Tim Toyama

Education

He attended California State University, Northridge (CSUN) as an English major.

Career

He is Sansei (third-generation Japanese American) living in Los Angeles, California. His plays have been produced at The Complex in Los Angeles and The Road Theatre Company at the Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood, California. His best-known work is Visas and Virtue, which is based on the story of Holocaust rescuer Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara – known as "The Japanese Schindler".

In addition to serving as the film"s executive producer, Toyama co-founded Cedar Grove with Tashima and producer Chris Donahue.

By producing professional dramatic films intended for entertainment and educational use, Cedar Grove has brought forth Asian American stories, history and issues which were previously either glossed over in textbooks or ignored by the mainstream media. Cedar Grove "remains dedicated to developing and producing projects that boldly defy mainstream Hollywood by giving Asian Americans the spotlight on stage, and the close-up on screen." Toyama teamed up with Aaron Woolfolk to write the play Bronzeville, about Los Angeles"s Little Tokyo during World World War II when African Americans became the primary residents there after Japanese Americans were relocated to internment camps.

The play received its world premiere in April 2009 and was produced by the Robey Theatre Company in association with the LATC in downtown Los Los Angeles The play received a nomination for an Ovation Award for Original Playwriting in October 2009.

Toyama"s play Independence Day was also adapted to the screen by Cedar Grove as a half-hour television special for Public Broadcasting Service. Toyama co-wrote the screenplay and served as executive producer on the film.

In addition to its Public Broadcasting Service broadcast, the film has been shown at over sixty international film and video festivals and has garnered twenty-five awards.

Achievements

• He has served on the Artistic Board at The Road Theatre Company as well as the Literary Committee at East West Players. He has been honored with awards from various community organizations, including "Japanese American of the Biennium" awarded by the National JACL, a Community Award from the Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago, Special Recognition from the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center of Los Angeles, a Visionary Award from East West Players, and a Humanitarian Award from The 1939 Club, a Holocaust Survivors" organization. In July 2008 Toyama received the Ruby Yoshino Schaar Playwright Award presented by the New York/National JACL for his play Yuri and Malcolm X.

Views

He has made cameo appearances in several independent films including Day of Independence, Stand Up for Justice, The First Battle, Americanese, American Zombie and Mamo"s Weeds.