Joe Bowden is a mixed-race Japanese and Korean writer, director, and cinematographer. Born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Anchorage, Alaska he started making films as a teenager in the late 1990's on a Sony Handicam he'd used to make skateboarding videos. After dropping out of high school and losing his father in 1999 he moved to Portland, Oregon to pursue film and music co-founding record label Bladen County Records in 2007 and playing in various bands. In 2016 he founded Desert Island Studios a production company dedicated to creating entertaining and challenging films with equity and inclusion at the heart of the process. In 2020 he directed and was the cinematographer of the award winning short film Private Chat starring Ashley Song. In 2021 he wrote and directed Two Detectives, a short film starring frequent collaborator and avant-garde filmmaker Noel David Taylor that premiered at the Austin Comedy Film Festival and was a Finalist for Best Director at the Portland Comedy Film Festival. In 2021 he was the cinematographer of the feature film Song of Summer directed by Kelly Godell. In 2022 he wrote, directed, and was the Director of Photography for Planet #5, a sci-fi short/music video that won the award for best music video at Oregon Short Film Festival. Later that year he was the cinematographer for Color Theories Directed by Devin Febbroriello, which has screened at BUFF Malmo, FilmFort, Local Sightings Film Festival in Seattle, and Portland Film Festival. In 2023 he was the cinematographer for At Skyview Enterprises a short Sci-fi thriller produced by Portland's Catalyst Film Collective, which premiered at Screamfest LA. In the summer of 2024 he was shooting and directing a romantic comedy sci-fi short called Empano Gleasium, which stars Ashley Song, Noel Taylor, and Treasure Lunan.
PRIVATE CHAT (Short Film)(Director, Cinematographer)
In attempt to up her own cam modeling career, a young woman purchases some one-on-one time with another webcam model. When she decides to reveal her true identity, the two of them have a conversation about intimacy, desire, and which angles best showcase your ass. "Private Chat" is a scintillating window into the voyeuristic world of cam modeling, challenging the preconceived notions and stigma around sex work.
VENT (Director, Cinematographer)
AAFL 72Hour Shootout 2020 Best Screenwriter, 1st Runner up, Best Editor
TWO DETECTIVES (Short film) (Writer, Director)
Two impossibly inept detectives investigate a disturbing call. In festival Submissions, release date 2021
EZZA ROSE - NO MEANS NO OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Grandpa offers some sage advice to his granddaughter as she copes with the death of her kitty-cat whom she drowned.
NEW MOVE music video "It Was No Good" is a two-part epic noir about a passive aggressive star-crossed super couple with a seeming inability to not double-cross each other.
The exciting conclusion to "It Was No Good" my epic noir about a passive aggressive star-crossed super couple double-crossing each other.
Beverly - By Rio Grands OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
"Beverly" A music video by Rio Grands,
On The Court. A comedy web series
Introducing Needle Drop Co. A launch video for a music licensing company based in Portland. Written by Joe Bowden and Josh Spacek. Directed by Joe Bowden
I wrote and Directed this...
Introducing GoPantry. A product concept video for an app in development.
This is a concept launch video I did for an app that is now in development. Check out gopantry.co for more information. Written by Christopher Moscardi, Jason Bowden and Joe Bowden Directed By Joe Bowden Starring Noel Taylor, Travis Visscher