NEWS
POSTED
2024.09.12
DIVISION
TITLE
"I Still Want to Dream," the first feature film directed by our university student, Ryo Sena, is now available for streaming.
"I Still Want to Dream," a film directed and written by Ryo Sena, a third-year student in the Department School of Business Department of Business Administration at our university, began streaming on Hulu as a Hulu Original on July 26, 2024 (Friday).
Director Ryo Sena was selected as one of the five finalists in the second "Hulu U35 Creators Challenge" held in 2022, organized by the online video streaming service "Hulu," out of a total of 586 entries from both professionals and amateurs. Each finalist was given the opportunity to turn their project into a film with the support of professional video producers and a production budget of 15 million yen. Director Ryo Sena's film, "My First Night Play," tells a story that blends "aspirations" and "reality," about a protagonist who leaves his uncool hometown to make a fresh start in college and realizes what is truly important. It resonated deeply with the judges and won the grand prize.
As a prize for winning the Grand Prix, I was given the "director's rights to direct a new Hulu original," and I have now taken on the challenge of directing and writing the screenplay for my first feature film, "I Still Want to Dream." Scenes filmed at our university's Aoyama Campus, including Building 17, appear in "I Still Want to Dream," which is being distributed as a Hulu original. Please check it out.
Additionally, a special interview between director Ryo Sena and director Rikiya Imaizumi, who served as the head of the judging panel for the 2nd HU35 competition, has also been released. Please check it out to see the charm and highlights of "I Still Want to Dream."
▼What is the "Hulu U35 Creators Challenge"?
Commonly known as "HU 35," this project was launched by the online video streaming service "Hulu" with the aim of discovering and nurturing the next generation of video creators. Anyone under 35, regardless of whether they are a professional or amateur, can apply, and the selection criteria are solely "excellent planning ability and enthusiasm." For the second round, submissions were accepted from June 10th (Friday) to July 31st (Sunday), 2022, and a total of 586 projects were submitted.
Work Introduction
"I still want to dream"
This is the story of Yumeko Maeda, a female college student who chases her dreams, becomes immersed in them, and is ultimately guided by them, as she pursues her dream of becoming a manga artist.
Yumeko Maeda (Arisa Nakano), an aspiring manga artist, attends a university in Tokyo with her best friend, Serika Yoshigami (Hinako Kikuchi), while drawing. One day, her manga wins an award in a major publisher's manga magazine! She aims to get a one-shot published with the help of hit-making editor Mutsuki Shin (Yuki Furukawa). However, Yumeko quickly faces creative struggles and fails to perform to her potential, resulting in her being rejected. The ticket to have a one-shot published goes to Kazuki Azumi (Kotona Minami), who also won an award at the same time as Yumeko. Unable to regain her confidence, her next challenge is the "Manga Future Grand Prize," a major competition where manga artists compete fiercely. Moreover, she decides to try her hand at the "romance" genre for the first time, a genre where it is easier to win the grand prize. Feeling alienated from her friends her age, she continues to work on her manga, but days pass without her being able to draw what she wants. One night, the manga she is drawing appears in her dream, and she also discovers the existence of Kanato (Takumi Nishigaki), who does not act as she intends.
Director Ryo Sena's real-life experiences and the dreams of people his age resonate with the story of a current female university student, creating a heartwarming fantasy themed around "dreams"—something only she could make now!
Comment from Director Ryo Sena
In both "I Still Want to Dream" and "My First Night Play," we put particular effort into portraying the college student protagonists and the realism of their emotions, so I think that students attending Aogaku might find something to relate to or find something that resonates with them.
I would be very happy if the common theme in both works—"the importance of continuing to struggle to find true happiness for yourself, rather than worrying about how others see you"—comes across!
Also, in "Mada Yume," it was a special experience to be able to film the school scenes of the protagonist, who is the same age as me, at my own university. Please check it out!