Ryota Kotani | Producer | Japan

Ryota Kotani has been working with NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) since 1986 as a director of documentaries and news operations. His early work includes Urgent Report After Death of Rajiv Gandhi (1991) and European Picnic Plan Breaking Against the Iron Curtain (1993).

Between 1997 and 1999, he served as an NHK correspondent at the Hong Kong Office. Since 1999, he has worked as a producer for NHK High-Definition Documentaries, producing acclaimed series such as the travelogue World Strollers (2005–) and Cats! (2012–).

His international co-production credits include Why Democracy (2007), Indian Short Film Series (2007 & 2008), and Queen and I (2008). He has also been involved with international productions presented at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, including Chronicle of Amnesiac (2007) by Anirban Datta (India), Char… The No-Man’s Island (2012) by Sourav Sarangi (India), Spiral Stairs (2009) by Ji Tang (China), and Japan: Love & Hate (2009) by Sean McAlister (UK).