Profile



Kano U. is a former educator and current filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California (Tongva Land).

Dedicated to community-centered media, she uses the camera as a tool for social revelation. Her films weave poetry, magical surrealism, and cultural mythology into the documentary form, turning memory into a site of cinematic wonder.

Kano is currently an MFA student in Documentary Directing and Production at UCLA.

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Education
University of California Los Angeles
MFA Documentary Directing & Production, 2028

Loyola Marymount University              
M.Ed. Transformative Education, Concentration in Literacy, 2024

Soka University of America                  
B.A. Liberal Arts, Concentration in Literature and Film, 2021
Employment
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
June 2022 – June 2025
English and History Teacher

Asian CineVision
September 2020 – November 2021
Staff Writer

Soka University of America - Community Cinema 
September 2020 – May 2021
Associate Producer
Skills
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Premiere Pro
Avid Media Composer
Avid Pro Tools
Procreate
Procreate Dreams
G Suite 
Microsoft Office Suite
Awards
John H. and Patricia W. Mitchell Endowed Scholarship Recipient
Institution: University of California Los Angeles
Year: 2025-2026

Merit Scholar
Institution: Soka University of America
Year: 2017-2021
   

Kano Umezaki





documentary filmmaker
2026Until 100 Years

Logline: A documentary short on the quiet life of my father’s recovery process post-stroke, as well as the weight of forgiving him amidst his last moments. (Work In Progress)

 Director: Kano Umezaki
Writer: Kano Umezaki
Director of Photography: Junhao (Mike) Zhang
Colorist: Junhao (Mike) Zhang
Sound Design: Kano Umezaki
Score: Christopher Santiago





My father had a stroke in February of 2024, one week before my birthday. Since then, his health has been in a state of constant flux, where he has been in and out of emergency rooms. Seeing my father reach the tail end of his life has made me feel rushed in my process of forgiving him. He is imperfect in many ways: a gambling addict, illiterate in both English and Japanese, boisterous to a fault, and has anger issues. But seeing my father’s anger or loud laughter has all become equally meaningful to me since his stroke, because they are signs that he is well and alive.

Until 100 Years is a documentary short about my father’s recovery process after his stroke, as well as his positive outlook on life. Despite his disabilities, my father is adamant about living until one hundred. He cannot cook, drive, or go out frequently, and is largely dependent on my family for survival. Even though he is restricted in his movement and speech, he has a deep fire in him to still live.
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