Veena Rao: connecting people through film

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Patty

“I never was a dancer, but I can dance in water.”
– member of The Harlem Honeys and Bears, from “The Honeys and Bears”

In Veena Rao’s LUNAFEST-selected short film, “The Honeys and Bears,” a group of women share their feelings of freedom in the water as part of synchronized swim team for seniors 55 years and older. “I wanted to make something fun, which reflected the joy that these ladies get from the water and from being on a team together,” said the Brooklyn-based filmmaker and producer. “Once I met the team, I really fell in love with them and looked forward to filming with them every time I had the chance.”

Freedom in the water, from “The Honeys and Bears.”

Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Reed Flutes” from The Nutcracker Suite complements the women’s movements in the pool. One interesting thing is that while Veena conducted on-camera interviews, she left the footage on the editing room floor. Instead, she decided that “a chorus of voices under their routines made a more visually cohesive film.” And thematically, Veena pointed out, since they work as a team during their routines, each person’s role has equal importance. “It made sense to me to not focus on an individual, but rather create a portrait from different voices who all feel strongly about being on the team,” she explained.

Under water with members of the synchronized swim team.

Uncovering human motivation
Like “The Honeys and Bears,” many of Veena’s short films are documentaries. “In real life and when making films, I am interested in what drives people, what they feel passionate about, what brings them meaning, because it is the way I, and hopefully those watching my films, can connect to someone on a deeper level,” she revealed.

Sharing Abbas Sheikh’s passion in “Mambai Mornings.”

When you watch Veena’s documentaries, which are all accessible on her website, you see her subjects opening up about their dreams and fears, fully trusting the filmmaker behind the camera. In “Mumbai Mornings” (2015), Veena captures the world of Abbas Sheikh, who finds purpose in life as an ultramarathoner and hopes his success in running enables him to quit his 12-hour-a-day/six-to-seven-day-a-week job as a jewelry polisher in Mumbai.

In “Carla & Cecil” (2014), New York City-based performer Carla Rhodes related that as a nine-year-old she was mesmerized by ventriloquist Shari Lewis and her puppet Lambchop. While she dreams of one day making it big – she was featured in a local magazine about up-and-coming comedians – Carla airs the difficulty of being a ventriloquist in today’s show business. Along with her circa 1920s puppet Cecil Sinclair, she admitted, “I’m an outsider.” But through Veena’s lens, we view Carla with empathy and poignancy.

Veena behind the camera.

Veena has chosen diverse subjects for her documentaries – two women find joy in entering plus-size beauty pageants (“There She Is,” 2013, co-directed with Emily Sheskin), artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg exhibits masks of strangers she has created based on genetic material left behind (“Traces,” 2013, also co-directed with Sheskin), a nudist tries to practice his beliefs in an urban world (“Hangin’ Out,” 2010), an art collector struggles with the knowledge that artists’ works are going unseen in his private collection (“Not on View,” 2009), and an art dealer in New York City finds symmetry in his life as an Aikido instructor (“The Art of Balance,” 2008).

The key to drawing subjects out in documentaries is listening to their stories, according to Veena.

“I think the key to gaining the trust of someone you are filming, is to really listen to their story and be in the present moment with them,” Veena explained. “I think this is really hard to do, because you are constantly thinking of what you need to film, what questions you want to ask, but you really need to listen when you are making a documentary. And this is something I’m constantly trying to get better at.”

Many emerging filmmakers will agree that they want to be accepted into the best festivals, get backing to be released, and receive favorable reviews, Veena noted, “I think fundamentally, I want to make films that are deserving of the trust that the people I film with grant me. The reason I make documentaries is to connect to people, and experience their world for a little bit of time, and so truly representing their truth and point of view is so important to me.” She went on, “I don’t believe that I can make an objective film or that objective films even exist, but I do believe in making films that give power to a character’s point of view and situation, and make the audience feel with those behind the screen.”

Memorable lines from “The Honeys and Bears”: “The best part about getting old, you come to grips with many of the things you used to worry about when you were younger. And you’ve figured it out. That’s what I love about being a little older. I’ve figured a lot of things out.”

From the seeds of creativity to the future
A high school photography class sparked Veena’s interest in filmmaking. “I loved the power of a photograph to connect you so deeply to a moment,” she said. “When I discovered film my freshman year of college, the possibility of creating the same connection with moving images and sound fascinated me, and I have been hooked ever since.”

Veena’s second-grade teacher and he subject of her short film, “Mrs. Henderson’s Kids.”

As a senior at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, she made a short film entitled “Mrs. Henderson’s Kids.” In her 2008 documentary, Veena’s former second-grade teacher shared the screen with her collection of more than 2,000 dolls and spoke of her love of teaching. “It’s one of my favorites because I think it reflects how she feels about her teaching career and her collection, and it also felt personal to me,” Veena explained. “It made me realize how deeply influential many teachers have been in my life.”

