Guest Filmmaker Program - 2011

Classroom Visits

(open to primary & secondary students on O'ahu)

Visiting filmmakers will help to enrich classes such as media production, journalism, language arts, foreign language and social studies. These visits will offer the logistical benefit of bringing speakers into classrooms rather than requiring field trips. Students will learn first-hand from successful professionals in the filmmaking/media industry. Teachers will be encouraged to plan activities that will involve students interacting with their guest speakers.

Bertha Bay-Sa Pan

Born in New Jersey and raised in Taiwan, Pan received an MFA degree in Directing from the Columbia University Graduate Film School in 1997 while working as an International Sales Executive in film distribution. Pan's feature film debut FACE, co-written by Academy Award nominee Oren Moverman, starring Bai Ling, Treach, Kristy Wu, Kieu Chinh, Ken Leung, Will Yun Lee, and Emmy Award and Golden Globe Nominee Tina Chen, premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival in the Dramatic Competition.

During its successful festival run, FACE received the Audience Award at the GenArt Film Festival, the Critics Award for Best Director at the CineVegas Film Festival, and the Grand Jury Award for Best Director at the Urbanworld Film Festival. Pan was nominated for the prestigious Open Palm at the Gotham Awards, and awarded the Premio Speciale Prize at the International Women's Film Festival in Turin, Italy. FACE was released theatrically in 2005, and received positive reviews from many major publications.

Pan's sophomore feature ALMOST PERFECT, a romantic comedy / family dramedy for which she also wrote, starring Kelly Hu, Ivan Shaw, Tina Chen, Christina Chang, Tony Award winner Roger Rees, and Hong Kong superstar Edison Chen, premiered at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival to three sold-out shows, garnering positive reviews from Variety and San Francisco Chronicle.

Pan is currently in pre-production for a sports movie in Taiwan, as well as attached to direct the southern comedy THE TIGER ATE THE SNOW.

Dave Boyle

Dave Boyle made his feature film debut in 2006 with the bilingual comedy BIG DREAMS LITTLE TOKYO. Telling the story of wannabe-Japanese businessman Boyd Wilson (played by Boyle) and his sumo wrestler pal, the film won accolades for its deft portrayal of culture in an increasingly global world. Upon release on DVD, the film was hailed by Home Media Magazine as "brazenly original and intelligent."

Boyle's second feature WHITE ON RICE premiered as an Opening Night film for the 2009 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, followed by a theatrical release across the country via Variance Films. Starring Hiroshi Watanabe as a lovestruck recent divorcee, the film was described by the San Francisco Chronicle's Jeff Yang as "a cinematic milestone." The film subsequently premiered in Japan in 2010 to critical acclaim.

Boyle’s most recent feature SURROGATE VALENTINE premiered at the 2011 SXSW film festival, and subsequently won the Audience Award for best feature at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. He is currently in production on the sequel, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, for a 2012 release.

Lisette Marie Flanary

As an independent filmmaker and a hula dancer, Lisette Marie Flanary creates documentary films that celebrate a modern renaissance of the hula dance and Hawaiian culture. She is the writer, producer and director of Lehua Films and her first documentary, AMERICAN ALOHA: HULA BEYOND HAWAI’I received a CINE Golden Eagle Award when it aired on the critically acclaimed P.O.V. series on PBS in 2003.

Her award-winning film, NA KAMALEI: THE MEN OF HULA, featuring legendary Hawaiian master hula teacher and entertainer, Robert Cazimero, screened in numerous film festivals around the country. She recently directed the documentary feature, ONE VOICE, which follows the young song directors at the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest.  It was nominated for an Emerging Director Award at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Film Festival in 2010 and won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Hawai’i International Film Festival.

Lisette is currently directing and producing a documentary entitled TOKYO HULA which explores the explosive popularity of hula in Japan.  It will be the final film in a trilogy of documentaries on the hula dance. Lisette is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in Film and Television Production and received her MFA in Creative Writing at the New School University.  Having lived in New York City for over twenty years, Lisette is joining the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Indigenous/Native Creative Media at the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawai’i in the fall of 2011.

Ian Gamazon

Ian Gamazon's debut film CAVITE had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and North American premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2005. The film also played in numerous festivals including the Los Angeles Film Festival and the prestigious New Directors/New Films. He was named in Filmmaker Magazine's Twenty Five New Faces of Independent Film in 2006. CAVITE continued its success and earned Gamazon the Someone To Watch Award for the 2006 Independent Spirit Award. CAVITE was picked up and distributed by Magnolia Pictures. LIVING IN SEDUCED CIRCUMSTANCES marks his third feature film.

Filmography:
LIVING IN SEDUCED CIRCUMSTANCES: 2011 (writer-director) 72mins.
CAVITE: 2006 (co-writer, co-producer, co-editor, co-director, lead actor) 80mins.
FREUD'S 2ND LAW: 2001 (writer-director) 75 mins.

