Chiaki Yanagimoto

Chiaki Yanagimoto is a Japanese-born, Los Angeles-based producer, director, and founder of SYNEPIC Entertainment.

After her first producing feature “Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf” (2009) became a cult hit, she produced a series of festival-favorite genre films. She then shifted gears to produce documentary features including “KAMPAI! For the Love of Sake” (2015) which premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and was released by IFC Films/Sundance Selects. In 2023, her first directorial feature “AUM: The Cult at the End of the World” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the US Documentary Competition.

She began her career working for Taka Ichise [“Ring” “The Grudge”] and is currently producing a slate of international documentaries and scripted films. As a unique multicultural creative force, her work in the industry extends well beyond producing. In 2022, her company SYNEPIC Entertainment launched SAKKA, a film distribution platform to create a pipeline for bringing more Japanese auteur films and filmmakers to worldwide audiences.

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