Out

Makoto, a non-binary Japanese-American 'hikikomori' (shut-in), lives a solitary life in Tokyo following a family tragedy. Although Makoto's estranged brother Satoru lives upstairs and is constantly trying to be supportive, Makoto's life is lived on the internet chat board 3rd Channel, where Makoto is especially close to Annie999, an emotional young actress. After Annie999 threatens suicide and vanishes, Makoto tries to track her down, learning she is a long-lost childhood friend (real name: Emily) who is in Tokyo and being victimized by an abusive producer. With Satoru's help, Makoto gathers courage to overcomes past trauma and debilitating fear of the outside to leave the house and save Emily.

FEATURE | 1:42:00

Director Biography - Masashi Kawamata

Born in 1997, Masashi Kawamata is a Tokyo-based screenwriter, director, and producer. A graduate of Waseda University with a degree in International Political Economy, Kawamata later completed a Master’s in Screenwriting at the London Film School. He writes and directs in both Japanese and English, establishing himself as a bilingual storyteller with a distinctive cross-cultural perspective. His directorial debut short Brother, I’m Sorry (2021) was officially selected for a BAFTA-qualifying international film festival. His second short, Memories of the Sparks, screened at the Japanese Serbian Film Festival. He also contributed to the screenplay of Beyond the Fog (2023, dir. Daichi Murase), which was screened at the Nara, San Sebastián, and Busan International Film Festivals. In 2024, he wrote and directed the 40-minute streaming drama Recipe of Light (MOV). Kawamata currently collaborates with Los Angeles-based screenwriter Nicholas R. Zabaly on the development of international film projects set in Japan.