Episode 12: Akashi And Beyond ( With Mayumi Yoshida)

This is such a fabulous episode!  Mayumi Yoshida shares her journey from a multicultural upbringing to becoming a filmmaker. She discusses the challenges she faced in the acting industry, particularly regarding representation, and how these experiences motivated her to create her own opportunities in theatre and film. Mayumi reflects on the impact of her grandmother's stories on her creative work, particularly in her film 'Akashi', which explores themes of love, commitment, and cultural identity. She emphasizes the importance of personal narratives in filmmaking and the support of her community in navigating the industry as an independent filmmaker. 

You can catch screenings of 'Akashi' at the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival on Sunday November 9th at TIFF Lightbox and also coming up in Vancouver at Vancouver Asian Film Festival on November 15th at 9pm at Scotia Bank Theatre as the festival's closing film!

Mayumi Yoshida is a Japanese-born, Vancouver-based actor, writer, and director whose work bridges cultures and generations. Raised across Japan, Belgium, and the U.S., her international upbringing informs her storytelling—intimate, emotionally layered, and often exploring identity, intergenerational trauma, and the quiet ache of belonging. A TIFF Writer’s Studio alum and participant in WBD Access x Canadian Academy, and Beyond Japan Filmmakers Program (mentored by Hirokazu Koreeda). Yoshida crafts character-driven narratives with understated emotional power. Her directorial debut short, AKASHI, which she also wrote and starred in, won Outstanding Writer out of 4500 films at the NBCUniversal Short Film Festival and Best Female Director at the Vancouver Short Film Festival. Her SXSW Jury Award-winning music video Different Than Before was also nominated for a JUNO. She recently served as Associate Producer on the A24/Apple TV+ series SUNNY. Her debut feature, AKASHI just had it's award winning premiere at VIFF!

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Background

05:47
Journey into Filmmaking

09:19
Theater to Film Transition

12:11
Creating Akashi: The Play

17:52
Inspiration Behind Akashi: A Personal Story

23:01
Exploring Themes of Love and Commitment

28:06
The Influence of Family Stories

30:27
Navigating Personal Loss and Creative Expression

34:20
The Journey of a First-Time Filmmaker

36:16
Funding and Community Support in Filmmaking

37:59
Unexpected Success and Recognition

40:48
Embracing Identity and Ownership in Filmmaking

44:15
The Transition from Short Film to Feature

45:39
Building Experience Through Diverse Projects

49:42
The Importance of Story in Creative Choices

53:57
Visual Storytelling Beyond Dialogue

55:17
Symbolism and Juxtaposition in Film

57:36
Exploring Minimal Dialogue in Cinema

59:02
Shooting in Japan: Challenges and Creativity

01:01:12
Collaborative Filmmaking: The Importance of Team

01:03:20
Balancing Budget and Creative Control

01:07:00
The Casting Process: Building Connections

01:09:50
THIS ONE TIME: Community Impact in Filmmaking