A photograph of Veena as a second grader in her short film, “Mrs. Henderson’s Kids.”

Her most recent work is the documentary “So You Think You Can Vote?” (2016), which incorporates animation, interviews, and archival footage. The short film was part of We the Voters: 20 Films for the People, a nonpartisan digital slate of 20 short films “designed to inform, inspire and activate voters nationwide with fresh perspectives on the subjects of democracy, elections and governance” leading up to the 2016 elections.

Veena, who is a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective and the New York Women in Film & Television Documentary Committee, is currently in production on a short documentary about two friends who are both 100 years old and whose friendship of 73 years and running dates back to when they met as nurses during World War II. And if that weren’t enough to keep her busy, she’s also in the research/pre-production phase on two films – one on a miniaturist and the other about a prisoner and his relationship to meditation.

Veena at the San Francisco premier of LUNAFEST in October 2016.

Veena at the San Francisco premier of LUNAFEST in September 2016.

“So far I’ve only made short films, so I’d love to make a feature documentary, and maybe a fiction film down the road,” Veena said. Another goal of hers: “I also want my voice to be strong and clear in my work, which I think is something that often takes time to achieve, and is something I’m working towards.” If her prolific filmography, created in a short period of time, is any indication, Veena is well on her way.

Note: You can see Veena’s short film at LUNAFEST East Bay’s screening on Saturday, March 18^th, 7:30pm, at the El Cerrito High School’s Performing Arts Theater. For more information, click here.

Seattle book tour in review: Part 2

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Patty

The sky in Seattle is so low, it felt like God had lowered a silk parachute on us.
– Maria Semple, American novelist and screenwriter

As part of Filipino American History Month, I embarked on a book tour in Seattle and Yakima Valley. Here is Part 2 of my chronicles of my time there.

Breakfast crepe and mocha at the Eastern Cafe in the International District.

While in Seattle, I stayed with my good friends, John and Kris. My husband, David, and John have known each other since pre-school. John was one of our groomsmen, and he is also the godfather of our son, Jacob. Friday morning, October 21st, John dropped me off at the Eastern Cafe in the International District, where I would later meet up with Marissa Aroy and our tour host Maria Batayola. a few doors down from the Eastern Cafe was the Eastern Hotel, which has a small Carlos Bulosan exhibit. It’s no longer a hotel, but apartments. I was able to get in and take pictures when one of the residents was leaving the building.

The Alps Hotel is now an apartment building, but the sign remains as a historical marker for being one of the hotels where immigrants stayed when they first arrived in Seattle.

The historic Eastern Hotel.

The modest sign at the Eastern Hotel, with my reflection.

I was excited to see that the Carlos Bulosan quote on the wall of the Eastern Hotel is the quote that opens my novel.

More historic photos in the Carlos Bulosan Museum Exhibit at the Eastern Hotel.

Eliseo Silva’s Carlos Bulosan mural at the Eastern Hotel, 1999.

Marissa Aroy and I met up at the Luke Wing Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (719 S. King Street, 206.623.5124) in the International District, upon recommendation by and as guests of Maria Batalyola, with Pinoy Words Expressed Kultura Arts (PWEKA) and the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) National Office, who were also some of our sponsors for the trip.

The Wing Luke Museum in the International District, Seattle.

Looking in from the outside.

“A Mend: a Local Collection of Scraps from Local Seamstresses and Tailors” by Aram Han Sifuentes, who explores the politics of what she describes as “immigrant sweated labor” in the U.S. “Constructed from denim remnants gathered in recent years from garment workers in the Chicago area, the piece introduces the challenges many women working in such employment face today: low wages, language barriers which limit employment options, tedious hours, and unregulated working conditions without union or collective bargaining protections.”

A close-up: “Sifuentes, who is of Korean origin and the daughter of a seamstress, gathers stories along with these textile scraps, the remnants of blue jeans, a garment inextricably linked to American identity. Calling her final pieces ‘quilts,’ Sifuentes challenges expectations further. While quilts are typically made by sewing a layer o batting between a top and bottom layer, here Sifuentes uses gaps – perhaps a metaphor for untold stories – as a middle layer.”

I’m grateful that such a museum exists. It’s a beautiful building and space, but more importantly it celebrates so many underrepresented and underappreciated ethnic groups who made lasting and continuing contributions to American history and culture. The Wing is “dedicated to immersing you in uniquely American stories of survival, success, conflict, compassion and hope. Through our guided tours and ongoing exhibitions, you can experience real life stories of the Asian Pacific American community.” An exhibit on Bruce Lee and a sobering and harrowing history of Cambodia’s “killing fields” and emigration from the country are currently being shown.

