Jeff Okabayashi Biography, Movies & Filmography

Directing

Biography

Jeff Okabayashi is an assistant director. He began his academic journey studying mathematics at UCLA but soon realised his passion lay elsewhere. Transferring to California State University, Northridge (CSUN), he earned a Radio/TV Production degree in 1985. During his time at CSUN, he discovered his calling in the film industry, leading him to apply for the prestigious Directors Guild of America (DGA) Assistant Directors Training Program. Out of 3,000 applicants, Okabayashi was one of only ten selected, marking the beginning of his professional journey in filmmaking. Okabayashi's early career included work on television shows like Heart of the City, but he quickly transitioned to feature films. His first film credit as a second assistant director was on An Innocent Man (1989), and he...