Mayumi Yoshida may be, as of late, in the spotlight for her filmmaking – but to hear her tell it, she got into directing almost by accident. “I originally started as an actor,” says Mayumi. “There weren’t a lot of roles, and then there weren’t enough roles that I really, really enjoyed from the bottom of my heart that made me feel like, ‘Oh, this is me.’” So, when an opportunity came up to secure funding for a short film, Mayumi stepped up – to not only star in but also direct – a deeply personal story.
“That led to so many film festivals,” says Mayumi. “It made me feel like, ‘Oh, there’s a lot more that I could do as a storyteller, as a filmmaker,’ not only just as an actor.” Since then, Mayumi has continued to steadily build her film repertoire, notably collaborating with musician Amanda Sum on artful music videos that upend expectations and stretch the genre’s form.
“The best advice I’ve ever gotten from someone else was when they told me to take responsibility of my talent,” says Mayumi. That means fearlessly championing her work, even in the midst of self doubt. “Don’t say ‘no’ to yourself for others,” she adds. “You feel like, ‘Oh, but it’s not going to work yet. Oh, but I won’t get in. Oh, but it’s not going to happen.’ Nobody has told you that yet. You have told you that. So let that go, shoot the shot, and you never know. Most times it does work out.”
We had a chance to sit down with Mayumi just before her Staff Picked film “Different Than Before” took home the Jury Award for Best Music Video at the 2023 SXSW festival. Take a look at the highlights from our chat in the video above, and read the full interview below.
What themes do you find yourself returning to in your work?
Mayumi: The themes that I often explore in my films are search of identity, oftentimes family drama. I think a lot of my films come from personal places, so dynamics between families or even stuck in between cultures, intergenerational, intercultural, those are sort of right up my alley.
What keeps you going?
Mayumi: One of the best things about film is that it lives forever. You tell a story and now it’s like this capsule, and then it will just live on eternally, and these people will experience when you’re not around. And I think I’ve seen so many movies that was made way before I was born , and it affects me. If I could be a vessel to tell stories that could live on forever, that became sort of my mission after making my own films that I really loved. I was like, “Ooh, there’s more to this. There’s a bigger call than just telling what I love passionately.”
Tell us about your Staff Pick experience.
Mayumi: It was really, really exciting. And I think it really meant a lot, to all of us, because this film had a social message and we really wanted this to have a reach, not only because all of us worked hard on it, but because this message was something that we really needed to deliver at the time, and still. And we released it during Asian Heritage Month, so it really mattered that a lot of people saw it and experienced it. And Vimeo staff, they just, boosted that, so I really appreciated that.
I was very familiar with Vimeo Staff Picks, and I just thought, “Oh, that’s the cool people group.” That 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 honored to be in the circle.
What’s next for you?
Mayumi: What’s next for me is my very first feature that is based on my very first short film, AKASHI. It’s been a long journey and I feel just thrilled that we actually get to film this. I’m very excited to premiere it at these really cool festivals – and also share it with Vimeo, one day.
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