Letter Cloud by Susie Kozawa (b. 1949) and Erin Shie Palmer (b. 1957), 2008. Reproduced archival letters on paper and audio of letters being read: “here is this place of immigrant stories, the view of the sky recalls the expanse of ocean crossed to reach this new home in America, a crossing that must now be made by words o love and longing sent to those back home.”

Me amid “Letter Cloud”: “The cloud cover of paper floats these words across tie and space in the form of letters – tegami – hand-written carriers of hope and dreams, stories of daily life and connection between family and friends. And here, amidst sounds of the open sky and sea, are soft voices speaking words that are carried in the letters home.”

One of the main exhibits honors Asian Pacific Islanders Americans who emigrated from their home countries in search of a better life.

Poster instructing local Japanese Americans of mandatory internment.

A miniature bunkhouse in a local internment camp.

One room is dedicated to Filipino Americans.

A Filipino American collage and timeline.

In the afternoon, Maria gave us a mini tour of historic sites in the International District. Maria was instrumental in the creation of the Filipino American Historical kiosk, “Honoring Filipino Americans in Chinatown International District, 1911-2010,” at the corner of S. Weller Street and 6^th Avenue South. The kiosk will be formally dedicated in early November.

Filipino American Historical kiosk.

The other side of the kiosk – a history lesson.

Marissa’s a pro with selfies.

Later, we crossed the José Rizal Bridge, which “carries 12th Avenue South over South Dearborn Street and Interstate 90 in Seattle, connecting the International District to Beacon Hill.” One of the first permanent steel bridges in the City, the beautiful verdis green bridge was originally called the 12th Avenue South Bridge or the Dearborn Street Bridge before it was renamed in 1974 in honor of the Filipino patriot and national hero José Rizal. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, however, under its original name. Dr. José Rizal Park, on the west side of Beacon Hill boasts a view of south downtown, Elliott Bay, Safeco Park – home of the Seattle Mariners MLB team – and the Seattle Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field. The 9.6-acre parcel of land was purchased by the Parks Department in 1971 and dedicated in 1979.

Bust of Jose Rizal.

“East is West” by Val Laigo, 1981: “This tryptich is dedicated to all of Filipino persuasion the residents and denizens of Beacon Hill instead anyone who still enjoys and exercises a sense of humor and good will….” – Val Laigo.

Maria also gave us a tour of the historic Panama Hotel, located in the International District. Designed by Japanese-American architect Sabro Ozasa and built in 1910, the Panama Hotel, a National Historic Landmark and National Treasure, housed a Japanese bath house, businesses, restaurants, and sleeping quarters for residents and visitors. Jan Johnson, who is the third owner of the hotel, restored the building to its condition before the Japanese in Seattle were evacuated. From what I understand, a number of Japanese American families stored their belongings in the basement of the Panama Hotel, with the hope of returning home, which many did not. Johnson closed off the basement that holds the belongings of the Japanese families to the public, and has installed a glass panel in the floorboards for visitors to view the artifacts from above. It’s quite moving.

The entrance of the historic Panama Hotel.

A very cool retro look at the stairs from the entrance of the hotel.

The National Historic Landmark plaque.

The lower level of the Panama Hotel’s cafe boasts historic black-and-white photos on the brick walls and comfortable tables for coffee and tea.

The window to the basement: the contents belonging to interned Japanese-American families have never been touched since they were left there during WWII. A chilling and sad sight.

Black-and-white photos chronicling the times when Japanese American families thrived in Seattle before WWII.

A close-up black-and-white photograph depicting life in Seattle in the Japanese-American community.

The inside of the storefront window showcasing artifacts.

The other exhibit in the storefront window of the Panama Hotel.

Farewell, Panama Hotel! Next time we will have to stay longer and have a pastry and cup of tea.

We made my first trip to the FANHS National Office (810 18th Avenue, #100, 206.322.0204), located within Lake Washington Girls Middle School. Although I saw Dorothy Cordova, Executive Director and Co-founder, with her late husband, of the Filipino American National Historical Society, at the 2016 FANHS Conference in New York City, this meeting represented my first introduction to “Auntie” Dorothy. I presented my novel to Auntie Dorothy as a gift to the FANHS Library.

Auntie Dorothy and me with my novel (photo courtesy of Maria Batayola).

Collage with a group picture of Joan May Cordova, Marissa, Auntie Dorothy, Maria, and me.

Marissa and I enter the “Catacombs” (photo courtesy of Maria Batayola).

Marissa and I were treated to a visit to the FANHS archives, also known as the “catacombs,” where specially built shelves house hundreds of boxes of files on Filipino Americans. While Marissa looked through her file, I doubted that I had a file on me. To my surprise, I found two files – under Patty Enrado and Patricia Enrado – with correspondences that I had written to FANHS in 2005-2006, among them requesting contact information for a project on the Filipino Manilamen, which I ended up abandoning. I also sent a link to my short story, “We Are Thinking of You,” which had won an award in 2002 from Serpentine e-zine, and a journal that had published one of my other short stories. I didn’t save the online short story as a pdf, which was a shame because at some point this year the site was taken down and the link broken, forever erasing the existence of the story as is (I had various revisions of the story but no final Word version that matched the printed version). I was ecstatic, therefore, to take pictures of the printed story, and now I’ll have to figure out a way to get it up on my author website.

