A filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida is forging her own path with personal storytelling

Mayumi Yoshida may be, as of late getting attention because of her work in filmmaking, however, to listen to her talk about that story, she got involved in directing almost by accident. "I began my career acting as an actor" claims Mayumi. "There were not a ton of roles, and then there weren't enough roles that I really, really enjoyed at the core of my soul which made me feel, 'Oh, this is my life.'" So, when the opportunity arose to secure funding for a film of a shorter length, Mayumi stepped up - to not only star in but be the director an intimate tale.

"That led to so many film festivals,"" Says Mayumi. "It made me feel like"Oh, there's plenty I could be doing in my capacity as a storyteller, an artist, and rather than just an actor." Since since then, Mayumi has continued to expand her film portfolio, notably collaborating with artist Amanda Sum on artful music videos that upend expectations and stretch the genre's form.

"The most helpful advice I've received from anyone other than myself was when they advised me to be accountable for my talents," says Mayumi. It's about embracing the courage to champion her art, even in the midst of self-doubt. "Don't ever say no to yourself for others," she adds. "You think"Oh, but this is not working yet. Oh, but I won't get in. But, it's not happening. There is no one who has told you that until now. You have told you that. Let it go. take the shot and who knows. The majority of the time, it works out."

We had a chance to chat with Mayumi just before the release of her Staff Picked film "Different Than before" was awarded the Jury Award for Best Music Video at the 2023 SXSW festival. Watch the highlights from our chat in the video above, and read the full interview below.

 What are the themes you see yourself returning to over and over in your job?

Mayumi Mayumi: The topics I frequently examine in my films are seeking identity and often involving family drama. I think a lot of my work comes from the personal, which means that there are relationships between families, or being stuck between cultural, intergenerational, and multi-cultural are kind of my thing.

 What motivates you?

Mayumi: One of the best things about films is the fact that it lasts forever. The story you tell now it's like this container, but it'll continue to live for eternity, just like the people who are experiencing even when you're not present. It seems like I've watched so many movies that was created before I was born  which affect my life. If I were a vessel for stories to live on forever, that became sort of my goal after I made my own movies that I loved. I thought, "Ooh, there's more to this. It's more than just telling what I love passionately."

 Let us know how you felt about the Staff Pick experience.

Mayumi The experience was really, really exciting. And I think it really had a significant impact on all of us, because this movie had a message for the social and we really wanted this to have a reach, not just because each involved worked extremely hard on the film, but also because the message was one that had to be delivered at the time, and continues to. The film was released at the time of Asian Heritage Month, so it's important to ensure that lots of viewers saw and felt it. The staff also, boosted that, so I really appreciated that.

I was very acquainted of Staff Picks, and I just thought, "Oh, that's the cool people group." It made me feel like "Oh do I deserve to be there?" And now I just feel like it's just really cool friends hanging out, so I'm really happy to be a part of this group.

 What's next?

Mayumi: The next thing for me to do is my debut feature film based off my very first short film, AKASHI. It's been an extremely long road and I'm so happy that we actually get to make this. I'm really excited to show this at some of these cool festival and then have it shared with others, on one day.