Josef Kubota Wladyka

Josef Kubota Wladyka was born the youngest of three sons. His Japanese mother and Polish father share a deep passion for dance, photography, and cinema. Josef's shorts and commercials have screened at festivals around the world; granting him a nomination for a Young Director's award and a Porsche Student Advertising award. His debut feature film, Manos Sucias, executive produced by Spike Lee, screened at festivals around the world and won Best New Narrative Director at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. The film was the recipient of a Canon Grant through Film Independent and two SFFS/KRF filmmaking awards. Residing in Brooklyn, New York, Josef holds an MFA from New York University's Graduate Film Program and was named one of Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Independent Film." When not working, Josef can be found on Brooklyn basketball courts, typically losing to teenagers.

The Picture House