Shiori SAITO

Director / Documentary Filmmaker

Title

"OMUSUBI: A Rice Ball"

Format / Genre

Format: Feature Documentary
Genre: Documentary

Logline

After overcoming an eating disorder, Kana Sugamoto dedicated her life to traveling Japan with only a rice cooker and an insatiable desire to connect with people through warm, freshly made rice balls. What moves so many people about an ordinary onigiri, made simply with rice and water? The film explores this answer through the landscapes, encounters, and quiet conversations that unfold on her journey.

Concept

We eat every day, yet rarely pause to consider what it truly means. Through the unique world of onigiri—warm, fleeting, and alive—the film asks a quiet question: what are we really hungering for?

Profile

Shiori Saito is a Japanese documentary filmmaker. She began her career in the television industry in 2013, directing, filming, and editing documentaries and travel programs. Based in New York for nearly a decade, she crafted stories connecting different cultures and values. In 2021, she co-founded the production company mimosa LLC, specializing in documentary-driven TV programming and brand films. Her short documentary Floating in Between won the Excellence Award at SSFF & ASIA 2023. Selected as an ATMOVIE GLOBAL TRACK fellow in 2026, she is currently developing and directing her first feature-length documentary film, OMUSUBI.