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

Mayumi Yoshida may be, at present being praised for her filmmaking - however, to listen to her talk about that story, she got involved in the field of directing by chance. "I originally started as an actor" says Mayumi. "There was a lack of roles available, then there weren't enough roles I truly, deeply enjoyed out of the depths of my heart which made me feel"Oh, this's me.'" So, when the opportunity arose to secure funding for a film of a shorter length, Mayumi stepped up - to not just play a role but be the director - a deeply personal story.

"That resulted in a myriad of film festivals,"" says Mayumi. "It inspired me to think"Oh, there's definitely a lot more that I could do as a storyteller, as a filmmaker,' rather than just an actor." Since since then, Mayumi has continued to expand her film portfolio, notably collaborating with the musician Amanda Sum on artful music videos that challenge expectations and stretch the genre's style.

"The most helpful advice I've gotten from someone other than myself was when they advised me to own my talent," says Mayumi. This means embracing her work, even when there is self doubt. "Don't be afraid to say no to others for yourself," she adds. "You feel like"Oh, it's too late to make a difference. Oh, but I won't get in. But, it's unlikely to occur. No one has informed you that yet. You have told you that. Let it go. shoot the shot, and you never know. It is often successful. out."

We had a chance to talk with Mayumi prior to the release of her Staff Picked film "Different Than Before" won the Jury Award for Best Music Video at the 2023 SXSW festival. Check out the highlights of our conversation in the video above, and then read the complete interview below.

 What are the themes you see yourself returning to in your work?

Mayumi: The themes that I often examine in my films are searching for identity, and usually family drama. I think a lot of my films come from personal places, so dynamics between families or even trapped between different cultural, intergenerational, and cross-cultural issues are all like my kind of thing.

 How do you keep going?

Mayumi The one of the best things about films is that it lives throughout time. The story you tell the film is now a capsule, and then it'll continue to live forever, which is what these characters can experience even when you're no longer around. It seems like I've watched so many movies that was created ahead of my time  which affect my life. If I were a vessel for stories to live on forever, that became sort of my goal after I made films of my own that I really loved. I was like, "Ooh, there's more to this. It's more beyond just sharing the things I'm passionate about."

 Let us know what you thought of your Staff Pick experience.

Mayumi: It was truly, tremendously exciting. And I think it really meant a lot, to everybody, as this film had an important social message, and we wanted it to reach a wider audience, not just due to the fact that all involved worked extremely hard on the film, but also because the message was something that had to be delivered at the time, as well as. And we released it at the time of Asian Heritage Month, so it was important that a lot of viewers saw and felt it. Staff, on the other hand did their part to boost that. I truly appreciated it.

I was very familiar of Staff Picks, and I was thinking, "Oh, that's the cool group of people." It led me to think "Oh do I deserve to be there?" And now I just feel like it's just really cool friends who hang out. I'm honored to be in the circle.

 What's next?

Mayumi: The next thing for me to do is my first feature that is based on my very first short film, AKASHI. The journey has been long and I feel just thrilled that we get to shoot this. I'm very excited to premiere it at these really cool festivals - and also share it with , someday.