New film "Hold My Beer" aims to put Vancouver, WA on the movie map

When you hear about a film being made in Vancouver, you naturally think of British Columbia,
Canada, the third largest film and television production center in North America behind only Los
Angeles and New York City. But now, an independent filmmaker from the “other” Vancouver—Vancouver, Washington, to be precise—is working to change that.

Brian Tashima, a resident of Vancouver, Washington since 2000, is an author and screenwriter
who, in 2022, started working on a story that was meant to be a showcase of his hometown
while also paying homage to two of his other passions: autism advocacy and craft beer. The
result was a script for a short film titled Hold My Beer, which starts streaming today on YouTube.

“My goal was to create something that shone a spotlight on Vancouver’s emerging arts scene,
using local talent both in front of and behind the camera,” Tashima says. “Basically, I wanted to
put this city on the map.”

There are some who might say that Vancouver, Washington (which was actually incorporated 29
years before its Canadian namesake) has had a bit of an inferiority complex when compared to
its larger and better-known neighbor to the north. There are T-shirts for sale at the local mall that say “Vancouver, not BC; Washington, not DC.” But to Tashima, his town’s identity should be
considered a feature, not a bug.

“I think the fact that we are this kind of underdog or ‘second player,’ like Luigi to Mario or Tails to
Sonic, is what makes us unique,” he says. “If anything, we should take pride in it.”

Tashima ended up directing the film himself, while producing it through his multimedia
production company Second Player Score in association with a locally-based, neurodivergent-
led nonprofit organization called Autism Empowerment, for which he serves on the board of
directors.

“In addition to using Vancouver-based talent as much as possible, I also wanted to authentically
represent autistic and neurodivergent voices both on and offscreen,” he says. “About half of our
main cast and crew identify as neurodivergent. It’s really important to me to help provide those
kinds of opportunities.”

The result was a 39-minute comedy-drama about an autistic young adult from Vancouver,
Washington who discovers a passion for craft beer and embarks on a mission to open his own
brewpub. Tashima credits his entire community for helping bring it to life.

“Along with Autism Empowerment, we had so many other production partners,” he says. “The
Vancouver, Washington Culture, Arts, and Heritage Commission provided a grant. Some local
businesses served as filming locations, while others were sponsors for a sold-out premiere
screening that we held at a local theater. Local bands donated music for the soundtrack. Area
newspapers, TV stations, and other organizations like Visit Vancouver WA helped promote the
film. We even had Japanese language students at a local community college translate the script
into Japanese so folks in Vancouver’s sister city of Joyo, Japan could enjoy the film.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who pitched in,” he adds. “I think it really demonstrates the power of
community and just how much civic pride we have here.”

Tashima’s ultimate goal is to have Hold My Beer turned into an ongoing series. He hopes the YouTube launch will attract enough viewers that a studio or streamer would consider investing in the production of more episodes—possibly three seasons’ worth, if Tashima has his way.

“I know it sounds like a long shot,” he says. “But I mean, the film itself is called Hold My Beer, so
it seems appropriate to dream big.”

A trailer for the film and other information can be found at https://holdmybeer.mov