IOSUA
TAI TAEOALII
Film and Video Bio:
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Iosua Tai Taeoalii (Josh), American/Samoan
filmmaker and the founder of Weird Chief Pictures, has been a Producer,
Director, Editor, and Cinematographer for feature films, television, commercial
ads, corporate videos, music videos and indie DV productions for over a decade.
1995-1999 - Josh attended the University of Utah’s film program and soon
after, began making films in the mid-1990s.
1998-2000 -
Josh shot his first two features on video, for what could be considered as
used-car prices. Luck & Rat Poisoning and Hustlin’ a Hustler. Both films
premiered in Salt Lake City and both received critical acclaim from the Salt
Lake Tribune, City Weekly, and The Event Magazine. Luck & Rat Poisoning
also
had a short run at Utah’s art-house theater, “The Tower”.
2000-2001 - Josh's 3rd feature film, shot on 16mm, Twice Today was invited to the
AngelCiti Film Festival in Los Angeles,
California where it premiered at Paramount Studios. In July of 2002, Twice Today
was also invited to the Real to Reel Film Festival in Shelby, North Carolina,
where it won the award for “Best Amateur Feature Film.”
2001-2003 - produced and mentored several Truth about Tobacco ads, for
students of Spy Hop Productions, which have appeared on television stations
across the nation.
2003-2006 - between filmmaking, Josh produced and edited 52 episodes of the
Ultimate Combat Experience, a UPN Z24 weekly television series featuring
tournaments of kickboxing and no holds barred fighting. His work with UCE led to
the opportunity to produce and edit several commercials and promotional
material for Randy Couture and Matt Lindland's MMA event, Sportfight.
2004-2005 - Josh created, in corroboration with early Spy Hop employees, the
critically acclaimed weekly television series 3.2 Percent on UPN Z24 Television,
displaying the nightlife, music, sports, culture and lifestyle in Utah. Josh
wrote, produced, directed, and edited the majority of the 11 episode season,
before finding his way back to his real passion, which is filmmaking.
2006 - Josh produced and directed Waiting a short film which was invited as an
Official Selection at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival the 2006 Real to Reel
Film Festival and the 2006 Arizona International Film Festival.
2007 - Josh produced and directed the feature film Darkroom starring David
Stevens, Darren Dalton and Todd Bridges. Darkroom has screened at the 2008
Big
Muddy Film Festival (IL), Okanagan Film Festival (ON), Big Island Film Festival
(HI), Bare Bones Film Festival (OK), and the Dances With Films Festival
(CA).
2010-2011 - Josh has been editing the commercials and promotional videos
for Showdown Fights
2011 - Darkroom is picked up for VOD and DVD distribution by
Vanguard Cinema.