Shiotani, Naoyoshi

Born in 1977, Shiotani is one of Japan's most promising young animation creators. His early works include TV series Windy Tales (key animation supervisor, 2004) and Blood+ (2005), for which he also directed the kaleidoscopic third opening film, Colors of the Heart, selected in competition for the 11th Holland Animation Film Festival. His directorial debut, Tokyo Marble Chocolate (2007) was awarded with the Grand Prize in the Feature Films Section of SICAF 2008. His talent was confirmed in Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror (2009) a CGI movie for which Shiotani contributed storyboard and animation direction, that eventually won ten awards in Japan and at international film festivals around the world. Shiotani joined Production I.G in the days when Blood: The Last Vampire was being completed, and apprenticed under Kazuchika Kise, chief animator for the movie. With Blood-C: The Last Dark, Shiotani has solemnly promised he won't disappoint his master.