Julie Rubio
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Julie Colleen Rubio (born August 9, 1969) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor based in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
. As the founder of East Meets West Productions, Rubio is best known for producing the award-winning independent film '' East Side Sushi''.


Early life

The youngest of seven siblings and half-siblings, Rubio was born in
Burbank, CA Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was nam ...
, and grew up in the
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area. After studying at
Los Angeles Pierce College Los Angeles Pierce College, shortened to Pierce College or simply Pierce, is a public community college in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Woodland Hills in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Los Angeles Community College Distri ...
, she was trained in acting, producing and directing at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute in both
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and
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. She lived intermittently in California, Hawaii, London and New York. During this period, Rubio acted in commercials and plays (including productions at the Old Ohio Theater), and modeled for magazines.


Career


Film


2000s–2010s: Early work

In 2003, Rubio directed, produced, and starred in an exercise video, ''Yoga Can Balance Your Life''. That same year, she wrote and directed her first short film, "Impression", based on a feature-length screenplay written earlier by Rubio. "Impression" was followed by other short films (“Concerned Lady for America”, “Del Cielo”, and “Soledad is Gone Forever”) in which her involvement ranged from acting to writing, directing, and producing. In 2006, she directed, produced, and wrote her first feature-length film, ''Six Sex Scenes and a Murder,'' a murder-mystery noir. After ''Six Sex Scenes and a Murder'', Rubio worked on several short films, including "Oakland B Mine". In 2011, Rubio served as executive producer, director, and writer, as well as portraying “Elijah’s Mom” for her debut feature, ''Too Perfect,'' a bittersweet coming-of-age tale following several middle-schoolers as they confront big changes in their lives. On her involvement in ''Too Perfect'', Doniphan Blair of ''CineSource Magazine'' described Rubio as a “sharp stylist and outspoken activist, politically and cinematically”.


2014: ''East Side Sushi''

Rubio produced her best-known film, '' East Side Sushi'', in 2014. A story about a Mexican immigrant in
Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
who dreams of becoming a sushi chef, ''East Side Sushi'' touched on many issues that were personally important to Rubio. She said of the production process, “We were able to mix cultures together and have them be respectful of each other…East Side Sushi is such a feminist piece, a very beautiful story about going after your dreams and not giving up. It’s about empowering women. I love that, through this film, we can help little girls grow up with positive role models. I truly believe we can change the world through film.” ''East Side Sushi'' was Rubio’s first major critical success, with wins at fourteen film festivals and two more nominations. The film was named one of "the 20 best Bay Area movies of the decade" by the Mercury News.


2017–2023: Further projects

Since East Side Sushi, Rubio has produced, written and directed several other short films. She has helped to manage her son Elijah “Kahleo” Stavena’s growing rap career, including producing some of his music videos. Rubio continues to explore themes of cultural sensitivity, gender inequality, and human connection in her upcoming project, a feature-length film called ''One''. ''One'' will focus on a
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Napa County, California. The area was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on February 27, 1981, after a 1978 petition submitted by the Napa Valley Vin ...
wine field worker who follows in her mother’s footsteps to attend
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, where she discovers disturbing revelations about her biological father and works to uncover a solution to sexual assault and gender inequality on campus. The film’s focus on big-picture issues is something that Rubio is committed to maintaining in her filmmaking: "Movies can change people, and I want to be part of that change in a positive way." ''One'' is currently in pre-production. In 2022, Rubio became the Vice President of Women In Film SF Bay Area and in 2023 became the President of Women In Film SF Bay Area. Rubio is currently in post-production for her upcoming documentary feature, ''The True Story'' ''of'' ''Tamara de Lempicka and the Art of Survival,'' which explores the life of Polish Art Deco artist Tamara de Lempicka. The trailer for this film screen at the National Museum in Krakow as part of a major exhibition of Tamara de Lempicka's works from museums and private collections in Europe and the USA entitled ''Łempicka''. 2024: The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival ''The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival'' is a feature documentary about the painter through her artwork. The film covers her rise in 1920s Paris, her move to the United States, and her revival in the current art market. The documentary includes newly found archival evidence regarding Lempicka’s birthdate and the Hurwitz family’s conversion from Judaism to Calvinism.


Fashion

Rubio owned and operated J. Colleen Boutique in
Lafayette, California Lafayette (formerly La Fayette) is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. As of 2020, the city's population was 25,391. It was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer of the American Revolutionary ...
from August 2013 to August 2016. J. Colleen Boutique partnered with Wine Women and Film Benefiting Hospice of The East Bay, and Julie Rubio choreographed the fashion show for the charity event, "Wine, Women, and Shoes."


Personal life

Rubio gave birth to her only child in 1996, Elijah “Kahleo” Stavena. Rubio moved to
Orinda, CA Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city's population as of the 2020 census is estimated at 19,514 residents. History Orinda is located within four Mexican land grants: Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorado ...
in the early 2000s, where she continued the career in
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
which she had begun in New York. Rubio married Blake Wellen in 2009.


Filmography


References


External links

*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rubio, Julie 1969 births Living people Film directors from California Film producers from California American women film directors American women film producers