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Steven Okazaki Biography

Birth Name:Steven Okazaki

Birth Place:Venice, California, United States

Profession Director, Producer, Editor, Writer, Cinematographer, Camera department, Editorial department, Music department

Fast Facts

  • Recognized by the Asian American International Film Festival in 1991 for his contributions to cinema
  • One of his first major award wins came in 1987 at the Sundance Film Festival for "Living On Tokyo Time"
  • A third-generation Sansei Japanese American, his work often centers around the trials faced in the home country of his ancestors
  • Began as a documentary assistant at Churchill Films in 1976 before eventually going on to direct and produce by the early '80s
  • Was once a member of the punk rock group The Maids in the late '70s

Awards

  • 1987Grand Jury Prize-Dramatic: nominated
  • 1991Oscar-Best Documentary, Short Subjects: winner
  • 1991Grand Prix-International Competition: winner
  • 1991Youth Jury Award-International Competition: winner
  • 2007Grand Jury Prize-Documentary: nominated
  • 2008PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 2008Primetime Emmy-Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking: winner
  • 2015Venezia Classici Award-Best Documentary on Cinema: nominated
  • 2016Maysles Brothers Award-Best Documentary: nominated
  • 2016Halekulani Golden Orchid Award-Documentary Feature: nominated
  • 2017Cinema Eye Honors Award-Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking for Television: nominated