A Film By: Mary Tamura

Yokai

Yokai is now fiscally sponsored by Film Independent. You can now make donations that will be tax deductible.

We also have other ways to donate as well:

Meet the Crew

  • Mary Tamura

    WRITER, CREATOR, & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    Introducing Mary Tamura from Majikku Media, the writer and producer behind Yokai! A proud Japanese American and native Angeleno, Mary is a passionate storyteller with a love for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. With her production company, Majikku Media, she’s on a mission to bring more diversity to Hollywood and empower AAPI voices. Mary's writing has been recognized in top screenplay competitions, and her journey has been highlighted in ShoutoutLA, VoyageLA, and Bold Journey. Through Yokai, Mary hopes to inspire the AAPI community to keep sharing their stories.

  • Christine W. Chen

    DIRECTOR

    Christine W. Chen is our director. She is an Academy qualified film producer, director and writer. Since 2010, Christine has made over 15 short films, 2 feature films, and helped to produce, direct, and edit many others. Christine's films have played at New Orleans Film Festival, Hollyshorts, and Bermuda International Film Festival. Her most recent project, a feminist thriller swamp mermaid film, ERZULIE, is now available on video on demand. In addition to directing, she is a full-time DGA QL 1st Assistant Director in the industry since 2016. Her newly self-published book for aspiring filmmakers, Get Reelisms, was released in 2019.

  • Gabriel Araujo

    DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPH

    Gabriel Araujo is our Director of Photography. Growing up in Massachusetts as a first-generation child of Brazilian immigrants, films became Gabriel’s companions, paving the path to his love for visual storytelling. He's on a mission to merge diverse influences into his cinematic narratives and believes in authentic storytelling that resonates deeply, capturing candid human moments while preserving the beauty of each frame.

  • Temitope Oguntolu

    PRODUCER

    Temitope Oguntolu, a CSUN business grad, steps into her first producer role with Yokai. Temi has been there to read all of Mary’s writing and has experience as a talent manager and production assistant. Temi and Mary have been friends since high school and are excited to bring this project to life.

  • Taylor Hampton

    PRODUCER

    Taylor Hampton, a CSUN Cinema and Television Arts grad, is jumping back into the world of freelance producing. Mary and Taylor first met as Warner Bros. tour guides and have collaborated on projects such as Look-a-Likes for AGBO's No Sleep Til. Taylor has helped Mary develop Yokai over the years and is happy to see it come alive.

Meet the Cast

  • Mari Takahashi

    KIMMIE

    Meet Mari Takahashi, who will be playing our main protagonist, Kimmie. Mari is a Japanese-American actor, award-winning host, and gaming pioneer. A classically trained ballet dancer turned digital trailblazer, Mari seamlessly blends traditional entertainment with online media. From her YouTube OG roots to hosting for Netflix, and even modeling for Minecraft, she’s redefining the future of entertainment with her bold, innovative approach. Whether on screen or online, Mari lights up every project with her unique blend of artistry and creativity, inviting everyone to live a life less ordinary.

  • Jonathan Tanigaki

    BARRY

    Jonathan Tanigaki is a Japanese-American award-winning actor. You may recognize him for his portrayal of Shikamaru Nara in Re:Anime’s Naruto: Climbing Silver or for his involvement in over a dozen projects pertaining to WWII and the Japanese incarceration camps. Jonathan, at a young age, was recruited for musical theatre as a Papermill Playhouse Rising Star. He then enrolled in the American Musical & Dramatic Academy to develop his skills in acting, singing, and dancing. Since moving to LA, Jonathan has been the lead in 3 Oscar-qualifying shorts: Nisei, Infinity!, and The Lights Above. He also won best supporting actor for Enemy No More at the Vegas Movie Awards, Indie Film Fest, & Indiex Fest. You can see Jonathan on shows like NCIS: Hawaii, S.W.A.T., and the upcoming Hulu series, Paradise, as a recurring costar.

