Iris Yamashita is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and author known for her acclaimed debut mystery novel, "City Under One Roof." She earned international recognition as the screenwriter for Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima," which received four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Her debut novel, the first in the Cara Kennedy series, was named Crime Fiction Lover's Editor's Choice for Best Debut Crime Novel and appeared on multiple year-end lists including Washington Post's Best Thrillers and Library Journal's Best Crime Fiction. Its sequel, "Village in the Dark," continues the series set in an isolated Alaskan community.
With a diverse background spanning engineering studies at UC Berkeley and virtual reality research at the University of Tokyo, Yamashita initially pursued fiction writing as a hobby before her screenplay career took off. Her work on "Letters From Iwo Jima" earned Golden Globe and National Board of Review awards, establishing her reputation in Hollywood. As a faculty member at UCLA and the American Film Institute, she has taught screenwriting while continuing to develop projects for film and streaming platforms, including collaborating on a musical with Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori.