‘Poppies’ on Amazon: We talk with indie director Myles Yaksich

Today our indie filmmaker of the day is the inspirational Myles Yaksich. He’s a great example of a creative who was so inspired to make art that he chose to change careers in mid-life.

Myles Yaksich was born in Canada and learned at a young age to travel and appreciate arts and culture. After completing his degree in finance and economics, he pursued investment banking in Singapore and private equity in Southeast Asia. Despite his success in the world of finance, his itch to tell stories in film finally won out and he relocated from Asia to Los Angeles to start his filmmaking career.

In 2018, Yaksich released his directorial debut, Poppies, a lush, evocative dive into past lives and love and the unexpected lessons we can learn. The film has won over 17 awards in more than 25 festivals (including two Oscar-qualifying) in five countries – including winning a finalist slot in the prestigious That Film Festival.

Poppies is now coming to Amazon Prime Video. We grabbed a coffee with Myles earlier this week to talk about his career in film.

FD: Tell us about what inspired you to change careers.

MY: Although I had a previous career in the world of investment banking in Asia, I’ve always been interested in film. As I got closer to starting my MBA in 2016, I realized the further I progressed down the path of finance, the further I would be from film. Consequently, I decided to make a drastic change and enrolled in UCLA Extension’s Directing Certificate.

Was filmmaking always a goal for you?

When I was young, I would play with stop-motion animation. This turned into writing scripts and before I was a teenager, I wrote and directed a murder mystery. However, as I progressed through high school and university I wanted to experience life abroad. Film has always been in my mind, and always seemed like something I could pursue when ready.

What creative partnerships did you make that influenced your approach?

Moving to Los Angeles without knowing anyone in the industry was tough, but also thrilling – one of my favorite things about this city is all the creatives looking to collaborate. I met a great team of hard-working professionals that supported my vision and trusted my instincts to tell the story, while also encouraging me to push my boundaries.

Do you have a mentor?

One mentor of mine is Jennie Lew Tugend, an industry veteran behind the Free Willy and Lethal Weapon franchises. She has been an immense source of inspiration and motivation, teaching me about the practical aspects of filmmaking and helping me bridge the gap between my business background and the creative.

How did you go about pursuing a film career? What tips do you have for new filmmakers starting out?

I think the best pieces of advice are (i) start and (ii) prepare. Start writing and creating content – no matter the budget. If you’re lucky to be in a big city like L.A. or New York you can find talented actors and crew to support you, and with the technology today, you can film with your phone and a simple lav.

All of this practice helps you prepare for the moment you do have a budget and can start creating content with higher production value. Preparation is key; story and talent are most important – so the more you write, create shot lists, etc., the more prepared you are for when the opportunity strikes.

What was the inspiration behind Poppies?

Poppies is a deeply personal story and based upon my own experiences living in Asia, the impact the culture had on me, and trying to reconcile the internal struggles I dealt with. Charles is a version of myself, while Auntie Ling is a representation of the culture and the impact it had on my views about love and family.

I wanted to play with themes of fate and destiny as well as the idea of storytelling – and show how a seemingly chance encounter can have a lasting impact.

How did you go about putting the team together for Poppies?

The team came together organically, piecing together cast and crew simultaneously. Most of the cast and crew came through networking and recommendations. The most important aspect of building a team is aligning the vision for the project amongst all team members, both in front of and behind the camera.

What was it like directing your first movie?

Fantastic.

Tell us about your experience on the festival circuit with this short.

This was my first time going through the festival circuit and it was an incredible learning experience. There are a lot of great festivals that truly support emerging filmmakers, providing great opportunity for networking and exposure. Poppies is currently involved in Amazon’s All Voices Film Festival, which means you can stream, rent, or buy Poppies exclusively with Amazon and Amazon Prime Video until June 24th, 2019. I’m excited to take my second film, Erin, on the festival circuit this year with its premiere festival in July 2019.

Tell us about the Poppies feature you have planned.

We are currently in the early stages of development, finalizing the script and securing production partners. The feature will go beyond the chance encounter, exploring the impact Charles and Auntie Ling can truly make on each other and the depth of love and family. If this is something you’re interested in being a part of, please reach out to us!

Where can people watch Poppies?

Poppies is exclusively available on Amazon’s Prime Video as part of the All Voices Film Festival. After watching the film, let us know what you’d like to see in the feature by leaving a rating and review and sharing with your friends and family.

Subsequent Films and Career Milestones

After the release of Poppies, Yaksich directed Erin in 2019 and Albatross in 2022. Those later shorts built on the same themes of memory and consequence while expanding his visual style. He founded Harbour View Pictures to house his slate, and the three films have screened at more than forty festivals combined, including several Academy-qualifying premieres.

Poppies Feature Development Update

In 2019, Yaksich and producing partner Jennie Lew Tugend advanced the feature version of Poppies with partial financing and pre-production work that stretched between New York and Shanghai. The project kept its focus on expanding the original chance encounter and deepening the story’s exploration of love and family across cultures.

Ongoing Cultural Relevance and Recent Discussions

Recent 2026 interviews placed Poppies in conversations about inclusive storytelling and universal themes. Yaksich spoke with CGTN America about weaving those elements into independent work, and the short continues to surface in discussions of Asian-Western narrative exchange.

Harbour View Pictures and Current Focus

Through Harbour View Pictures, Yaksich now concentrates on elevated, character-driven films with budgets between three and ten million dollars aimed at global audiences. The company’s slate keeps his emphasis on visually distinctive stories that travel across borders without losing personal specificity.

Original coverage of Yaksich stopped in 2019, yet the through-line remains clear. His move from finance to film was never a detour; it was the long game. Each new project refines the same questions about fate, memory, and connection that first surfaced in Poppies. Viewers who found the short on that early Amazon window can still trace its influence through later work, and anyone meeting the film now steps into a conversation that has simply kept going.