Chris Tashima
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Chris Tashima
In 1998, Chris Tashima received an Academy Award® for Live Action Short Film, for Visas and Virtue (1997), a dramatic 26-minute portrait of Holocaust rescuer Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara, which he not only directed, but co-wrote the screenplay, adapting an
original one-act play by Tim Toyama, and starred as the heroic diplomat. To produce the film, he co-founded Cedar Grove Productions, with playwright and executive producer Toyama and producer Chris Donahue, which remains active developing and
producing projects which boldly defy mainstream Hollywood by giving Asian Americans the spotlight on stage, or the close-up on screen.
More recently, he directed, co-wrote and acted in Day of Independence (2003), Cedar Grove Productions' tribute to the 120,000 Japanese Americans who endured America's World War II concentration camps. This ambitious half-hour drama received an
Emmy® Nomination, from the NATAS Northern California Chapter, in the category of Historical/Cultural - Program/Special, in addition to being officially selected to over sixty international film festivals, garnering twenty-five awards. Chris wrote, produced,
directed and edited numerous other short films, while he studied film production at UC Santa Cruz, and with Visual Communications, an Asian Pacific American media arts organization in his hometown of Los Angeles.
As a professional actor, Chris has appeared in numerous independent films over the past 20-plus years. Most notably, he stars as the romantic lead opposite Joan Chen, in Eric Byler's indie hit, Americanese (2006), which won both the Audience Award for Best
Narrative Feature and a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast at its world premiere at the 2006 SXSW Film Festival. He has starred in two features from Sherwood Hu: Lani Loa - The Passage (Lanai-Loa (1998)) (from executive producers Francis
Ford Coppola and Wayne Wang), playing the evil gangster "Bong" opposite Angus Macfadyen, and the ensemble drama, On the Roof (2002) (in post production in 2006), as the tortured artist "Yu" opposite Eliane Chappuis. Other film work has ranged from
Elizabeth Sung's autobiographical short, Requiem (1995), opposite Tamlyn Tomita, to Rea Tajiri's groundbreaking feature, Strawberry Fields (1997), starring Suzy Nakamura.
His many theatre appearances which have graced stages from New York to Seattle have included "Ming" in the world premiere of Chay Yew's A Language Of Their Own at the Celebration Theatre, in West Hollywood (garnering an LA Weekly Theater Award for
Ensemble Performance), "Windrider" in Laurence Yep's Dragonwings which he originated at Berkeley Repertory Theatre (and reprised at Seattle Children's Theatre, the Alliance Children's Theatre, in Atlanta, and Syracuse Stage), and "Sugihara" in Toyama's
original one-act, Visas and Virtue, at the Road Theatre Company, in North Hollywood. He has worked extensively with East West Players, in Los Angeles, where among his early credits are Rashomon, Mishima and The Memento.
In addition to his lengthy career on stage, Chris has also directed for the stage, including the bilingual entertainment shows "Okaasan" - A Tribute To Mother, "Haru" - A Celebration of Spring, and Natsukashi No Tabi - Sentimental Journey. Using song, story and
dance, these programs are presented for Southern California's Japanese American senior citizens by the Grateful Crane Ensemble, where Chris also has co-produced and assists with script development. Adding to his directorial efforts, Chris is a
multi-award-winning set designer (Ovation Award - Sweeney Todd; Drama-Logue Award - Into The Woods), and has also served as producer, stage manager, and in many other backstage capacities at various theaters around Southern California.
In addition to his various film and theatre awards, Chris is also the recipient of several honors bestowed by community organizations around the country, including the "Japanese American of the Biennium," awarded by the National JACL, a Community Award
from the Japanese American Service Committee, of Chicago, a "Bridge Builder" Asian American Leadership Award presented in New York City by A. Magazine, a Special Recognition Award from the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, of Los
Angeles, a Visionary Award from East West Players, and a Humanitarian Award from The "1939" Club, a Holocaust Survivors' organization.
Chris is an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as the Directors Guild of America, where he serves on the DGA's Asian American Committee. He is also an active member of the American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists where he serves on AFTRA's APAM (Asian Pacific American Media) Task Force, in addition to belonging to the Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association.
