Hibachi Man (The Musical)

A hotshot hibachi chef comes face to face with his worst nightmare, and is faced with a task he has never faced before...handling his failure. "Hibachi Man the Musical" is a short musical comedy detailing the (maybe overly) dramatic trials and tribulations of the American Hibachi Chef as he embarks on a transformative journey amidst swirling onion and high-flying beef. Don't forget the onion ring choo choo train...

  • Brandon Kotfila
    Director
  • Brandon Kotfila
    Writer
  • Daniyal Khawaja
    Writer
  • Brandon Kotfila
    Producer
  • Marco Colosimo
    Producer
  • Russell Scott
    Key Cast
    "Chef"
  • Michael Pejsach
    Key Cast
    "Grandpa"
  • Cece Louapre
    Key Cast
    "Girl"
  • Jonas Chartock
    Key Cast
    "Customer Ensemble"
  • Michelle Huynh
    Key Cast
    "Customer Ensemble"
  • Rosha Washington
    Key Cast
    "Customer Ensemble"
  • Justin Blackstone
    Key Cast
    "Customer Ensemble"
  • Charis Gullage
    Key Cast
    "Customer Ensemble"
  • Lungi Lemonier
    Music Composer
  • Nick Ramey
    Director of Photography
  • Trad Willmann
    Director of Photography
  • Aidan Dykes
    Sound Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    comedy, musical, feel-good, absurd, heartfelt
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 20, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    3,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Blackmajic
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Austin Comedy Film Festival
    Austin, Texas
    July 17, 2022
    World Premiere
    Best Acting Performance
  • Summer In The South Film Festival
    Atlanta, Georgia
    September 4, 2022
    Georgia Premiere
    Best Comedy Film
  • New Orleans Film Festival
    New Orleans, Louisiana
    United States
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Brandon Kotfila

Brandon Kotfila is an actor and filmmaker currently based in New Orleans, LA and the East Coast. Kotfila works in the film industry in the post-production department, and has written and produced a number of comedy sketches, web series, and short films. These stories tend to take a very human approach to comedic, outlandish situations.

As a storyteller, Kotfila is always looking for new opportunities to create, tell new stories and meet new people to expand the ever-growing creative team.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Why a musical about a hibachi chef? The idea started with our love for Hibachi; combining pure entertainment and comedy with
delicious food. Hibachi chefs certainly up the drama when carrying out their captivating performances. The star Chef of our film has a life that is just as dramatic as his performances. In fact, they’re one and the same. We really liked the absurdity of a hibachi chef that is so into his own world (like we all are sometimes) that his life becomes a musical.

What better way to showcase a rollercoaster of emotions in a short period of time than with music? And what could be more accessible and relatable than a hibachi dinner? We hope that you are able to be transported into this fantastical (yet quite familiar) world, and experience some of the ups and downs of your own day to day life with themes of pride, humility, empathy, perseverance, and just enjoying the little things in life.