A letter I wrote to FANHS nearly 17 years ago!

Boxes and boxes of files in the catacombs.

Political posters of every Filipino American candidate for office in the U.S. on the walls.

Originally, Maria was going to treat the three of us to dinner at Kusina Filipina (3201 Beacon Avenue S., 206.322.9433), but the place closed just as we walked up. The silver lining, however, was choosing Bar del Corso (3057 Beacon Avenue S., 206.395.2069, www.bardelcorso.com), a pizzeria, restaurant on Beacon Hill, as our backup destination a block away. Maria let us know that the wife who owns the restaurant with her husband, Jeff Corso, who is chef and general manager, is Filipino. Auntie Dorothy pointed out that a framed Filipino family photograph hangs in a hallway in the restaurant. Gina Tolentino Corso, the marketing and creative manager, is a freelance graphic designer, a painter and illustrator, and “lover of good food.” Her artwork – big, bold, and colorful paintings – hangs on the walls of the restaurant. Maria had announced to our waiter Auntie Dorothy’s presence and her title. So it should not have come as a surprise that Gina came to our table and said, “You must be the table of Filipino American women.” She was a delight to meet. When told of my book, she expressed interest in reading it. And although I didn’t ask where she was originally from, she attended UC Davis. Ah, the Aggie connection again in the Pacific Northwest!

Fall in the International District, Seattle.

I have to talk about the food because it was phenomenal – simply and deceptively prepared but complex and flavorful in taste. We ordered two salads, one of which had bits of crunchy savory crackers. We also ordered Polpettine (house-made meatballs in tomato sauce), Vongole Alla Marinara (Manila clams, garlic, controne pepper, cherry tomatoes, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, and parsley), Grilled Octopus (with corona beans, lacinato kale, spicy ‘Nduja salame, and extra virgin olive oil), and a pizza – Funghi, with crimini mushrooms, house-made sausage, cherry tomatoes, pecorino, and fontina. Family-style serving enabled us to sample everything. We ate everything and were happily sated. The next time I’m in Seattle, I’m returning to Bar del Corso.

Friday evening, as part of Celebrating 2016 Filipino American History Month, Marissa screened her film and I read a short excerpt at the Centilia Cultural Center at Plaza Roberto Maestas (1660 S. Roberto Maestas Festival Street, Seattle). The center recently opened after restoration of an old school house and the building of affordable housing and community-use buildings. What a beautiful project El Centro de la Raza took on! El Centro de la Raza, “the Center for People of All Races,” is “a voice and a hub for the Latino community” as they “advocate on behalf of” its “people and work to achieve social justice.” The evening’s theme reflected the mission of the nonprofit. Maria and Estela Ortega, executive director of El Centro de la Raza, welcomed the audience. Estela related that she had worked in the fields in Texas and was active in the United Farm Workers union but never knew that the Filipino American farm workers initiated the Great Delano Grape Strike of 1965 and were instrumental in the formation of the UFW. One of the goals of the evening of reading and screening was to highlight Filipino-American contributions to the farm labor movement, strengthen ties among Filipino and Latino workers, and honor Larry Itliong’s Northwest labor leadership and contribution with the local IBU salmon cannery workers.

A panel discussion followed, which included Auntie Dorothy, Marissa, Ray Pascua, farmworker organizer and President of the Greater Yakima Valley Filipino American Community, and Rick Guirtiza, Vice President of the International Boatman’s Union Local, Maritime Division of ILWU. I met the University of Washington students who are members of the Filipino American Student Association (FASA) and a handful of audience members who were interested in my book. Maraming salamat to Alaskero Foundation, 4Culture, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, FANHS National and PWEKA, who sponsored the Friday evening reading.

(to be continued….)

A Pinoy State of Mind: Building with Our Roots, Part II

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Patty

Our Theme “A Pinoy State of Mind: Building with Our Roots” was chosen because we wanted to recognize that as Filipino Americans become more visible and successful across all sectors (e.g., academia, arts and entertainment, law and government, etc.) that we always remember where we came from, as well as the struggles of those who came before us.
– Kevin L. Nadal, PhD, FANHS National Trustee, FANHS 2016 Conference Coordinator, Associate Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

This is Part II of my reflections on attending the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) 2016 16th Biennel Conference held in New York, June 22-25. To access Part I, you can click here.

The Honorable Lorna Schofield.

