Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ryuhei Kitamura moved to Australia at age 16 because his favorite influences came from that country. He chose Sydney specifically for its connection to artists like George Miller and the band INXS.
The cult film Versus arrived in 2000 as Ryuhei Kitamura's first feature-length project. International recognition followed when the film released on DVD outside Japan in 2004.
Ryuhei Kitamura directed the in-game cutscenes for Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes developed by Silicon Knights. This work represented his only major involvement in interactive entertainment media.
The Midnight Meat Train starring Bradley Cooper released directly to secondary markets on the 1st of August 2008 despite critical praise. Critics responded positively but the box office numbers failed to meet expectations.
Ryuhei Kitamura returned to Japan after graduating from his Australian studies and established Napalm Films as an independent production studio. His short film Down to Hell won awards and motivated him to pursue filmmaking seriously.