An intimate portrait of Native Hawaiian activist George Terry Kanalu Young told through the stories of those who knew and loved him. National broadcast on PBS in 2018. Official selection Hawai‘i International Film Festival, CAAMfest, Superfest International Disability Film Festival.
A sweeping history detective story that spans decades, filmmaker Robin Lung investigates the story of an unsung film heroine, Li Ling-Ai, who along with Rey Scott, made a documentary about World War 2 China in 1939 that won an Academy Award. But the film has been lost and no one has seen it for over 60 years…until Lung uncovers what may be the last remaining print. Why was the film lost? And why has no one ever heard the story of film pioneer Li Ling-Ai? Official selection DOCNYC, Special Jury Award Hawai‘i International Film Festival, CAAMFest Special Jury Award.
Film editor, producer, trailer editor: Shirley Thompson
Trailer for GHOST TOWN TO HAVANA documentary about boys growing up in a tough Oakland, CA neighborhood and also in poverty-stricken Havana, Cuba and the two inspiring little league baseball coaches who mentor them and bring them together for one incredible week.
Feature documentary. Twelve year old wrestling and judo champion Teshya Alo dreams of becoming world champion in both her sports. From age 12 to 16, this film chronicles her challenges and triumphs as she grows from child phenom to staunch competitor against women twice her age and black belts, all the way to the world stage. Official selection Hawai‘i International Film Festival.
Four Muslim American women find that their choice to wear or not wear the hijab (the Muslim headscarf or covering), has become a focal point for debate and education. Muslim women in the U.S. are subject to many stereotypes, including beliefs that they are oppressed, forced to cover their heads, and undereducated. The women in Just a Piece of Cloth challenge us to see the complex identities within any category of people and to witness the particular struggles faced by ordinary Muslim women in America.
Pacific Heartbeat is a series for American Public Television by Pacific Islanders in Communications and PBS Hawaii that showcases the stories of Pacific Islanders, drawing viewers into the heart and soul of Pacific Island culture. Sizzle reel for season 3.
Trailer editor: Shirley Thompson
Executive Producers: Leanne Ferrer and Robert Pennybaker.
Deep in the jungle of rural Guam, Micronesian immigrants from Chuuk are living a dream come true: they have purchased land to build homes and plant crops for their families. These new migrants come determined to find work, plant their breadfruit trees and send their children to “American” schools. So they are devastated when the Guam Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) threatens to evict them. With their American Dream at stake, the residents organize and fight back.
