Chelsi Mina Johnston is a Japanese-American writer, director, and editor from Honolulu, Hawai’i. Her early passion in writing, music, and photography while growing up in an extended family from various cultures all across and outside the country led her to study film and philosophy at Santa Clara University. She went on to earn her MFA in Film Directing from UCLA.
Chelsi has written and directed several short films, most notably “Driving,” which she shot in her hometown, had its premiere at the Hawai’i International Film Festival in 2019 where it received the Best Made in Hawai’i award for one of her lead actor’s performances. Her short films have screened internationally at Rhode Island Film Festival, LA Shorts International Film Festival, Switzerland International Film Festival, and more.
As an editor, Chelsi has cut short and feature-lengthed films and documentaries, such as 2018 Tribeca premiere “Cosmic Debris,” 2020 Camerimage premiere “Lady Cameraman,” and 2023 Outfest premiere “Brush.”
Chelsi has worked as an assistant editor under the mentorship of award-winning editors on films and TV shows that include 2023 Emmy-nominated limited series “Daisy Jones & the Six,” 2021 Oscar-nominated film “Being the Ricardos” directed by Aaron Sorkin, and Netflix’s 2020 film “Moxie” directed by Amy Poehler.
Chelsi has a deep love for music and loves collaborating with musicians to bring their music to life visually through directing and editing music videos, many of which have been seen on NPR, Stereogum, Paste Magazine, The Advocate, Gorilla vs. Bear, and Refinery29.
Chelsi is a proud member of IATSE’s Local 700 Editors Union, the ACE Diversity Mentorship Program, and an alum of the Telluride FilmLab fellowship. She was the recipient of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences grant, Motion Picture Association of America Award, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Award in Directing. She is based in Los Angeles.