Chris Tashima

In 1998, Chris Tashima received an Academy Award® for Live Action Short Film, for Visas and Virtue (1997) -- a 26-minute historical drama inspired by Holocaust rescuer Chiune 'Sempo' Sugihara -- which he directed, co-wrote (adapting an original one-act play by Tim Toyama), and starred as the Humanitarian 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."

As a follow-up, Tashima 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. The 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.

Tashima 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 actor, Tashima has starred in numerous independent films over the past 35-plus years. In his biggest role, he played the romantic lead opposite Joan Chen in Eric Byler's festival favorite Americanese (2006), which won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast at its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. More recently, he played real-life Nisei educator/activist Shigeo Yoshida in Alexander Bocchieri's Go for Broke (2018), from screenwriter/executive producer Stacey Hayashi, and Game Keeper Mr. Chan opposite Rutger Hauer in the sci-fi thriller RPG [Real Playing Game (2013)], a Portuguese production from Tino Navarro. Other roles range from the historical figure, Japanese American pioneering newspaperman Sei Fujii, in Jeffrey Gee Chin's period noir dramatic short Lil Tokyo Reporter (2012) to, more recently, Hiro in Brian Tang's SWAT Samurai fantasy/action short Kodama (2023), receiving a World Premiere at SXSW 2023. Tashima was awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the inaugural Love International Film Festival (Los Angeles) for his portrayal of Papa in Tim Savage's Under the Blood-Red Sun (2014) from producer Dana Satler Hankins. At the 11th Austin Revolution Film Festival he received two nominations: for Actor in a U.S. Feature Film, and for the 'Margaret Ann Garza' Actor of the Year Award, both for his performance as Uncle Bob in No No Girl (2022), a generational family comedy written and directed by Paul Daisuke Goodman.

Tashima's theatre appearances 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 theatre performance Tashima has directed for the stage, including the the world premieres of Dan Kwong's "Be Like Water" at East West Players, and Soji Kashiwagi's "Nihonmachi: The Place to Be" for the Grateful Crane Ensemble. Tashima is also a multi-award-winning scenic designer (Ovation Award - "Sweeney Todd," Drama-Logue Award - "Into the Woods").

Tashima has been the recipient of honors from community organizations from around the country, including the "Japanese American of the Biennium" awarded by the Japanese American Citizens League (National JACL), an Unsung Heroes Award from Asian Hustle Network (national), a Community Award from the Japanese American Service Committee (Chicago), a "Bridge Builder" Award at the Asian American Leadership Awards (1998) presented by A. Magazine (NYC), a Special Recognition Award from the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (Los Angeles), a Visionary Award from East West Players (LA), and a Humanitarian Award from The "1939" Club, a Holocaust Survivors' organization (LA).

Tashima is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he was elected in 2024 as Governor of the Short Films Branch. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, where he serves on the DGA's Asian American Committee. He is also an active member of SAG-AFTRA where he serves on the National APAM (Asian Pacific American Media) Committee. And in addition, he is a member of Actors' Equity Association, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

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