Midi Onodera facts for kids

Midi Onodera is a talented Japanese-Canadian filmmaker. She creates amazing films and videos using many different styles. Her works often mix old formats like 16mm film with newer ones like digital video. Midi Onodera's art explores ideas about who we are as individuals and as part of a group.

Early Life and Inspiration

Midi Onodera grew up in Toronto, Canada. Her grandmother, who came to Canada many years ago, spoke a special mix of old Japanese and English. This unique background might have influenced Midi's art.

In college, Midi studied art and had a lot of freedom to use the school's equipment. She decided to become a filmmaker after a professor told her she was "going against tradition" by telling stories in her paintings. This criticism actually inspired her to find her own way of telling stories through film!

Midi Onodera's Education

Midi Onodera has studied at several places to develop her skills. Here's a look at her education:

Creative Career and Projects

Midi Onodera was born in Toronto, Ontario. She has made over 25 independent short films and a full-length movie. Her films and videos have been shown all over the world.

Starting in 2006, Midi created almost 500 short videos for different projects. She also wrote two essays about "mobile cinema," which is about making films using mobile devices.

One of her films, Ten Cents a Dance (Parallax) (1985), was very impactful. Film expert Judith Mayne said this film explored important ideas about identity and personal choice. It even caused a lot of discussion at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco!

Another interesting project was Midi's "movie-a-day" series. For this, she made 365 short videos, mostly using a small toy digital camera called "VcamNow." Film expert Catherine Russell described these videos as "like a surprise package or candy." She said the project showed how digital media creates a world that is "fragmented, networked, and everywhere."

Famous performance artist Tanya Mars called Midi Onodera "a thoughtful, daring filmmaker." She noted that Midi brought new ideas to Canadian art when there wasn't much variety.

Midi Onodera has also shared her knowledge with others. She has been a speaker, judge, and lecturer for over 50 film groups and universities worldwide. For example, she spoke at Meiji Gaukin University in Tokyo, Japan, in 2008. She was also a judge for the Toronto Arts Council in 2002.

Today, Midi works as a media consultant, director, and producer for MAC Cosmetics.

Films and Videos

Midi Onodera has created many films and videos throughout her career. Here are some of her notable works:

• Untitled (1979)
• Contemplation (1979)
• Reality-Illusion (1979)
• A Film (1980)
• Filter Queen (1980)
• The Bird That Chirped On Bathurst (1981)
• Home Movies (1981)
• Food Trilogy (1981)
  • What's For Lunch Charley?
  • One Burger, Hold the Pickle
  • Aprés Diner
• Endocrine (1982)
• One If By Land, Two If By Sea (1982)
• Idiot's Delight (1983)
• Home Was Never Like This (1983)
• Ville Quelle Ville (1984)
• Ten Cents A Dance (1985)
• Made In Japan (1985)
• After Car Crash, Woman Kills Two (1985)
• The Dead Zone (1985)
• The Displaced View (1988)
• Then/Now (1988)
• General Idea – Artist's Profile (1989)
• David Cronenberg – Artist's Profile (1990)
• Heartbreak Hoteru (1990)
• A Performance by Jack Smith (1992)
• Skin Deep (1995)
• the basement girl (2000)
• Slightseer (2001)
• Nobody Knows (2002)
• Alphagirls (2002)
• I have no memory of my direction (2005)
• 365 Short Videos (2006)
• First Bloom, shortlisted at Filminute 2007 (2007)
• A Movie a Week (2009)
• The Coyotes Must See the Moon... (2017)
• Down the Drain (2017)
• Nuts (2017)

Awards and Recognition

Midi Onodera has received many awards for her filmmaking. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Midi Onodera para niños

• List of female film and television directors