  • Jake Thomas

    CHARLIE

    From his unforgettable role as Matt on Lizzie McGuire to his work in Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Jake Thomas brings a wealth of experience to Yokai as Charlie. With over 100 TV episodes and diverse film credits, Jake’s talents extend beyond acting to include directing, writing, and proficiency in Japanese. His combination of creativity, skill, and passion for storytelling make him an exciting choice for this unique role.

  • Chris Tashima

    KURAKAGE

    Chris Tashima is an actor/director with a 30+ year career in Asian American indie features and shorts. His biggest role was the romantic lead opposite Joan Chen in Eric Byler’s Americanese . He won Best Supporting Actor at Love International Film Festival for Tim Savage’s Under the Blood Red Sun. For Paul Daisuke Goodman’s No No Girl he was nominated as Best Actor at Austin Revolution Film Festival. Chris won an Academy Award® for his short film, Visas and Virtue, which he directed and starred in as Holocaust rescuer Chiune Sugihara. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he serves as Governor of the Short Films Branch.

About Yokai

In 2021, Did you know, according to USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Hollywood movies still use harmful stereotypes of the AAPI community and only 6% of screenwriters with the WGA are AAPI. 

In 2024, TAAF shared that, “nearly half of Americans can’t think of any characters or roles for Asian American actors in TV or movies.” and when they do, “it’s usually kung fu or martial artists for males and doctors for females.”

I want to help change that. My characters are not the model minority, they are not stereotypes… They are well-rounded individuals with passion and heart. Just like all humans.

Hello There! My name is Mary Tamura (creator, producer & writer) and I am raising funds to shoot a scripted short YOKAI. Yokai is the Japanese word for “strange apparition” and is a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore. This short is an adaptation and teaser for my pilot script of the same name.  

Monsters, ghosts, spirits, and demons are always on trend but YOKAI will take this trend and have an original spin to it. Many programs on TV are western focused. This will showcase that there are crazier and interesting supernatural beings from all over the world.

YOKAI: is about a Japanese American witch who gets trapped in 1942 and teams up with her grandfather to track down an evil wizard who wants to take over the world by unleashing evil monsters and spirits, but time runs out when they are placed in Japanese Internment Camps at the start of WWII. 

Pictured: Berry Tamura and Thomas Shimazu! My Grandpa’s during the war. Berry was a No-No Boy and Thomas was a decorated 442nd veteran.

I was inspired to mix my love for horror and sci-fi, Japanese folklore, and my own personal history. The outcome of this was YOKAI. This is my way to give homage to my Grandparents who worked hard to get our family where it is today. With your help, YOKAI will focus on Japanese heritage and legends which in hopes can lead to me producing the full story and continue the legacy of those that came before. 

Pictured: Misuye Nakamori and Michiko Nakamura! My Grandmother’s during the war. Misuye worked at the mess hall in Manzanar and later moved to Tule Lake. Michiko was able to work outside of the camps as a Nanny. 

HOW WILL FUNDS BE USED: 
This fundraiser will give me and my production team the funds we need to shoot this short film, which will have a run time of approximately 10-15 minutes. Your contribution will go directly towards creating the film and will help pay for production costs for the cast, crew, post-production, craft services, film festivals, and other miscellaneous production costs. We are aiming to shoot this early next year and premiere the film sometime after. 

Thank you so much for the support and taking the time to read my story and why YOKAI is so important to me and the AAPI community. Please stay tuned for more information and additional details regarding the film. 

Both sides of my family (Tamura & Shimazu) were featured after the war in newspapers.

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Script Accolades

“Yokai” was a Finalist and Honorable Mention at the Southern California Screenplay Competition (2022).

“Fairytales” was a Semi-Finalist in the Emerging Screenwriter’s Sci-Fi & Fantasy Screenplay Competition (2022).

“Yokai” was a semi-finalist in ISA’s Sci-Fi & Fantasy + Genre-Busting Screenplay Competition (2021).

”Yokai” was a semi-finalist in ISA’s Table Read My Screenplay.

“Yokai” was a Finalist in the Ermantourage Innovasian Asian American Screenwriter’s Initiative (2022).

“Yokai” was a Semi-Finalist in the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards (2021).