Thursday was packed with what I felt like was a day-long star-studded program. Keynote speaker, the Honorable Lorna Schofield, holds the distinction of being the first Filipino American federal judge in U.S. history. Originally from Indiana, she is a U.S. District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She received her JD from New York University School of Law and served as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, prosecuting domestic terrorism, smuggling, and tax fraud. Prior to her appointment in 2012, she was a partner in a law firm where she specialized in complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. One interesting story Schofield shared with us was of her mother wanting her to assimilate: while her Filipina mother ate rice, she made variations on the potato for her daughter. Schofield certainly was driven and I appreciated her articulateness and her direct, no-nonsense sensibility. We are lucky to have her represent us in the federal judicial system. One hopes that there are others in the pipeline.

This designer pays homage to the traditional Filipina gown with butterfly sleeves.

Fashion show highlights Filipino American designers
Thursday evening’s fashion show kicked off with members of FANHS chapters, including San Francisco chapter’s own Jason Agpaoa, interpreting their version of Filipino and Filipino American fashion style. Veejay Floresca, “islandwear” fashion designer Twinkle Ferraren, and Rafé Totengco, award-winning fashion designer and owner of his namesake handbag collection Rafé New York and creative director for handbags with the Nine West Group Inc., served as guest judges. The main contest featured designs by Iris Gil Vilacrusis, John Soriano, Katrina Delantar, Maria Velez, and Stephanie Gancayco. I didn’t keep track of who designed what, but my favorites were the two accessories designers – one who designed purses and the other who designed necklaces and matching purses. Although all had pieces that I found beautiful and would certainly have proudly worn, the accessories designer whose intricate necklaces and matching purses – made with organic fibers – won. It was a treat to see these designers incorporate natural materials and interpret Filipino traditional style in their designs.

One of the winning accessory designer’s distinctive necklaces.

I attended the session “Language, Labor, and Longing: Three Fulbright Experiences in the Philippines,” in which, as the title reveals, three academics shared their experiences in the Philippines as Fulbright scholars. Jason Reblando, photographer and artist based in Chicago and teaches photography at Illinois State University, exhibited his photographs. He captured the images of Filipinas who work overseas and congregate in the financial district in Hong Kong on Sundays, as well as a town filled with homes mirroring Italian architecture, which reflected the world of the Filipino overseas workers who work in Italy and return home to take care of their families. Grace Talusan, essayist and fiction writer who teaches writing at Grub Street and Tufts University, spent her time connecting with her heritage. Joseph Legaspi, co-founder of Kundiman, a nonprofit organization serving Asian American literature and poetry, talked about the process of applying for a Fulbright, which appears to be a lengthy, complex, and arduous process. Still, the presenters certainly gained so much personally and professionally from their stay in the Philippines.

‘Filipino Americans making waves in mainstream’
One of the wonderful gifts of the conference’s location in New York is the ability to invite local high-profile Filipino-American leaders who represent so many different industries to be on panels. “Filipino Americans making waves in mainstream” featured those who have established themselves in their respective fields. Karla Garcia, New York City-based performer, choreographer, and teacher is currently in “Hamilton: A New American Musical,” which chronicles the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, with music and lyrics by Lin-Manual Miranda. The musical was nominated for a record-setting 16 Tony Awards – of which it won 11 – and won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Garcia explained how as a “swing” she has had to learn thus far four of the five parts she was given, including the 50 songs written for the musical. The hardest part, she revealed, was remembering where to pick up and where to leave props on stage.

With Karla Garcia of Hamilton.

The millennial Matt Ortile started out in the Editorial Fellowship Program, Buzzfeed’s boot camp, after moving to New York. Ortile, who was raised in Manila, worked his way up to Editor of Buzzfeed Philippines, whose properties boast some 300,000 followers and is quite influential not just among Filipinos in the homeland but Filipinos around the world.

Jhett Tolentino, one-half of JoanJhett Productions and three-time Tony Award winning Broadway producer, is only the third Filipino to have won a Tony and the first Filipino Tony Awards voter. He won for co-producing “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” the 2013 Tony winner for Best Play. In 2014, he won for co-producing “A Raisin in the Sun,” which starred Denzel Washington, as well as “Gentleman’s Guide.” Tolentino, who was born and raised in the Philippines, shared with us that he was an accountant who loved going to the theater and talking about it with his friends after the show. Upon his friends’ advice, he ran with his passion and became a critic, seeing more than 1,700 plays. His acumen as accountant served him well when he transitioned to producer. He was one of the producers of “Here Lies Love,” a rock musical about Imelda Marcos’s life and adapted from a concept album collaboration between David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. It was inspiring to hear him talk about not just following his true passion, but leveraging all his skills to become a successful producer, who, as he explained, wears many hats. After the session, I was able to meet and chat with all three, which was a treat for starstruck me.

Karla Garcia, Matt Ortile, and Jhett Tolentino respond to moderator Alexandra Thomas’s questions.

