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Akira Boch has been making films and videos since the age of thirteen. Raised in San Juan Bautista, California, he was introduced to political theater and film production at the renowned Chicano theater organization, El Teatro Campesino. Akira earned his B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and M.F.A in Film Directing from UCLA. His documentary, Finding Fire Under My Grandma’s Fingernails (2001), was the recipient of UCLA’s Spotlight Award, and has screened in festivals across the country. Other notable films include Paletero’s Blues (1998), which was selected for the PBS series Fine Cuts, and Floating World (1999). Music video credits include Jarocho Elegua (Quetzal), Grito De Alegria (Quetzal), Controlados (Quinto Sol), and Blood On Your Hands (Aztlan Underground). Akira works as a Media Arts Specialist at JANM, serving as the primary cinematographer and editor on the Media Arts Center’s documentary productions.
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With
an MFA in film production, Esaki brings 18 years of experience
in media arts production and administration and also teaches
a community documentation class at UCLA. A veteran documentary
filmmaker, he directed MACEO: DEMON DRUMMER FROM EAST L.A.,
a cross-cultural documentary about a young Chicano taiko player
and YUKI SHIMODA: ASIAN AMERICAN ACTOR, which traces the career
of the Japanese American actor from Sacramento into the concentration
camps and finally to Hollywood. Esaki is currently directing
TOP OF THEIR GAME, a 60 minute documentary on Japanese American
athletes for an upcoming exhibit at the Japanese American National
Museum. He also serves as the Media Arts Specialist and is the
primary liaison between the Media Arts Center and the other
Museum departments.