TRIBUTE TO THE LATE KEIZO MURASE

Today Asian Pop-up Cinema is proud to present a lifetime achievement award to Keizo Murase for his many contributions as a sculptor, model maker and director to the Japanese monster movies – or kaiju eiga -- we all know and love, including the most famous series of all, Godzilla.

Born in 1935 in Tokachi, Hokkaido, Murase joined the Toho studio as a part-timer in the special effects department in 1957. He became a full-timer the following year and worked on such iconic films as “Mothra,” “King Kong versus Godzilla,” “Matango” and “Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.”

In 1965, after working on “Gamera,” the first kaiju movie of the Daiei studio, he went independent and established together with two partners established the modeling company EX Productions.

In addition to his activities in Japan, Murase contributed to monster films made abroad, including the first-ever Korean kaiju film, the 1967 “Yongary, Monster from the Deep.” In the early 1970s he also worked on the iconic “Kamen Rider” and “Ultraman” TV series. In 1972 he left EX and set up his own production company, Twenty.

While working on the 1977 film “The Mighty Peking Man” Murase came up with the idea for the tokusatsu or special effects film that was to become of “Brush of the God.” But the film only started to become a reality with a crowdfunding campaign in 2020. After other funding raising efforts I won’t detail here, Murase was finally able to complete his first film as a director and “Brush of the God” had its world premiere at the Osaka Asian Film Festival in March of last year.

Unfortunately, Keizo Murase died on October 14, 2024 at the age of 89 before he could hear all the praise his film would garner both at home and abroad. Still, in his late eighties he was able to carry through with a long-time dream and become an inspiration to filmmakers everywhere.

We are proud to present the culmination of that dream, “Brush of the God,” tonight. And to present its maker with the Asian Pop-up Cinema Lifetime Achievement Award. The film’s producer, Daisuke Sato, will accept on his behalf. So let’s give a big round of applause to Keizo Murase!

- Mark Schilling, during closing night of Asian Pop-Up Cinema 19th Edition on Sunday, April 13, 2025.