Shining a light on little-known historical events in the Philippines
On Saturday, I attended the session “Forgotten Philippine and Filipino American History.” Sharon Delmendo, PhD, professor of English at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, gave a presentation based on her research, “In Time of Need, an Open Door: Holocaust Rescue in the Philippines,” which looks at how Manuel Quezon welcomed some 1,300-plus Jewish refugees to the Philippines before World War II. “When the Time of Need Came: Manuel Quezon and Holocaust Rescue in the Philippines,” is a scholarly analysis of Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon’s efforts on behalf of Jewish refugees that is geared for the general public. Delmendo pointed out that local newspapers in the Philippines were reporting on Kristallnacht, the wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms that swept through Nazi Germany in November 1938, and other atrocities, so Filipinos were well aware of the persecution of Jewish people. Quezon inserted a mandate on the promotion of social justice in the Philippines’ constitution, and that constituted the first of many instances of the Philippines stepping up and welcoming refugees who were being driven out of their homeland, according to Delmendo. I never knew about the Holocaust Rescue in the Philippines, so all this was fascinating to me, although one elder academic attendee pronounced that Filipinos are inherently and historically racist, which made for an interesting discussion on racist Philippines versus immigrant-friendly Philippines. Someone brought up the fact that the combined Spanish and American colonial rule lasting hundreds of years certainly played a big role in instilling racism on the islands.

Jeffrey Acosta, founding member of the FANHS Hampton Roads chapter and adjunct instructor of U.S. History at Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Va., told the story of the Buffalo Soldiers who fought in the Philippine-American War, 1898-1902. In July 1899, the U.S. 25^th Infantry Regiment was one of the first “colored” units to arrive in the Philippines to combat the First Philippine Republic, according to Acosta. He talked about the internal and external conflict that these soldiers endured, facing discrimination at home and relating to the Filipinos who were being similarly mistreated by racist American soldiers and political leaders. Trying to bring the story of the Buffalo Soldiers to a wider audience has been taken up by others, including FANHS East Bay emeritus president Evangeline Buell and Bay Area filmmakers. Actor Danny Glover, who also starred in the television movie, The Buffalo Soldiers, is lending support for a documentary that is in pre-production about the soldiers and their service in the Philippines.

Raymund Liongson, associate professor and coordinator of the Philippine/Asian Studies program at the University of Hawaii-Leeward, talked about the abuses he experienced for his opposition views against the Marcos regime, and Elissa Ortiz added her own anecdotes. I appreciated the speakers sharing information and their research about these different periods in the Philippines’ history.

Filmmaker Marissa Aroy produced a short film on Filipino voices, which was inspired by Kevin Nadal’s anecdote about the exclusion of Filipinos in a short film about the voice of Americans.

New York, New York
The final event of this fabulous conference was the FANHS Gala on the Hornblower ship, which featured dancing to the music of Joe Bataan and his band, dancing with actor and singer Paolo Montalbán, and hearing the inspiring words of hostess Geena Rocero, supermodel/TV host, activist and founder of Gender Proud. Previously, I didn’t know anything about Rocero, but I learned that her Ted Talk “Why I Must Come Out” was viewed more than 2 million times in just a few months. It was great talking with FANHS members whom my sister and I met at the conference. The biggest star, however, was the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty – all beautifully lit up – as the boat gave us a breathtaking tour of the Hudson River. It was the perfect ending to a really wonderful conference.

Heidi and I pose before boarding the Hornblower ship.

Twilight skyline.

Selfie with a view.

Beautiful traditional Filipino fashion.

If there was one complaint that I had about the conference, it is two-fold but under the same theme. This was the first conference to hold a Filipino American film festival, which was put together by a team that included Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and friend, Marissa Aroy, whose documentary, Delano Manongs: The Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers Movement, shines a light on Filipino American contributions to California’s farm labor movement. However, it ran concurrently all-day Thursday, which meant if you took in the sessions and keynote speaker sessions, you missed out on the films, which is what happened to me. There were some 60 education sessions in all spread across three days. I had to prioritize, and a few times I missed an interesting session in favor of another one. But I guess that’s a good problem to have.

Geena Rocero gives an inspiring talk about being true to yourself and your roots.

I was lucky enough to be the last “box” dancer with actor Paolo Montalban to raise money for FANHS.

Up close and rocking out to Joe Bataan and his band!

What happens when you are on a boat with 500 Filipinos on the Hudson Bay….

Kudos to Kevin Nadal, who spearheaded the fantastic FANHS 2016 Biennial Conference! Cheers!

My first FANHS biennial conference was magical, educational, and inspirational. I was in awe of the talent across so many areas in my Filipino American community. And I fell in love with New York all over again. As Alicia Keys aptly wrote and belted out: “New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of/There’s nothing you can’t do/Now you’re in New York/These streets will make you feel brand new/Big lights will inspire you/Hear it for New York, New York, New York.” Then again, FANHS announced that FANHS2018 will be held in another one of my favorite cities – Chicago. While I’ll be surely going, the work now and ongoing will be all about telling our stories, advocating for so many causes impacting Filipino Americans, and remembering and honoring our pinoy/pinay roots.