In 1998, Chris Tashima received an Academy Award® for Live Action Short Film, for Visas and Virtue (1997), a dramatic 26-minute portrait of Holocaust rescuer Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara, which he not only directed, but co-wrote the screenplay, adapting an
original one-act play by Tim Toyama, and starred as the heroic diplomat. To produce the film, he co-founded Cedar Grove Productions, with playwright and executive producer Toyama and producer Chris Donahue, which remains active developing and
producing projects which boldly defy mainstream Hollywood by giving Asian Americans the spotlight on stage, or the close-up on screen.
More recently, he directed, co-wrote and acted in Day of Independence (2003), Cedar Grove Productions' tribute to the 120,000 Japanese Americans who endured America's World War II concentration camps. This ambitious half-hour drama received an
Emmy® Nomination, from the NATAS Northern California Chapter, in the category of Historical/Cultural - Program/Special, in addition to being officially selected to over sixty international film festivals, garnering twenty-five awards. Chris wrote, produced,
directed and edited numerous other short films, while he studied film production at UC Santa Cruz, and with Visual Communications, an Asian Pacific American media arts organization in his hometown of Los Angeles.
As a professional actor, Chris has appeared in numerous independent films over the past 20-plus years. Most notably, he stars as the romantic lead opposite Joan Chen, in Eric Byler's indie hit, Americanese (2006), which won both the Audience Award for Best
Narrative Feature and a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast at its world premiere at the 2006 SXSW Film Festival. He has starred in two features from Sherwood Hu: Lani Loa - The Passage (Lanai-Loa (1998)) (from executive producers Francis
Ford Coppola and Wayne Wang), playing the evil gangster "Bong" opposite Angus Macfadyen, and the ensemble drama, On the Roof (2002) (in post production in 2006), as the tortured artist "Yu" opposite Eliane Chappuis. Other film work has ranged from
Elizabeth Sung's autobiographical short, Requiem (1995), opposite Tamlyn Tomita, to Rea Tajiri's groundbreaking feature, Strawberry Fields (1997), starring Suzy Nakamura.
His many theatre appearances which have graced stages from New York to Seattle have included "Ming" in the world premiere of Chay Yew's A Language Of Their Own at the Celebration Theatre, in West Hollywood (garnering an LA Weekly Theater Award for
Ensemble Performance), "Windrider" in Laurence Yep's Dragonwings which he originated at Berkeley Repertory Theatre (and reprised at Seattle Children's Theatre, the Alliance Children's Theatre, in Atlanta, and Syracuse Stage), and "Sugihara" in Toyama's
original one-act, Visas and Virtue, at the Road Theatre Company, in North Hollywood. He has worked extensively with East West Players, in Los Angeles, where among his early credits are Rashomon, Mishima and The Memento.
In addition to his lengthy career on stage, Chris has also directed for the stage, including the bilingual entertainment shows "Okaasan" - A Tribute To Mother, "Haru" - A Celebration of Spring, and Natsukashi No Tabi - Sentimental Journey. Using song, story and
dance, these programs are presented for Southern California's Japanese American senior citizens by the Grateful Crane Ensemble, where Chris also has co-produced and assists with script development. Adding to his directorial efforts, Chris is a
multi-award-winning set designer (Ovation Award - Sweeney Todd; Drama-Logue Award - Into The Woods), and has also served as producer, stage manager, and in many other backstage capacities at various theaters around Southern California.
In addition to his various film and theatre awards, Chris is also the recipient of several honors bestowed by community organizations around the country, including the "Japanese American of the Biennium," awarded by the National JACL, a Community Award
from the Japanese American Service Committee, of Chicago, a "Bridge Builder" Asian American Leadership Award presented in New York City by A. Magazine, a Special Recognition Award from the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, of Los
Angeles, a Visionary Award from East West Players, and a Humanitarian Award from The "1939" Club, a Holocaust Survivors' organization.
Chris is an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as the Directors Guild of America, where he serves on the DGA's Asian American Committee. He is also an active member of the American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists where he serves on AFTRA's APAM (Asian Pacific American Media) Task Force, in addition to belonging to the Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association.