Ryan Kawamoto

Ryan is a television and film director represented by Kinetic Productions and Kinetic Films. He has directed award-winning advertising projects in Hawai'i including two "Best of Show" Winners in the Hawaii Advertising Federation Pele Awards and was named 2004 Outstanding Young Advertising Person of the Year by Ad2 Honolulu.

Kawamoto also co-wrote and directed a half-hour comedy televison show  on KFVE called, THE AUGIE SHOW featuring local comedian Augie Tulba, and continues to direct all of Augie T.'s comedy DVD projects.

He has written and directed several short films. THE SAND ISLAND DRIVE-IN ANTHEM won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at the 2005 Hawaii International Film Festival. His latest film, THE BACK DOOR written by Hawai'i author Chris McKinney (THE TATTOO) is slated to premiere at HIFF 2011 as a chapter of the 6B feature film, featuring stories about the darker side of Hawai'i.

Kawamoto is currently in pre-production on a feature-length documentary about the Hawai'i Japanese American internment experience during World War II. Kawamoto was born, raised, and continues to reside in Hawai'i.

Anne Misawa

Anne Misawa grew up in Hawaii.  Having graduated from University of Southern California’s Graduate Film and Television Program, she has worked internationally in various aspects of film production.  Her primary work is as a Director and as a Cinematographer.

Her work as cinematographer include many award-winning films--
TREELESS MOUNTAIN, (directed by So Yong Kim, Toronto International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and New Directors/ New Films, 2008), TIME OUT, (directed by Xelinda Yancy, executive produced by John Singleton, HBO Award, 2004), SALT, (directed by Bradley-Rust Gray, Caligari Award for Innovative Filmmaking at Berlin International Film Festival, 2003), and LIV, (directed by Edoardo Ponti, executive produced by Robert Altman and Michaelangelo Antonioni, Venice International Film Festival, 1998).  Her work in TREELESS MOUNTAIN was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography in 2010.  Her most recent work is in JACK & DIANE, directed by Bradley-Rust Gray to be released in late 2011.

Directorial credits include--
WAKING MELE, (Sundance Film Festival, 2000), and EDEN’S CURVE, (Emerging Film Best Feature Award, NCGLFF, 2003).  Anne teaches cinematic production at the Academy for Creative Media, University of Hawai’i where she produced & directed the feature length documentary, STATE OF ALOHA, which has garnered various awards, (Halekulani Golden Orchid Award Nominee for Best Documentary at Hawaii International Film Festival, 2009).

Ty Sanga

Ty Sanga is a filmmaker who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. His passion for filmmaking began as an Ethnic Studies Major at the University of Hawaii where he was exposed to documentaries that depicted minority struggles. These inspiring documentaries made him realize that film has the power to give a voice to those that are normally voiceless. He focused that passion at The Academy for Creative Media by making films that address the issues that challenge Hawaii’s multicultural fabric while exploring the unique qualities that make it important to preserve. He graduated from the University of Hawaii in Ethnic Studies and earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production from Chapman University. His short film STONES screened at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and at the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival.

James Sereno

James grew up in Hawaii and graduated from the USC school of Cinematic Arts. He worked in Advertising at Team-One, producing spots for Lexus and America West Airlines. Sereno then switched to directing and formed Kinetic Productions.  James has won numerous awards over the years including a Cannes Bronze Lion, Clios, and Beldings. His short film SILENT YEARS, won first runner up, at the prestigious British Academy Awards (BAFTA/LA) and his trailer for the 25th Anniversary of the Hawaii International Film Festival was invited by Roger Ebert to screen at his own Ebertfest.  James is finishing up his first feature film entitled BROKEN PARADISE. The film stars Dante Basco.

Brian Watanabe

Brian is a graduate of Punahou School and the University of Hawaii and also studied advertising at the Academy of Art University. He went on to work as a copywriter for ad agencies in San Francisco, Detroit and New York before returning to Hawaii. His creative for clients ranging from AT&T to the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau earned him a Detroit Addy, an Effie, multiple Adrian Awards and several Pele Awards including a "Best of Show" in 2008.

Brian's first screenplay THE ROGUES GALLERY tied for best comedy in the Screenwriting Expo screenwriting competition. As a result of that win, he gained representation and the script went on to become the film OPERATION: ENDGAME starring Rob Corddry, Maggie Q, Ellen Barkin and Zach Galifianakis. He has developed scripts with production companies at Sony and Fox and continues to write screenplays while living in Hawaii.

Video Conferences

(open to students statewide, grades 3-12)

The Department of Education Teleschool Branch will help coordinate one-hour video conferences featuring filmmakers who will share clips of their work and interact with students via video monitors. Prior to the conferences, teachers will be asked to collect questions for the speakers from their students. These questions will be forwarded to the speakers to help them prepare for the discussions. The conferences will be open to all public and private schools with compatible video conferencing capabilities. (The conferences may also be taped for inclusion in the video archive that is visible within the DOE network.)