Nicole Davis (Media Arts 2006) and Yoko Okumura (Media Arts 2006) Reunite at 2024 Oscars Nominee Announcement

Nicole Davis (Media Arts 2006) and Yoko Okumura (Media Arts 2006) reunited at this year’s Oscars Nominee Announcement on January 23, 2024.

January 25, 2024

Nicole Davis (Media Arts 2006) and Yoko Okumura (Media Arts 2006) reunited at this year’s Oscars Nominee Announcement on January 23, 2024. Davis is the Influencer Marketing and Content Strategy Manager for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Okumura is a writer and director based in Los Angeles, CA.

From Yoko’s Instagram @fouryoko: “Rolled up in my PJs at 3:30am to the @theacademy to reunite with @njdfilm after 18 years away from Media Arts together at @perpichartsmn ? Wow the journey we’ve both been on to reunite at the Oscars Nominee Announcement! ? Thanks Nicole!”

After graduating from Perpich in 2006, Nicole Davis attended Santa Fe University of Art and Design (SFUAD) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Columbia College Chicago. Davis received a BA in Moving Image Arts and Film Production from SFUAD. After college, she remained in Santa Fe where she spent time exploring various aspects of the arts industry including arts activism, fine art, and museums. However, Davis always retained a love for film, and spent nearly a decade working in the New Mexico film scene with jobs at IATSE480, the Santa Fe Film Festival, and as an adjunct professor at her alma mater in the film department.

Nicole moved to Los Angeles in 2020 and, in early 2022, joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences where she is currently the Influencer Marketing and Content Strategy Manager. Davis manages all aspects of the Academy’s influencer and digital marketing campaigns including working with some of the most notable industry talent both during the Oscars and year-round. Her job touches social media, video production, editorial, events, and Academy member relations. On Oscars night, you can find Nicole in the ‘war room’ in a full-length gown, managing and supporting various elements of the Academy’s large-scale digital operation.

“I still remember the day I got my acceptance letter to Perpich. It set me on a path that ultimately led to the Academy,” said Davis.

Yoko Okumura is a writer and director who loves to tell rebellious stories and thrives in the intersection of grit and glamour. She directed the feature thriller “Unseen” for Blumhouse, and episodes of “Ball of Twine” for the horror anthology “Sam Raimi’s 50 States of Fright”. Yoko has also directed numerous episodes of “Good Trouble” and “The Bold Type”.
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Yoko is currently an Apple TV Directing Program participant, as one of three mid-career directors selected out of 1,600 applicants. She is also a sponsored director under the Women In Film + Sundance Reframe Rise Program. She has also participated in top directing initiatives such as the Warner Brothers Directing Workshop, Ryan Murphy Half Initiative, and the Fox Directing Program. Her films have won numerous accolades including a DGA Award, a Webby, and an Austin Film Festival Jury Award. Yoko also participated in the WIF/Sundance Institute Financing Intensive and was awarded the Vimeo Small Business Grant. Her various doc work has been selected for the Vimeo Staff Pick numerous times.

Yoko has a BFA from California Institute of the Arts: CalArts and an MFA from the American Film Institute. When not working in media arts, Yoko dabbles in fire dancing, aerial arts, and would love to learn how to do a backflip.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is home to a global membership of more than 10,500 of the most accomplished film industry artists and leaders. The Academy recognizes and celebrates all aspects of the arts and sciences of moviemaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars®. With the world’s largest film museum and collection, the Academy preserves our cinematic history and presents honest and powerful programs about cinema’s past, present, and future. Across all initiatives, the Academy connects global audiences – its members, the film industry, and film fans – through their shared passion for making and watching films.