Exactly.

The real star of New York – its skyline lit up.

A Pinoy State of Mind: Building with Our Roots, Part I

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Patty

The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) celebrated its 16^th Biennial Conference, June 22-25, in New York at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (524 W 59th St, New York, NY 10019). While I have been a member of the Stockton chapter of FANHS since 2004 (I joined the East Bay chapter in 2015), this was my first FANHS conference. I heard one of the FANHS National trustees declare that this conference was the best ever – and she’s attended all 16 of them – so I think I picked the best one to attend as my first. It didn’t hurt that the venue was in my favorite city in the country.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in midtown Manhattan.

My oldest sister, Heidi, met up with me in New York, after my family went back home following a week of being tourists. My sister isn’t a member of FANHS, but she was intrigued by the various sessions being offered with such topics as genealogy, Filipinos in the military, oral histories, the Filipino Food Movement, cultural and historical preservation, WWII and Vietnam veterans, storytelling, and advocacy and organizing. We didn’t join the bus tour Wednesday afternoon that took conference attendees to various landmarks around the city, but I do regret not learning more about Filipino Americans in New York and seeing where Jose Rizal stayed during his visit in 1888 and where authors Jose Garcia Villa and Carlos Bulosan stayed when they came here. That Wednesday evening, the conference began with an opening reception and singing, dancing, and dramatic interpretation performances, all showcasing the vast talent of Filipino Americans in New York.

My sister, Heidi, and me at the conference.

Telling our stories
Thursday morning, FANHS 2016 Conference Coordinator Kevin Nadal gave a warm welcome and was followed by Broadway actress (“Here Lies Love,” “School of Rock”) Jaygee Macapugay’s spirited rendition of Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind, an ode to the city that never sleeps. The opening panel featured Dorothy Laigo Cordova, founder and executive director of FANHS, and Ambassador Mario Lopez de Leon, Jr., Philippine Consul General to New York.

One of the themes that this panel stressed was the importance of telling our stories. They entreated us to tell our stories to other immigrants and other groups. We must “make our numbers count” and realize that we do matter and that we can influence what’s happening to us and around us. Ambassador Lopez de Leon, Jr. instructed us to “make our presence felt.” He concluded, “We have excelled. Our next step is to assume a position of influence and leadership.”

A dramatic performance by a troupe of Filipinas.

Being thoroughly entertained by this quartet of wonderful singers.

Nadal moderated the next session, the opening Plenary appropriately titled “A Pinoyorker Renaissance,” which featured Joe Bataan, King of Latin Soul; Ernabel Demillo, four-time Emmy nominated journalist and television news reporter who used to work in Sacramento; Rachelle Ocampo, host of Makilala TV Health; actress Jaygee Macapugay; and DJ Neil Armstrong, Jay-Z’s tour DJ and President Obama’s Inauguration DJ. While I knew who Joe Bataan – Afro Filipino King of Latin Soul, originator of the New York Latin Soul style that fuses Latin-African beats with Soul and Doo wop – was, I had never heard his music. He related that he grew up in Spanish Harlem, got in trouble at an early age, and then had an epiphany that he had better do something with his life before it spiraled out of control. He got involved in music and he’s been entertaining audiences and serving as mentor to many musicians for decades. He is an inductee into the Musicians Hall of Fame, a recent inductee into the Smithsonian Institute, and his portrait was unveiled in The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., in October 2013. I was honored to hear and see him.

Kevin Nadal moderates a panel comprising, from left to right, Joe Bataan, DJ Neil Armstrong, Ernabel Demillo, Rachelle Ocampo, and Jaygee Macapugay.

On a personal note, I have to say that I was relieved to hear Ocampo and Demillo openly admit that they don’t know the language, although Rachelle is taking Tagalog lessons. It’s interesting to learn that while, through the years, the older generation berated my sisters and me for not knowing the language, the practice of our first-generation parents not teaching their native language – Ilocano, Tagalog, Visayan, etc. – to their children, was widespread. Therefore, our parents and many first-generation parents either were pressured by society or concluded on their own that assimilation would prevent their children from facing discrimination and was the path to surviving and thriving in their new country. Unfortunately, our parents and the first generation didn’t realize that assimilation meant for some or many the subtle or outright rejection of one’s heritage and ethnicity. It’s really up to the second and succeeding generations to embrace their heritage and continue to pass on that love and appreciation.

A group of FANHS conference attendees took advantage of getting tickets to see School of Rock, which stars Jaygee Macapugay.

Meeting the very talented group of kids after the show.

