Rika Nakayama is a filmmaker from Japan specializing in stop-motion and experimental animation. She earned her MFA in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of the Arts in 2024. Drawing from nature, memory, and sensory experience, her work uses tactile materials to bring intangible subjects to life. Her 2022 film Under a Shooting Contrail has screened at more than 20 international festivals and earned multiple awards, including Best of the Fest and Best Student Director at the Los Angeles Animation Festival. Nakayama is a 2026 Film Independent Project Involve Stop-Motion Director Fellow.