Lisa Nishimura
{{short description|American film producer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{infobox person
| name = Lisa Nishimura
| image = Lisa Nishimura 2017.jpg
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| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|48|2020|05|10}}{{cite news |last1=Flint |first1=Joe |title=Meet the Woman Who Made Netflix's 'Tiger King' Must-See Quarantine TV |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/meet-the-woman-who-made-netflixs-tiger-king-must-see-quarantine-tv-11589115600 |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=May 10, 2020|url-access=subscription}}
| nationality = American
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| education = University of California at San Diego
| alma_mater =
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| children = 1
}}
Lisa Nishimura is an American entertainment executive, formerly working for Netflix mainly on documentary films, stand-up comedy, and independent films. Her productions include 13th, American Factory, Chef's Table, Making a Murderer, Tiger King, and Wild Wild Country.
Nishimura focuses on original, ambitious programming and unknown filmmakers.{{cite news |last1=Weissman |first1=Cale Guthrie |title=What Lisa Nishimura's promotion means for indie films on Netflix |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90323295/what-lisa-nishimuras-promotion-means-for-indie-films-on-netflix |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Fast Company |date=March 21, 2019}}{{cite magazine |title=12 Leaders Who Are Shaping the Next Generation of Artists |url=https://time.com/longform/art-leaders-next-generation/ |access-date=January 15, 2021 |magazine=Time}} She played a major role in expanding the range of documentaries on Netflix.{{cite news |last1=Chatterjee |first1=Anamika |title=Meet the woman behind Netflix's growing influence in documentaries and comedies |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/citytimes/hollywood/meet-the-woman-who-made-binge-watching-non-fiction-on-netflix-a-mass-indulgence |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Khaleej Times}} Vanity Fair called her "queen of the docu-series".{{cite magazine |last1=Press |first1=Joy |title=This Is the Netflix Exec to Thank for Your Wild Wild Country Binge |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/06/lisa-nishamura-netflix-documentary-wild-wild-country |access-date=January 15, 2021 |magazine=Vanity Fair}}
Early life and education
Nishimura was born to Japanese immigrants who moved to the United States after World War II. She grew up bilingual, in a "very academic" household in Silicon Valley.{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Serena |title=Netflix's Lisa Nishimura is One of the Most Powerful Asian Americans in Hollywood |url=https://charactermedia.com/netflixs-lisa-nishimura-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-asian-americans-japanese-in-hollywood/ |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Character Media |date=November 28, 2018}} Her father was a chemist who went to UC Berkeley on a Fulbright scholarship, and her mother was a classical violinist.{{cite news |title=Our Diverse 100: Meet Lisa Nishimura, the executive finding audiences (and Oscars) for Netflix comedies and documentaries |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-academy-diversity-candidates-lisa-nishimura-20160525-snap-htmlstory.html |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 2, 2016}}
She attended the University of California, San Diego.{{cite web |title=Lisa Nishimura |url=https://variety.com/exec/lisa-nishimura/ |website=Variety |access-date=January 15, 2021|date=December 22, 2020}} She planned to go to medical school, but an internship at a record label, Windham Hill Records in Palo Alto, led her to start pursuing a career in the music industry instead.{{cite news |title=Our Women In Hollywood 2018 issue is here |url=https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/porter/article-010d5096cf6a1e38/cover-stories/cover-stories/women-in-hollywood-2018 |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=NET-A-PORTER}}
Career
From 1998 to 2001, Nishimura was head of sales and marketing at Six Degrees Records.{{cite news |last1=Kay |first1=Jeremy |title=Netflix hires Nishimura-Seese for new indie buying role |url=https://www.screendaily.com/netflix-hires-nishimura-seese-for-new-indie-buying-role/4035519.article |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Screen |date=October 29, 2007 }} From 2002 to 2007, she worked at Chris Blackwell's studio Palm Pictures, where she was general manager.{{cite web |title=Biography of Lisa Nishimura for Appearances, Speaking Engagements |url=https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Lisa+Nishimura/423078 |publisher=All American Speakers Bureau |access-date=January 15, 2021}} She also worked at Chris Blackwell's Island Records.