Actresses Mamie Parris and Jaygee Macapugay answer questions from the audience.

History lessons of the Philippine Revolution
I was most interested in the Thursday morning session on “Revisiting Aguinaldo, Rizal, Bonifacio and Antonio Luna: A Filipino American Perspective,” which was led by Oscar Peneranda, well-known San Francisco Bay Area writer, educator, and activist, and Tony Santa Ana, community organizer, artist, and educator at De Anza Community College in the San Francisco Bay Area. For those who don’t know these names in the title session, they are national heroes and figures who contributed to the fight for freedom from Spanish rule.

What I appreciated the most was the fact that those who attended were knowledgeable about these Filipino leaders and engaged in a spirited discussion about the Philippine-American War, which is the subject of my second novel-in-progress. Among the things I learned is that the U.S. Bureau of Printing published a book of surveys and maps that the Navy had completed in the 1840s, which is evidence, according to one academic in attendance, that the United States had its eyes on the Philippines decades before events in 1898 led to the Philippine-American War. The Philippines, as someone pointed out, was a victim of geography because it was seen as the gateway to the rich markets in China. As you can imagine, I took many notes and picked up a handful of business cards.

Jeepney, a Filipino gastropub (201 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10003), was such a popular place and full of FANHS conference attendees that Heidi and I couldn’t get in one evening!

We ended up walking several blocks down to the Ugly Kitchen, an Asian fusion and Filipino cuisine gastropub at 103 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003, was noisy but we feasted on its signature spicy pork buns (marinated pork in a soft milk bun with lettuce, house sauce, and house brined pickles.

Defining what is American
Thursday afternoon, before Jose Antonio Vargas took the podium as Thursday’s keynote speaker, news broke out that the Supreme Court deadlocked – 4-4 – on reviving President Obama’s plan to prevent deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants and instead give them the right to work legally in the country. A tangential aside: Understand that this is a sad consequence of not allowing President Obama to appoint a justice for the seat vacant since Antonin Scalia passed away in mid-February. Vargas, who is a journalist, filmmaker, and immigration rights activist, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 and founded Define American, “a nonprofit media and culture organization that seeks to elevate the conversation around immigration and citizenship in America.” He is also the founder, editor, and publisher of #EmergingUS, “a digital platform that lives at the intersection of race, immigration, and identity in a multicultural America.” Vargas “came out” in 2011 when wrote about his experiences as an undocumented immigrant in the United States, and penned a front-cover article in the June 25, 2012, issue of Time magazine. He produced the documentary “Documented” and was nominated for an Emmy for his MTV documentary “White People.”

Jose Antonio Vargas being interviewed after his keynote address.

This is the first time I’ve heard him speak, and I was truly honored. Vargas is a courageous, impassioned, inspirational human being. Because of the freshness of the Supreme Court ruling announcement and his raw emotions, Vargas asked that no one in the audience stream or record his keynote. That said, he was in control of his emotions, even throwing out liberal doses of humor and sarcasm. No doubt bolstered by having to deal with the wrath of many anti-immigration foes – from politicians and policymakers to people on the street – he showed tremendous restraint and reason in the face of ignorance and hatred. He talked about lessons learned and observations of other movements – specifically gay marriage – and noted that we have to “change culture before we can change politics.” Vargas explained, “You have to change the culture in which people talk about issues.”

“It’s important to control and frame our own narrative,” he went on. Vargas was brimming with surprising statistics, such as 1 out of 7 Koreans in this country is undocumented. So it’s not an issue of undocumented workers from Mexico, as most people would assume. Multiple nationalities are under that umbrella. Therefore, we must all work together and not look at this issue as another immigrant group’s problem. We need to remind those who seek to build walls or fences or shut the gate that our country was founded by immigrants.

One of my favorite lines that he quoted was from his MTV film “White People”: “White is not a country.” I tweeted that because so many people in this country need to be reminded of that phenomenon that seems to be treated as fact in the U.S. Vargas is thick-skinned, which I admire greatly. He has faced this question so many times – “Why are you here? Why are there so many of you here?” He formulated a brilliant comeback: “We are here because you were there.”

His conclusion may well have been the call to action to us in the audience. Many of us – especially those of us who are second generation and beyond – are privileged in myriad ways. “With privilege comes responsibility,” Vargas pointed out. “What are you doing with yours?” While the ruling was a big blow, he emphasized, disappointment must lead to positive action.

Both author panels pose for a group photograph.

Vickie Santos and me at the FANHS Bay Area Consortium chapter table with our books.

Author, author: Immigrant stories around the country
Later in the afternoon, I participated in the second of two author panels. Metro New York chapter member (who grew up in the Sacramento area, I found out via my cousin Leila Eleccion Pereira) Brenda Gambol moderated the panels. The second panel featured four authors whose works shared a common theme – immigrant stories representing various parts of the country – California, