Osaka-born director Takashi Miike studied filmmaking at Yokohama's Hoso Senmon Gakko (now called Nihon Eiga Gakko). As assistant director, he worked with such great directors as Sohei Imamura and Hideo Onchi. In 1995, he directed his first film, "Shinjuku Triad Society", and is today a major figure in contemporary Japanese cinema. His "Audition" (1999) won the FIPRESCI and KNF awards at the Rotterdam Film Festival where he received international recognition.