A filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida is forging her own way with her personal narrative

Mayumi Yoshida might be as of late being praised for her filmmaking - but to hear her tell her story, she found herself filmmaking almost on accident. "I began my career as an actor" declares Mayumi. "There weren't a lot of roles, and then there weren't enough roles that were something I loved at the core of my soul 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 also create - a deeply personal tale.

"That has led to a variety of festival screenings," says Mayumi. "It made me feel like"Oh, there's a lot more that I could be doing as a storyteller and filmmakers, not only just as an actor." Since then, Mayumi has continued to gradually expand her filmography, 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 received from a person else was when they told me to own my abilities," says Mayumi. It's about embracing the courage to champion her work even in the midst of self doubt. "Don't ever say no to anyone else," she adds. "You think"Oh, but this is not going to work yet. Oh, but I won't get in. Oh, but it's unlikely to occur. No one has informed you that yet. You have told you that. So let that go, take the shot and who knows. The majority of the time, it works out."

We were able to chat with Mayumi prior to her Staff Picked film "Different Than Before" was awarded the Jury Award for Best Music Video at the 2023 SXSW festival. Take a look at the highlights of our conversation in the above video as well as read the entire interview here.

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

Mayumi the topics I frequently investigate in my films is the seeking identity and often involving family drama. The majority of my work comes from personal places, so family dynamics or trapped between different cultures, intergenerational, cross-cultural issues are all of my thing.

 What motivates you?

Mayumi A: One among the greatest things about film is that it continues to exist for ever. It tells a story, and the film is now a time capsule. Then it'll live forever, which is what these characters will experience when you're not in the vicinity. In my experience, I've seen several films made way ahead of my time  and they affect my life. If I were the medium for stories to live on forever it became my goal after I made my own movies which I truly enjoyed. I was thinking, "Ooh, there's more to this. There's a greater purpose than just telling my story of what I am passionate about."

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

Mayumi: It was really, really exciting. And I think it really was a huge success for all of us, because the film was an important social message, and we really wanted this to have a reach, not just because each involved worked extremely hard on the project, but also because this message was one that we really needed to deliver at the time, as well as. And we released it at the time of Asian Heritage Month, so it's important to ensure that many people saw it and experienced it. Staff, on the other hand helped to make it more popular, and I was really happy with that.

I was very familiar in Staff Picks, and I was thinking, "Oh, that's the cool people group." This made me feel like "Oh, am I worthy?" 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 circle.

 What's next?

Mayumi: What's coming up for me is my first film that's based on my first short film AKASHI. It's been a long journey and I'm just excited that we actually get to shoot this. I'm really excited to show the film at these amazing festivals - and also share it with , one day.