Indie Filmmaker of the Day: Myles Yaksich
Today our indie filmmaker of the day is the inspirational Myles Yaksich. He remains a clear example of a creative who answered the urge to tell stories even after building a stable career elsewhere. Born in Canada, Yaksich grew up traveling and absorbing arts and culture. After earning a degree in finance and economics, he worked in investment banking in Singapore and private equity across Southeast Asia. Success in those circles did not quiet the pull toward film, so he moved from Asia to Los Angeles and started over.
Yaksich released his directorial debut, Poppies, in 2018. The short is a lush, evocative dive into past lives and love and the unexpected lessons they deliver. It collected more than seventeen awards across twenty-five festivals in five countries, including two Oscar-qualifying events, and reached the finalist slot at That Film Festival. The same year the director wrapped Erin, his second short, which later won eight awards at the Independent Shorts Awards, among them Best Drama, Best Director, Best Original Story, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography. It also earned Platinum honors for Best Director and Best Cinematography and later became available on Amazon.
Erin film details and awards
In Erin a routine life fractures when David, a research assistant who dreams of becoming an astronaut, discovers a lost application letter from Erin Taylor in London. Frustrated with his academic work, he opens the letter and grows infatuated with her assertiveness and curiosity. Erin is adventurous where David is cautious, and their letters grow intimate while his fantasies of romance deepen. When she reaches out for help, he must decide whether to test the fantasy against reality. Though set in 1960s America, the story speaks to the power of imagination and the danger of expectations, themes that resonate even more in an age of curated online selves. Producer Cindy Y. Lu and executive producer Jennie Lew Tugend returned from Poppies, and the cast features Kym Wilson, Felix Martinsson, Lily Richards, Claire Birmingham, and Hector Moss.
Poppies feature plans
The original plan called for a feature-length version of Poppies, yet the project that ultimately became Yaksich’s first feature took a different shape. Albatross arrived instead, carrying forward the same interest in memory and consequence while shifting focus to the digital age. The short itself later found distribution through outlets such as IndiePix, preserving its festival legacy without replacing the feature debut that followed.
Feature Film Breakthrough: Albatross
Released around 2021-2022, Albatross marked Yaksich’s completed feature debut. He wrote and directed the film, again working with Jennie Lew Tugend as executive producer. The story examines desire and consequence through a contemporary lens, extending the thematic threads already visible in the earlier shorts. Industry observers noted the professional scale of the production and the director’s attention to visual detail, qualities that had already surfaced on the Poppies set.
Recent Projects and 2026 Releases
Yaksich continues to build a slate through Harbour View Pictures, the company he founded to develop independent narrative features and limited series in the three-to-ten-million-dollar range. Blood Yolk is slated for 2026, and his screenplay The Barracuda Alchemist earned a nomination at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. These projects sit alongside active development of new material that keeps the same focus on character-driven stories about culture, relationships, and memory.
Industry Perspectives on Streaming and Independent Film
In recent interviews Yaksich has described streaming platforms as a double-edged sword for independent filmmakers. While wider access exists, he stresses that universal themes and inclusive storytelling remain the surest route to audience connection. He continues to argue that character remains the center of any durable narrative, whether the project lands on a festival screen or a streaming queue.
Teaching and Mentorship Role
Yaksich also teaches at UCLA Extension, drawing on training from Toronto Film and other institutions. His classes cover project development for features and limited series, giving emerging writers and directors practical insight into financing, collaboration, and festival strategy. Students gain exposure to the same workflow that moved him from finance offices in Asia to sets in Los Angeles.
Current activities keep the profile current. Yaksich remains active on Instagram under the handle mylesyaksich and on TikTok, where he shares behind-the-scenes glimpses and festival updates. He founded Harbour View Pictures to support the next round of projects, and recent interviews from 2025-2026 show continued festival presence and industry conversations. The three testimonials that greeted his early shorts still ring true. Executive producer Jennie Lew Tugend called him the real deal and looked forward to his feature debut. Actor Matthew Knowles praised the professional scale of the Poppies set and the director’s detail-oriented vision. Actor Felix Martinsson highlighted the communication and trust that defined the Erin shoot. Those qualities now underpin a longer career that includes completed features, upcoming releases, and classroom work that passes the same craft forward. Myles Yaksich keeps expanding the line between reality and fantasy through film and photography, and the record shows steady momentum rather than a single moment of arrival.
