Iosua Tai Taeoalii - (Josh)

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.

Josh attended the University of Utah’s film program and soon after, began making films in the mid-1990s.  During his career, he has produced a prodigious number of media products.

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”.

In 2000-2001 Josh shot his third feature, but first on film, Twice Today on Super 16mm and it 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.”

Josh has also produced and mentored several Truth about Tobacco ads, for students of Spy Hop Productions, which have appeared on television stations across the nation.

From 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 edited several commercials and promotional material for Randy Couture and Matt Lindland's MMA event, Sportfight.

In 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.

In 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.

In 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).