Joshua Ashish Dawson is a Los Angeles-based film director. his films use the built environment as a protagonist to explore the repercussions of water politics, resource extraction, and climate change on the human condition. his films mix CGI with live-action to create fictional worlds that aim to get people to question their actions now and how they will affect the future. He gathers his knowledge of existing systems and models that define and affect our cities through travel expeditions, conversations with domain experts, and research. By posing a set of questions instead of suggesting solutions, his films aim to inspire change within one's lifestyles, values, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior.
He received a Master’s in Advanced Architectural Studies from the University of Southern California, where he was the recipient of the S. Kenneth Johnson Memorial Scholarship and a Gesundheit traveling fellow. he studied and worked under Hollywood production designer Alex McDowell, founder of the World Building Institute & He has previously trained under Pritzker prize-winning architect BV Doshi.
he serves as a World builder and conceptual design consultant on a number of Hollywood productions in the film and television industry in Los Angeles.
He received a Master’s in Advanced Architectural Studies from the University of Southern California, where he was the recipient of the S. Kenneth Johnson Memorial Scholarship and a Gesundheit traveling fellow. he studied and worked under Hollywood production designer Alex McDowell, founder of the World Building Institute & He has previously trained under Pritzker prize-winning architect BV Doshi.
he serves as a World builder and conceptual design consultant on a number of Hollywood productions in the film and television industry in Los Angeles.
Joshua has been featured and profiled in the new york times, Vice Motherboard, Close-Up Culture, Director’s Notes, ArchDaily, and Domus Italy. His work has been screened at renowned film festivals, TV Channels, and galleries across the globe.
Official Film Festival Selections:
2016: AnthropoScene Film Festival, Sydney
2018: Architecture Film Festival, Rotterdam
2019: Cinequest, San Jose, California
2019: Arquiteturas Film Festival Lisbon, Portugal
2019: Move Cine Arte, Sao Paolo, Brazil
2019: ArchCine Film Festival Rio de Janeiro
2019: Cinetekton Film Festival, Mexico
2020 & 2021: Fiber Festival, Amsterdam
2021: Chattanooga Film Festival, Tennessee
2021: Supernova, Denver Digital Art Festival, Colorado
2021: Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival, Brooklyn
2021: Plokta Film Festival, Netherlands
2022: FedaxValdivia Film Festival, Chile
2023: Sydney Science fiction film festival, Sydney
2023: FREIBURG FILMFORUM Festival of
Transcultural Cinema, Freiburg Germany
2023: Sci-Fi-London, London
2023: Climate Future Film Festival, Rhode Island
2023: Athens digital arts festival, greece
2023: BNP Paribas Green Film Festival
2018: Architecture Film Festival, Rotterdam
2019: Cinequest, San Jose, California
2019: Arquiteturas Film Festival Lisbon, Portugal
2019: Move Cine Arte, Sao Paolo, Brazil
2019: ArchCine Film Festival Rio de Janeiro
2019: Cinetekton Film Festival, Mexico
2020 & 2021: Fiber Festival, Amsterdam
2021: Chattanooga Film Festival, Tennessee
2021: Supernova, Denver Digital Art Festival, Colorado
2021: Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival, Brooklyn
2021: Plokta Film Festival, Netherlands
2022: FedaxValdivia Film Festival, Chile
2023: Sydney Science fiction film festival, Sydney
2023: FREIBURG FILMFORUM Festival of
Transcultural Cinema, Freiburg Germany
2023: Sci-Fi-London, London
2023: Climate Future Film Festival, Rhode Island
2023: Athens digital arts festival, greece
2023: BNP Paribas Green Film Festival
awards:
2014: Kenneth johnson memorial scholarship (USC)
2016: Gesundheit travelling fellowship (usc)
2018: IGEN 50 architects and designers of 2018 changing our lifestyles and city skylines
2019: Jury Prize for best Science Fiction film at the Academy Award-qualifying
Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California
2016: Gesundheit travelling fellowship (usc)
2018: IGEN 50 architects and designers of 2018 changing our lifestyles and city skylines
2019: Jury Prize for best Science Fiction film at the Academy Award-qualifying
Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California
lectures/talks:
2018: USC ARCHITECTURE GENERATION NEXT
2019: ARUP-SPECULATIVE FUTURES LA
2020: WORLD FUTURES SOCIETY - WORLD BUILDING
2020: FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY - COLLECTIVE
& CRITICAL DESIGN THINKING
2021: DIGITAL FUTURES - ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
2022: COMMUNICATION UNIVERSITY OF CHINA