CAAMFest Recap
Pacific Islanders in Communications had a great showing of four of our amazing films at CAAMFest last month. Our filmmakers recap their experience here.
Family Ingredients
In attendance were producers Heather Giugni and Dan Nakasone, as well as star and host, chef Ed Kenney, of the six part PBS series Family Ingredients set to air in July 2016.
Dan Nakasone: "First of all, I was pleasantly surprised by the great turnout on a rainy Sunday afternoon. There’s always a bit of anxiety wondering how the audience will respond. Hearing the audience’s ooohs and aaahs along with laughter throughout the screening told us they were enjoying the shows. The San Francisco audience was terrific and that gave us a sense of how the series will be received by the rest of the country for the PBS broadcast premier this July.
Side note: I sat next to Michael Isip of KQED during the screening. His immediate reaction was a slap on the back saying how much he loved it. He went on the say, “great camera, great stories, great host.”
Heather Giugni: "San Francisco is an electric city even when it is being drenched by (rare) rain. I am always grateful for the opportunity to visit. I love the history, the weather, the people and the food. And I have always loved the Roxie Theater located in the Mission - one of the oldest in the city and where we were lucky enough to screen our sneak preview of Family Ingredients. Friends and family, sponsors and supporters came out to see what we have in store for the first season of Family Ingredients, a series rich in food and stories. CAAMFest was the perfect venue!"
Chef Ed Kenney: "It was my first time seeing the two episodes that screened at CAAMFest in their final form. I just have to say that I am so fortunate to be a part of such a passionate and incredibly skilled team of storytellers. The cinematography sucks the audience into the scene and the stories are so rich that my job is unfairly easy in comparison. I simply have to enjoy the moment and go with the flow. Oh, and eat some delicious food too."
Mele Murals
In attendance were director Tadashi Nakamura and producer Keoni Lee.
Keoni Lee: "The world premiere of Mele Murals at CAAMfest blew my expectations away. Being there and seeing what was just an idea 3 years ago come to life through the laughter, smiles, and tears from the audience was a feeling I will not soon forget and made all the work and sacrifice up until this point worth it. The audience at the premiere was so receptive to this story and I was pleasantly surprised at the feedback shared by audience members who stopped me afterwards to chat. The range of people, from Hawai’i ex-pats, philanthropic funders, community organizers, to a 20-something white guy in finance, each of them took away something different and meaningful from the film that is relevant to their lives and, to me, that's the power and success of documentary filmmaking. Our premiere was a huge success and milestone for us but now it's back to reality for our team to get all of the post-production work completed!
Tadashi Nakamura: The world premiere of Mele Murals at CAAMFest went exactly how we hoped it would go and even more. The live spray painting by Estria and Prime, the food trucks, the drinks and the good weather all created a great celebratory community atmosphere at the Oakland Museum. The theater was already buzzing before the house lights went down. The film played extremely well and the laughs and cries I heard from the audience confirmed that the film really resonated with people. On a personal note, I was really honored to have the opportunity and space to bring multiple communities together to learn and be inspired by the Hawaiian culture and community depicted in the film. The night was capped-off by an awesome performance by one of my favorite hip-hop groups The Bar. It was truly a celebratory night of art, culture and community!
Sons of Hālawa
In attendance was director/producer Matt Yamashita of Sons of Hālawa set for a broadcast premier on Pacific Heartbeat Season 5 this April and May.
Matt Yamashita: "CAAMFest was a great experience! The festival was really well run and the staff and volunteers were incredibly helpful and supportive. I was excited about selling out our screening, but just as excited to watch a handful of other amazing films including the world premiere of MELE MURALS, which really impressed me. It was great to see how well received our Hawaii-based stories were by the Bay Area audiences. CAAMFest and PIC provided opportunities at the festival that allowed me to meet and network with other filmmakers and also helped me to feel closer to my Asian American heritage. I am really grateful and honored to have been a part of this event!"
The Roots of Ulu
In attendance was director/producer John Antonelli.
John Antonelli: "CAAMfest was a great experience for me and for "The Roots of Ulu". Even though the festival is local for me, I haven't participated in a big way in the past. This film has been playing throughout the Hawaiian islands through HIFF and has played at various other festivals including Maoriland and Angkor Wat. CAAMfest felt special because it was in the "Big City" and got a lot of media attention but also because the whole local community that came out seemed to really appreciate and embrace the film and our effort. PIC has been the major catalyst throughout the filmmaking process and now with festival distribution. We have paired with "Sons of Halawa," a Pacific Heartbeats acquisition, at most of our festival screenings and that has been a wondrous experience because the two films complement each other so well. Matt Yamashita directed and produced Halawa and also coproduced and was Director of Photography on 'Ulu. "
Categories: Film Festival, Newsletter, Screening