‘Kentaro’ is a compelling short documentary that explores the life of a 7-year-old boy in the remote, mountainous village of Kawakami. Following the Great Japanese Earthquake, parents Miho and Hiro Yokobori abandoned their life in Tokyo to embrace a new beginning in the isolated community of Kawakami. Kentaro’s birth—the first birth in the village in 25 years—injects a renewed sense of hope and vitality, countering Japan’s troubling trend of an ageing population and record low birth rates.

AWARDS:

JURY AWARD - CHANGING CLIMATE, CHANGING LIVES FILM FESTIVAL 2025 (Thailand)

HIGHLY COMMENDED - CANBERRA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2024 (Australia)

FESTIVALS:

OFFICIAL SELECTION - BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM AND BOOK FESTIVAL 2024 (Canada)

OFFICIAL SELECTION - CANBERRA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2024 (Australia)

OFFICIAL SELECTION - JAPAN INDIES FILM FESTIVAL 2024 (Japan)

OFFICIAL SELECTION - ANTENNA DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 2025 (Australia)

OFFICIAL SELECTION - CHANGING CLIMATE, CHANGING LIVES FILM FESTIVAL 2025 (Thailand)

OFFICIAL SELECTION - BUENOS AIRES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL(Argentina)

OFFICIAL SELECTION - MOUNTAINFILM FESTIVAL 2025 (USA)

OFFICIAL SELECTION - ST KILDA FILM FESTIVAL 2025 (Australia)