and with the director of photography to plan shot sizes, lenses, camera angles, movements, and composition before making the final decisions. Being a director is challenging and comes with great responsibility, but that's what makes it so exciting.

NYFA Alumni Network: You also teach filmmaking at the Kinjo Gakuin University in Japan and recently visited NYFA with your students. Tell us more about that experience.

H.O: Although Kinjo Gakuin University is a general women's university with various departments, it provides an excellent environment for students passionate about filmmaking. As part of our KIT (Kinjo International Training) program, I recently visited NYFA Los Angeles with a group of first-year students. For many of them, it was their first time traveling to the U.S., so they felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. During the workshop at NYFA, the students had the incredible opportunity to learn from and collaborate with professional Hollywood filmmakers (NYFA instructors), which was truly eye-opening. After lectures, they would stay up until midnight every night, refining their scripts and shot lists based on what they had learned in class, determined to make their films the best they could be. Despite the language barrier, their passion and dedication helped them overcome the challenges of filmmaking and successfully bring their projects to life.

NYFA Alumni Network: What did you learn at NYFA that you apply to your projects and teaching?

H.O: Like any other profession, effective communication is the key to achieving my goals. When it comes to my audience, the most important communication skill is visual storytelling—specifically, the technique of "show, don't tell." During my MFA program at NYFA, I learned the importance of infusing my artistic intention into every single frame when translating a script into a film as a director. For my cast and crew, communication means collaboration. At NYFA, I also learned that filmmaking is a deeply collaborative art. As a director, I must have a clear vision and be able to share it effectively with my team to bring that vision to life.

NYFA Alumni Network congratulates Hiroki on all of his success!