Six UH Manoa film students invited to Shanghai International Film Festival

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Tom Brislin, (808) 956-3788
Academy for Creative Media
Posted: May 21, 2007

HONOLULU - Six student filmmakers from the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoā have been invited to screen their films at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June. The six will be granted full delegate status, allowing them to mix with filmmakers, distributors and press from around the world.

"This is the second year of our Student Media Arts (SMART) Exchange with Shanghai, a key international relationship for the Academy and the University," said Tom Brislin, ACM chair. "It demonstrates not only our global reach, but also the appeal of our talented students‘ films that tell original Hawaiʻi-based stories that bridge cultural boundaries."

Manoā Chancellor Denise Konan added, "We‘re very proud of this recognition for our student filmmakers because it honors their outstanding talents and also showcases the rich cultural diversity here at the Manoā campus."

The six student filmmakers and their films are Jay Hubert ("Dao"), Ty Sanga ("Follow the Leader"), Henry Mochida ("Chopsticks"), Brian Makanoa ("Eve"), Tod Barnett ("Fun in the Park") and Russell Blanchard ("A Birthday with Grandpa").

The films by Hubert, Sanga and Mochida have been screened in multiple Mainland festivals including the prestigious VC Asian American FilmFest in Los Angeles. Hubert‘s "Dao" took the top college film prize at the Houston International WorldFest. The three films, along with Makanoa‘s "Eve" were shown at the 2006 Hawaiʻi International Film Festival.

The students will receive awards from the Roy and Hilda Takeyama Foundation Fund at ACM for their airfare. The Takeyamas have supported ACM since its inception with equipment grants and awards for students. Lodging for the students is provided by Shanghai University. The SMART Exchange program also brings Shanghai University students and their films to the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, which partners in the program. ACM Assistant Professor Anne Misawa created the SMART Exchange and will accompany the students to Shanghai.