Tak Nakano is a dynamic Australian-Japanese bilingual filmmaker, recognized for his exceptional storytelling. With a passion for exploring narratives of the underdogs and discovering beauty in the seemingly mundane, his filmmaking journey is marked by a compassionate and genuine approach.
His work as a director and writer has earned him recognition at the prestigious 2022 Australian Directors Guild Awards, where he was nominated in the Commercial Content category for his direction and writing of a five-part documentary series for 2XU: the series explored themes such as self-belief and dedication.
In 2021, Tak was one of ten directors chosen to work under multiple Cannes-Award winning director Naomi Kawase for the official feature-length documentary for the Tokyo Olympics 2021. This documentary focused on themes such as gender equality, motherhood, refugee athletes and the realization of the world’s largest sporting event amid the COVID pandemic: it was featured at Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes Classic Section and enjoyed a widespread general theatrical release across Japan.
After working at Fox Sports and Red Bull Australia as a full-time in-house producer for a combined decade, Tak’s exploratory spirit led him to Italy, where he delved into the lives of local Sicilian food producers for his self-funded web series, “Word of Mouth: Untold Local Stories.” This grassroots project experimented with various documentary styles and was honored with a Silver Telly Award (USA), standing out among entries from notable multi-national production companies and agencies.
Tak leverages his unique background and global perspective to produce content that resonates on a deep, human level. Born in the USA and raised in Bahrain, Japan, and Australia, Tak’s multicultural upbringing has instilled in him a profound belief in the power of storytelling as a means to unite people and communities. He holds a combined honors degree in Commerce and English Literature from Sydney University, where his passion for storytelling was further cultivated through directing plays by Chekhov and Henrik Ibsen. Tak’s commitment to exploring diverse genres—from scripted dramas and black comedies to sporting documentaries and travel/food short films—is driven by a core mission to foster empathy and challenge prevailing attitudes. His films are celebrated for their visual elegance and dedication to presenting narratives that strive for social impact while being engaging and entertaining.
Currently, Tak is developing a drama/dance short film that explores themes of aging and love. He is also developing a documentary on traditional craftsmanship, family and community.
Tak welcomes opportunities for collaboration and connection. Whether it’s over a glass of carajillo, a plate of curry or catching waves, he’s open to chatting with anyone exploring new ideas and projects.
Awards/Official Selections
2XU – The Rookies, Episode 5: The Art of Suffering
Nominated – Best Commercial Content at Australian Directors Guild
Silver Winner – BEST Branded Content at Telly Awards
Silver Winner – BEST Online Documentary: Individual at Telly Awards
Bronze Winner – BEST Directing in Branded Content at Telly Awards
Bronze Winner – BEST Online Directing at Telly Awards
2XU – The Rookies, Season 1: Amateur Triathletes on a Journey
Silver Winner – BEST Branded Content – Series: Non-scripted/Documentary at Telly Awards
2XU – Finish Lines Are Everywhere
Silver Winner – BEST Branded Content: Use of Stock Footage at Telly Awards
Bronze Winner – BEST Branded Content: Editing at Telly Awards
Word of Mouth: Local Stories (YouTube series)
Silver Winner – BEST Online: Webseries: Non-Scripted at Telly Awards
Word of Mouth: Local Stories, Episode 5: A Sicilian’s Rustic Way of Life
Finalist – Austin Indie Fest
Finalist – Europa Film Festival
Finalist – Watchdog Film Festival
Official Selection – Huatulco Film and Food Festival
Official Selection – International Online Web Fest
Official Selection – Kinofilm 17th Manchester International Short Film Festival
Official Selection – MedFF
Official Selection – Miami Independent Film Festival
中野豪裕
ロサンゼルス生まれ。米国、バーレーン、日本、豪州の４カ国で育つ。
シドニー大学で英文学と金融を専攻するが、演劇部でチェホフやイブセンの芝居公演をきっかけにストーリー作りに目覚める。
豪州で10年に渡り大手会社Fox Sports、Red Bullでプロデューサーとして勤務した後、フリーのディレクターに。
クライアントは東京五輪、Amazon、Red Bullなど。
ドキュメンタリーやコマーシャルを幅広くこなす。
ついつい二度見してしまう映像作りが好き。
いつでも取り出せるように「遊び心」はポケット内に。
主な受賞作品
2XU – The Rookies (ザ・ルーキーズ)：Episode 5 (第五話:苦悩への挑戦)
ノミネーション– Best Commercial Content – 全豪監督協会賞
銀賞 – BEST Branded Content – テリー賞（米国）
銀賞 – BEST Online Documentary: Individual – テリー賞（米国）
銅賞 – BEST Directing in Branded Content – テリー賞（米国）
銅賞 – BEST Online Directing – テリー賞（米国）
2XU – The Rookies（ザ・ルーキーズ)：Season 1: (第一シーズン）
銀賞 – BEST Branded Content – Series: Non-scripted/Documentary – テリー賞
2XU – Finish Lines Are Everywhere（ゴールは至る所に）
銀賞 – BEST Branded Content: Use of Stock Footage – テリー賞
銅賞 – BEST Branded Content: Editing – テリー賞
Word of Mouth: Local Stories (YouTube シリーズ)
銀賞 – BEST Online: Webseries: Non-Scripted – テリー賞
Word of Mouth: Local Stories, Episode 5: A Sicilian’s Rustic Way of Life （短編映画）
最終選考 – Austin Indie Fest
最終選考 – Europa Film Festival
最終選考 – Watchdog Film Festival
公式出品作 – Huatulco Film and Food Festival
公式出品作 – International Online Web Fest
公式出品作 – Kinofilm 17th Manchester International Short Film Festival
公式出品作 – MedFF
公式出品作 – Miami Independent Film Festival
