A documentary film about the Japanese American activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya who played a pivotal role in the major social justice movements of the 20th century.

KIYOSHI is a documentary film about Kiyoshi Kuromiya (1943–2000), one of the most remarkable and underrecognized activists of the 20th century. Born in a Japanese American internment camp, Kuromiya dedicated his life to fighting for freedom — his activism touching virtually every major social justice movement of his era: civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, the anti-war movement, AIDS activism, and healthcare equity.

These experiences culminated in perhaps his most consequential work. At the dawn of the internet, Kuromiya created the Critical Path AIDS Project — an early website providing life-saving treatment information at a moment when such information was nearly impossible to access. For people living with HIV/AIDS, it was often a lifeline.

The film is directed by Glenn Holsten and conceived with Executive Producer Keith Brand. Teresa is Co-producer — advising on goals and strategy, keeping the project on schedule and within budget, and writing and reporting on all grants in close collaboration with Glenn Holsten. Co-producer Rob Buscher leads the community organizing. Che Gossett provides research support as Kuromiya's biographer. The William Way LGBT Community Center is the institutional partner.

The current political moment — marked by the resurgence of detention camps, mass deportations, and renewed attacks on LGBTQ+ communities — gives the film added urgency. Scheduled to premiere in fall 2026, KIYOSHI offers not only historical documentation but a roadmap for activists today.

Primary support comes from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional funding from the Calamus Foundation, Philadelphia Foundation, Rowan University, The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, Takahashi Foundation, UCLA Aratani CARE Foundation, and William Way LGBT Community Center.

Learn more at kiyoshifilm.com · Instagram

Advisory Group

Tauhid Chappell · Zara Espinoza · Antoine Haywood · Mike Marsico · Mas Nakawatase

Partnerships

Japanese American Citizens League, Philadelphia Chapter · Philly Asian & Queer · PhillyCAM · University of Pennsylvania Asian American Studies Program

Photos

1. KIYOSHI film set with projected image of Kiyoshi Kuromiya with his mother in the 1980s at the site of the Heart Mountain Japanese American internment camp, 2024 · 2. Larry Kuromiya, Kiyoshi’s brother, at Heart Mountain, 2024 · 3. Kiyoshi Kuromiya and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1965 · 4. Composite image of three film stills featuring activist readers Sakee Kikuchi (top) and Christian Lovehall (bottom) · 5. Composite image of three film stills featuring activist readers Rex Yin (top), Quynh-Mai Nguyen (bottom), and filmmaker Idris-Izzy Mansaray (center) · 6. Kiyoshi Day Symposium flyer · 7. ACT-UP Philadelphia protest, early 1990s