Guam native film director nominated for the 2024 James Beard Media Award
Guam native Rioin Oshiro has earned a prestigious nomination for the 2024 James Beard Media Awards with his short documentary, Great Wall.
Raised on the vibrant island of Guam by his parents Robert and Irene Oshiro, Rioin Oshiro has always had a connection to his cultural roots. After relocating to the United States for college in 2013, Oshiro pursued his passion for filmmaking, eventually establishing Undercurrent Film Co. in Greenville, Southern California.
Produced under Oshiro's company, Undercurrent Film Co., the film follows the journey of Khailing Neoh, a Chinese-American woman navigating her familial legacy and culinary passion by opening a restaurant called Sum Bar.
Neoh’s family immigrated to America from Eastern Asia in the early 1980s. Scarred by her upbringing in the restaurant industry, she initially pursued a career in chemical engineering.
However, her true calling emerged when she decided to open her own dim sum restaurant, bridging the gap between her familial heritage and her personal aspirations.
Great Wall has been nominated in the Visual Media; Short Form category alongside two other formidable contenders. The winner will be announced at the James Beard Media Awards ceremony, set to take place in Chicago on the campus of Columbia College Chicago on Saturday, June 8.