Vancouver director’s debut film celebrates local community spirit and craft beer culture

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Set to premiere at Kiggins Theatre on Thursday, Jan. 23, Vancouver author and Battle Ground Film House Group member Brian Tashima’s debut film, “Hold My Beer,” is poised to spotlight Vancouver’s creative and collaborative spirit and affinity for homebrewing.

Tashima said the film follows Val, a 21-year-old young man with autism who finds himself feeling directionless until he discovers a passion for homebrewing. With encouragement from his family, Val reconnects with his estranged father, a former homebrewer, and the two bond over their shared interest. As Val navigates the challenges of brewing and life, he learns about family, forgiveness and self-discovery.

The film is a 40-minute, scripted comedy-drama that delivers a heartfelt message about embracing passions, taking risks and recognizing that everyone shares universal dreams and struggles regardless of neurodivergence. According to Cleveland Clinic, neurodivergence is “a nonmedical term that describes people whose brain develops or works differently for some reason.” Medical conditions could include autism or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

Tashima said the inspiration behind the film’s title is for people to say, “OK, well, you know, there’s this thing that I’ve always wanted to do, but I’ve been scared to do it or things have held me back. But maybe I should just give it a shot.”

“That’s kind of the whole message behind the film, just inspiring people to pursue their dreams and go for it,” Tashima said.

From author to filmmaker

Brian Tashima is well-versed in the art of storytelling. In 2023, he wrapped up his seven-book “Joel Suzuki” young adult science fiction series, a project he began in 2012. Inspired by his son, who is a fan of books like “Percy Jackson” and “Harry Potter,” Tashima created a protagonist whose autism is portrayed as a strength rather than a limitation. With his own son also on the autism spectrum, Tashima aimed to craft a story that would inspire children like him.

“Back in 2012, for most autistic characters in fiction, their autism was positioned as sort of like an obstacle that they needed to overcome,” Tashima said. “What I wanted to do was make the character’s autism the source of his magic. And so he was able to succeed and save the day because of his autism, not in spite of his autism. I want to make a positive role model like that, and I think in the time since then, autism representation has come kind of a long way.”

Tashima, a long-time advocate for neurodivergent individuals, has been deeply involved with Autism Empowerment, an organization that aims to enrich and empower the lives of youth, adults and families within autistic and neurodivergent communities, since its early days. Tashima joined around the time the board was formed in 2011 and serves on its board of directors. His passion for autism advocacy, stemming from his own experiences as a father of an autistic child, led him to seek out ways to support the community.

Making ‘Hold My Beer’

Tashima has been a lifelong fan of film. He began writing the screenplay for “Hold My Beer” in 2018, inspired by his love of craft beer and watching his bandmate, award-winning homebrewer Kyle Gilbert, compete in local brewing contests.



Finding a director was difficult, and the project was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tashima revisited it in 2022 after performing with his band, Second Player Score, at a local brewfest. Reenergized by the experience, he decided to step into the director role.

Tashima is proud of the fact that more than half of the cast and crew are local and identify as neurodivergent. Among them is Andrew York, who portrays Val. York, who has autism, began acting as a child and appeared on shows such as Portlandia. When Tashima, who once gave a presentation to York’s middle school class, reached out about the role, York eagerly agreed to join the project.

“It’s almost serendipitous how that kind of all came together,” Tashima recalled.

Production on Hold My Beer began in March 2024 and wrapped six days of filming by July. The film was shot 90% in Vancouver locations. The climax of the film, a brewery competition, takes place at The Pearson Air Museum by Fort Vancouver, the same location where his band’s drummer took part in a similar competition in 2018. It was fun for Tashima, as his band cameos as a group of competitors in the competition. Other notable locations include Vancouver’s Bader Beer & Wine Supply, Seize the Bagel and several establishing shots of Vancouver’s landscape.

For Tashima, the film is a love letter to Vancouver and its vibrant craft beer scene, which he believes embodies a sense of camaraderie rarely found in other cities. He hopes the film will shine a spotlight on Vancouver’s identity and celebrate its creative spirit. Viewers can also look forward to fun local cameos, including Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, who appears in a cameo toward the end of the film.

“Vancouver maybe has this inferiority complex in a way. We’re Vancouver but not B.C. We’re in Washington but not D.C., or we’re a bedroom community of Portland, that kind of thing. But to me, that’s more of a feature rather than a bug. I think it gives us a unique identity,” Tashima aid. “We’re kind of this underdog, I like to call it the second player like Luigi to Mario or Tails to Sonic, that sort of thing. I think we should lean into that and make that something we can be proud of.”

Following the premiere, Tashima plans to expand the film into a full series. With support from a $2,500 grant from Vancouver’s Lodging Tax Grant Program, he and his team are promoting the film in the hopes a producer may pick it up. Tashima has already outlined enough story arcs for three seasons and hopes it will create even more opportunities for neurodivergent actors and local talent.

“Based on this success of this screening, hopefully we can get enough viewership online that we can use that to kind of attract a studio, a streamer or an investor to fund the production of more seasons,” Tashima said. “One of my conditions is gonna be we’re gonna shoot this thing in Vancouver. If you tell us we need to move to B.C. or LA, no thank you. We’re gonna shoot this thing here using local talent as much as we can.”

As of press time, tickets were still available for free at kigginstheatre.com/movie/hold-my-beer, though they were expected to run out quickly. The event, scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Kiggins Theatre, will feature a “Happy Half-Hour” with $5 pints of Loowit Brewing Company’s limited-edition “Hold My Beer Vancouver Hazy IPA.” The first 30 attendees will receive a swag pack, including a 5-ounce sampler glass, coaster, and sticker. The film is self-rated PG-13 for alcohol use and mature themes.

The film will be available to view following the premiere at holdmybeer.mov.