I consider myself fortunate that I am in the position to decide which is the most effective way to tell our stories.

While the film [Hide and seek] is a work of fiction, I know many people, not just women, who have felt the way my character feels in the film, a certain kind of invisibility. I am grateful that my parents, Bev Umehara and Russell Chang, instilled a healthy sense of self-esteem in me from an early age.

Our film [Hide and seek ]was created as part of the Asian American Film Lab's 11th 72 Hour Film Shootout filmmaking competition, where filmmaking teams have just 72 hours to conceive, write, shoot, edit and submit a film based on a common theme. The winners were announced during the 38th Asian American International Film Festival in New York last July. The theme for 2015 was 'Two Faces' and was part of a larger more general theme of 'Beauty'.

I consider myself fortunate that I am in the position to decide which is the most effective way to tell our stories.

I have a very low boredom threshold.

Some stories we know well and some we learn as we go. Being able to shape and share these stories into new perspectives and new ideas is incredibly gratifying.

I began my career in the arts as a model, before adding my hats as an actress, a photographer, a journalist and now, filmmaker. I've seen and experienced it all.