Filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida is forging her own path with personal storytelling

Mayumi Yoshida might be as of late getting attention because of her work in filmmaking, yet, as she tells that story, she got involved in directing almost by accident. "I began my career acting as an actor" claims Mayumi. "There weren't a lot of roles, and then there weren't enough roles were something I loved at the core of my soul and made me feel"Oh, this's my life.'" So, when the opportunity arose to secure funding for a short film, Mayumi stepped up - to not just play a role but also be the director the film, which is a personal narrative.

"That resulted in a myriad of film festivals,"" says Mayumi. "It inspired me to think, 'Oh, there's plenty I can do as a storyteller, as filmmakers, in addition to being an actor." Since then, Mayumi has continued to steadily build her film repertoire, notably collaborating with artist Amanda Sum on artful music videos that challenge expectations and challenge the genre's structure.

"The greatest advice I've received from a person who was not me was the one that told me to be accountable for my abilities," says Mayumi. That means fearlessly championing her work, even when there is self doubt. "Don't ever say no to yourself for others," she adds. "You feel like"Oh, but this is too late to make a difference. Oh, but I won't get in. It's just not going to happen.' Nobody has told you this yet. You have told you that. So let that go, take the shot and never know. It is often successful. out."

We got to chat with Mayumi shortly before her Staff Picked film "Different Than before" won the Jury Award for Best Music Video at the 2023 SXSW festival. Check out the highlights from our chat in the clip above and read the full interview below.

 What themes do you find you returning to throughout your job?

Mayumi Mayumi: The topics I frequently examine in my films are search of identity, oftentimes family drama. I think a lot of my work comes from the personal, which means that there are relationships between families, or stuck in between the different cultures, intergenerational and cross-cultural issues are all of my thing.

 What motivates you?

Mayumi The one of the best things about film is that it continues to exist forever. It tells a story, and now it's like this container, but it'll continue to live forever, which is what these characters can experience even when you're no longer around. And I think I've seen so many movies that was made way prior to my birth , and it affects my life. If I were the medium to create stories that would continue to be told for a lifetime, that became sort of my purpose after creating my own films which I truly enjoyed. I thought, "Ooh, there's more to this. There's a bigger call beyond just sharing the things I'm passionate about."

 We would love to hear what you thought of your Staff Pick experience.

Mayumi The experience was really, really exciting. In my opinion, it meant a lot, to everybody, as the film was an important social message, and we really wanted this to be a success not only because all involved worked extremely hard on it, but because this message was something had to be delivered in the moment, and continues to. We released the film during Asian Heritage Month, so it really mattered that lots of people saw it and experienced it. The staff also, boosted that, so I really appreciated that.

I had been very familiar in Staff Picks, and I simply thought, "Oh, that's the cool group of people." It caused me to feel as "Oh, am I worthy?" And now I am feeling like I'm just super cool people hanging out, so I'm really honored to be in the group.

 What's next for you?

Mayumi: The next thing for me to do is my debut film that's based on my first short film, AKASHI. It's been a long journey and I'm so happy that we actually get to make this. I'm very excited to premiere it at these really cool festivals - and also share it with , in the future.