My name is Mark Kuroda, I’m a director and writer. I have a background as a commercial photographer in the advertising space for 15 years prior to film making journey. I was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in a town called Palos Verdes which is seaside town about a half hour from Los Angeles. i’m a 4th generation Japanese-American, something I’m now incredibly proud of, it’s been a piece of my identity that hasn’t always been easy, and am probably still currently working out. 

I have BA from Westmont College in Communication Studies, and Commercial Photography from Brooks Institute of Photography. I feel like I pull often from both disciplines, the ideation from the Communication studies, and the visuals from the photography often. 

What sparked my interest in filmmaking, was as a kid wishing there was someone who looked like me on tv or in movies. I realized too that as a photographer there was some I could do, representation being one of them but couldn’t explore ideas in the same way that cinema allows. I’m very interested in representing Japanese American stories in an honest way from and own stories point of view. For me telling stories in a narrative fiction seems to be the format that allows for the most freedom. I hope that one day my films allow for young Asian American people to relate to the complexities of life. Also deeply interested in reframing stereotypes of Asian-American men and women. I very much admire what Spike Lee did for African American people, and how he so clearly showed where he is from, and the thoughts, triumphs, as well as struggles of his community. Currently, really like the work of Hirokazu Kore-eda, “Like Father, Like Son” and “Shoplifters” being my current favorite movies. 

Aside from cinema, I am recently married, and love cars, racing, and the ocean. Favorite places in the world that I visit often are Italy, and the Hawaiian Islands.