Kitao Sakurai

• Born — 1983 • Birthplace — Kyoto, Japan • Citizenship — United States • Occupation — * Film director • screenwriter • producer • cinematographer • Years Active — 1995present

Sakurai was born in Kinugasa district of Kyoto in 1983, and was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Originally a child actor, he made his debut aged 12 with a supporting role in the martial arts action film Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back (1995). He also appeared in the made-for-television film The Best Bad Thing (1997) and Kevin Smith's Dogma (1999).

Beginning in 2012, Sakurai was the regular director for The Eric Andre Show, directing 62 of 68 total episodes between 2012 and 2023. He directed 5 episodes of the FXX sitcom Dave. In 2023, Sakurai directed the pilot episode of Twisted Metal. He subsequently directed three episodes in the first season. He directed the pilot episode and was an executive producer of the Amazon Prime Video series Butterfly. He has also directed numerous television commercials.

Key • Denotes titles that have not yet been released

• Year — Title — Director — Executive Producer — Writer — Notes • 2012–23 — The Eric Andre Show — 62 episodes (Director); 25 episodes (Writer) • 2012 — The Eric Andre New Year's Eve Spooktacular — TV special • 2021 — The Premise — Episode "Social Justice Sex Tape" • 2021-23 — Dave — 5 episodes • 2023 — Twisted Metal — Directed 4 episodes • 2025 — Butterfly — Directed episodes "Pilot" and "Daegu" • 2026 — Beef — Directed episodes "I Am Killing My Flesh Without It" and "Those Blue Remembered Hills"

Sakurai trained as a cinematographer and shot independent and short films throughout the early 2000s. He made his feature directorial debut with the low-budget crime thriller Aardvark (2010), which was shot in his hometown of Cleveland. In 2021, he directed the hidden camera comedy film Bad Trip, starring regular collaborator Eric André. Sakurai directed The Passage, a short film co-written by and starring American comedian Phil Burgers ("Dr Brown"). It premiered at Sundance in 2018, and won Best Short Fiction prize at the LA Film Festival, Best Comedy at Aspen Shortsfest, and the Grand Jury Prize at the Nashville Film Festival. In February 2025, Sakurai was announced as the director of the live-action film adaptation of the Street Fighter video game franchise. The film scheduled to be released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on October 16, 2026. Sakurai co-founded the New York-based production company Naked Faces, with Andrew Barchilon.

• Year — Title — Director — Writer — Ref. • 2010 — Aardvark • 2021 — Bad Trip • 2026 — Street Fighter Director of photography • Transformations (2006) • You Wont Miss Me (2009) Acting roles • Year — Title — Role • 1995 — Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back — Justin Banning • 1997 — The Best Bad Thing — Zenny Hata • 1999 — Dogma — Stygian Triplet • 2010 — Aardvark — Darius Szopa • 2011 — Treatment — Tennis Instructor • We Are the Hartmans — Music Video Director