AKT PICTURES PRESENTS
U.S. - Japan Joint Production
DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY
AKEMI K. TOSTO
ボクがにんげんだったとき
"Doesn't kimmy love me anymore...?"
An ex-shelter dog embarks on a humorous but poignant quest to reclaim his owner's love and his identity
Proof of Concept
🐕 This short film is where it all started! 🐕🦺
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"People will come away from this film feeling good.
The world can use a film like this."
Akemi K. Tosto, Writer/Director
Synopsis
Indy is a pup at the shelter nobody wants. When a beautiful young girl named Kimmy rescues him, Indy thinks he has found his forever home.
When Kimmy begins dating Jared, who secretly hates dogs, Indy panics that he might lose Kimmy and be sent back to the shelter. A mysterious Blue Dog Fairy appears one night and gives Indy a miracle dog biscuit that turns him into a human. Now, all Indy has to do is to find a way to show Kimmy Jared is not the man he pretends to be.
Through Indy's hilarious experiences as a human, he comes to realize he doesn't have to become someone else in order to be loved and that the best way to help Kimmy is to be the loyal friend and companion she misses so much.
Production Team
Akemi Kozu Tosto
Exec. Producer/Director/Writer
Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Akemi Kozu Tosto followed her dream of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker by moving to LA soon after graduating high school. She learned filmmaking working on TV, commercial and motion picture productions helmed by such Hollywood heavy hitters such as Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino. A feature project “WHEN I WAS A HUMAN: THE MOVIE” is based on Akemi’s short film "When I Was a Human," distributed worldwide by Shorts International, the official short film distributor for the Academy of Motion Pictures. The project is currently in development through her production company AKT Pictures.
John Hermann
Producer
John Hermann is a Wisconsin-born, LA-based film producer who most recently produced “Standing Up, Falling Down” starring Billy Crystal that premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. Since 2014, John has produced nine feature films as well as commercials for major clients such as Honda, Lexus, Hugo Boss and Showtime. John also produced numerous hours of content for Disney, Warner Bros, Netflix and HBO. John is a member of the Directors Guild of America.
Maho Morita
Producer (Japan)
Growing up as a niece of world-renowned film director, Nagisa Oshima, Maho Morita was always around the entertainment industry. She flew to America to study English and worked on the set of the HBO series “The Sopranos.” After returning home to Japan, Maho became a film journalist and has been enjoying her success since. In recent years, she is a film critic of TV network shows, as a host of special events, and the programming director at the Beppu Blue Bird Theatre in Oita Pref, where she founded the Beppu Blue Bird Film Festival.
Jorge Agraz
Associate Producer
Jorge Agraz was born in Mexico City and grew up in the United States and Europe. He holds degrees in Film Studies and History from Yale University. He has worked in production on commercials and feature films, including End of Days (Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger), Blade, Thirteen Days (Starring Kevin Costner), and Evolution directed by legendary Ivan Reitman. Jorge has experience in Visual Effects, production and producing as well as digital production technology.
UPDATE!!
Danny Trejo to join WIWAH as "Spike"
AKT Pictures is pleased to announce that beloved Hollywood celebrity Danny Trejo has been attached to play "Spike" for When I Was a Human ("WIWAH").
ダニー氏が声を演じるスパイクは、インディーの親友で賢いピットブル。その屈強さと強面から護衛犬として育てられがちなため、「怖い犬種」として誤解されがちですが、実際は忠実で賢く心優しい性格を持っており、まさにダニー氏そのもの。
子供時代は超ワルだったというダニー氏は、その昔とは正反対で、業界でも知る人ぞ知るジェントルマン。ダニーさんのイヌ好きもそのひとつで、個人でも保護犬ピットブルを可愛がっているほか、有名な全米保護犬チャリティーでもスポークスマンを務めるなど、保護犬愛護活動にも大貢献。
以前からダニー氏の大ファンだった本作の神津明美監督は、スパイク役にはダニー氏を思い浮かべて脚本を書いていたと語ります。
Akemi says, "I've been following Danny's career since the movie "From Dusk Till Dawn" (directed by Robert Rodriguez) and have become a big admirer of what he does; as an actor and as a human being who is compassionate and making a difference in people and animal's lives in the communities." Akemi believes that Danny is the perfect person to play "Spike," the wise Pit Bull who embodies patience and compassion in the story.
It is indeed an exciting time for all of us on Team Indy. We have also begun auditioning for INDY and KIMMY this past week. It blew our mind when our casting director told us that there were over 2,500 submissions to the casting open call!
Click HERE and sign up to be notified as soon as an update comes in!
From the Heart Productions, a nonprofit organization, has awarded "When I Was a Human" a fiscal sponsorship status. Your ontributions to our film through their donation portal are tax-deductible.
How would your donation be used? Please email info@aktpictures.com and ask for Budget Topsheet.
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What is FISCAL SPONSORSHIP?
Fiscal sponsorship is an arrangement between an existing 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an individual or entity lacking the legal status needed to receive grants from foundations, individual donors and government agencies.
The fiscal sponsor agrees to provide administrative services and oversight to, and assume limited legal and financial responsibility for, the activities of groups or individuals engaged in work that furthers the fiscal sponsor’s mission, in this case, to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision.
