About Joe Akira

Joe is a first generation Japanese American filmmaker living in Santa Monica, California. He grew up skating the suburbs of the South Bay, south of Los Angeles. Joe graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science w/ a Concentration in Conflict Resolution in the Middle East and minors in Entrepreneurship and Film & Television. He was involved on campus as a staff photographer for the Daily Bruin, the Photo Editor for BruinLife and the Director of Media for Second Impressions.

The thematic thread that runs consistently through all of Joe's artistic creations is that of love. The capacity to love is a formidable endowment bestowed upon us and forms the crux of Joe's work. Drawing inspiration from the principles of photojournalism, Joe's filmmaking style encapsulates the innate, authentic qualities of the image. His workflow prioritizes capturing visually exquisite footage during the filming process itself, thus reducing the need for elaborate post-production techniques such as excessive effects, color correction, or intricate editing.

"I am Joe Akira, actor & director. Hopefully, this site will give you a glimpse of who I am, what my values are & my perspective on the world. Coming from a background in photojournalism, I like to define my style as minimalistic, but aesthetic. Huge thanks to everyone’s who’s been a part of my life, big or small, because these experiences & encounters have made me who I am today."

Cheers,

Josef Akira