She left Palm Pictures in 2007 to join Netflix as vice president of independent content acquisition, reporting to Ted Sarandos.{{cite news |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |title=Netflix's Lisa Nishimura Moves To Film Group; Brandon Riegg Gets Comedy Oversight In Restructuring |url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/netflix-lisa-nishimura-moves-film-group-brandon-riegg-comedy-oversight-restructuring-1202579595/ |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Deadline |date=March 21, 2019}} Her role was focused on acquiring content for Netflix, including digital content; 2007 was also the year that Netflix launched its streaming service, having previously focused on DVDs.
In 2013, Nishimura started Netflix's original documentary and original stand-up comedy initiatives.{{cite news |title=Lisa Nishimura #IJF21 |url=http://media.journalismfestival.com/speaker/lisa-nishimura |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo}} Documentary and comedy are her favorite genres. She has said that they are "similar because both are extremely observant of human conditions, cultures and the world around us" and both give the viewer "immersion in another person’s experience, almost firsthand".
In March 2019, Nishimura moved from being vice president of original documentary and comedy programming, reporting to Cindy Holland, to being vice president of independent film and documentary features, reporting to Scott Stuber. Stuber wrote that Nishimura "blazed a trail within Netflix" working on documentaries and comedy.{{cite news |last=Low |first=Elaine |title=Netflix's Lisa Nishimura Named Indie Film, Documentary Features Head |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/netflix-lisa-nishimura-brandon-riegg-1203168827/ |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Variety |date=March 21, 2019}}
Nishimura left Netflix in 2023 as a result of a corporate restructuring.{{citation |last=Galuppo |first=Mia |title=Exit of Netflix's Lisa Nishimura Marks End of an Era for the Streamer | newspaper=Hollywood Reporter |date=March 31, 2023 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/netflixs-at-crossroads-lisa-nishimura-1235364821/}}
Honors
In November 2017, she was one of five leading women in business honored by Girls, Inc.{{cite news |last1=Fernandez |first1=Matt |title=Warner Bros. TV Exec Calls for End to Sexual Harassment: 'Enough Is Enough' |url=https://variety.com/2017/scene/news/girls-inc-women-of-achievement-luncheon-nicole-richie-susan-rovner-1202615992/ |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Variety |date=November 16, 2017}}
In November 2018, she was honored by New York Women in Film & Television.{{cite news |last1=Sippell |first1=Margeaux |title=Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Burstyn to Be Honored by New York Women in Film and Television |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/sarah-jessica-parker-ellen-burstyn-new-york-women-in-film-and-television-1203031452/ |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Variety |date=November 19, 2018}}
In 2020, Time magazine identified her as one of the 100 most influential people of the year.{{cite magazine |title=Lisa Nishimura: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020 |url=https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888437/lisa-nishimura/ |access-date=January 15, 2021 |magazine=Time}}
Personal life
Nishimura lives in Mar Vista, Los Angeles.{{cite news |title=Lisa Nishimura |url=https://www.magzter.com/stories/Entertainment/The-Hollywood-Reporter/Lisa-Nishimura |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Magzter }} She is married and has a son.{{cite news |last1=Britten |first1=Fleur |title=What she said: Netflix vice president Lisa Nishimura answers your workplace dilemma |work=The Sunday Times|date=April 7, 2019|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/what-she-said-netflix-vice-president-lisa-nishimura-answers-your-workplace-dilemma-zcpq0gmnw |access-date=January 15, 2021|url-access=subscription }}
References
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External links
- {{IMDb name|id=nm2591941|name=Lisa Nishimura}}
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Category:American women film producers
Category:American people of Japanese descent
Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople
Category:University of California, San Diego alumni
Category:Film producers from California