Just found the poster online for White on rice, the sophmore effort from Dave Boyle the director of the charming little gem Big Dreams Little Tokyo. Last year, Mr. Boyle was kind enough to send me a copy of his first feature and even took time out of his busy schedule of shooting White on Rice to answer a few questions for me. Unfortuately I was too lazy to post them online until now (I am deeply sorry, Dave). Nonetheless, hope you all enjoy.

Everyone has a story about their love of film. What drew you personally to become a filmmaker?

When I was younger, I thought about becoming an illustrator or a novelist, but eventually I found that I really loved the storytelling methods of filmmaking. It all came from a desire to tell stories, I guess. My parents always exposed me to "great works of cinema" from a young age, which helped seal that desire.

The novice acting in Big Dreams Little Tokyo is what gives the film its charm. How did you go about casting for the film? Did you always envision yourself in the lead? Had James Kyson Lee been cast in the hit show Heroes by the time you began shooting?

Casting myself was sort of an act of desperation, I must admit. It partially came from the fact that I didn't know any actors who spoke Japanese, and also because I was a new director and wasn't sure how to "direct" actors. Having at least one actor that I didn't have to talk to or coax a performance from made it a little less stressful for me. The last reason was purely financial. I was willing to act for free if I was working for me.

James hadn't yet been cast in "Heroes," I believe he was still in the audition process at that time. He came in to read for the part, and I thought his intensity would be hilarious in the role. He was a lot of fun to work with, a real people person, and I asked him to play one of the main roles in my new film "White on Rice".

Do you plan on stepping in from of the camera again?

No. Unless I bring back Boyd Wilson for some reason. That's about all I can do.

Your Japanese pronunciation is damn good. Did you watch any Japanese films to help learn the language? If so, what are some of your favorites from Japan?

I learned Japanese as a Mormon missionary in Australia, so I come from kind of a different background than most Japanese speakers. That being said, I have always been a fan of overseas cinema.

To prepare for the role, I tried to watch a lot of "Salaryman" comedies. I thought Boyd would probably have picked up alot of his mannerisms from Japanese movies and TV. Koji Yakusho was definitely an inspiration in many of his roles. I like directors Juzo Itami, Yasujiro Ozu and Yasuzo Masumura in particular. I have to admit that European comedies of the 50's and 60's (especially directors Francois Truffaut and Pietro Germi) were a huge influence on "Big Dreams."

Tell me about your new film White on Rice.

"White on Rice" is about a couple (played by Yuuki Nae and Mio Takada) who are struggling to prop up their hapless, recently divorced brother in law Hajime (Hiroshi Watanabe from "Letters from Iwo Jima") who is camped out in their house. Ramona (Lynn Chen from "Saving Face") comes to visit and Hajime immediately falls head over heels, but she is more interested in his co-worker Tim Kim (James Kyson Lee). I can't wait to start shooting. The cast we've gathered together is truly a remarkable bunch.

What have you learned from Big Dreams Little Tokyo, which will help you in the process of making White on Rice?

Innumberable things! Besides all of the technical aspects of moviemaking, I've really learned a lot about how to present my particular brand of humor to an audience. Hopefully, I'll get better with each film that I make.

For more info on Dave Boyle's first film Big Dreams Little Tokyo check out the official website. The DVD is currently scheduled for release on July 22nd and can be pre-ordered at Amazon now. As for White on Rice, look for it on the film festival circuit in the near future.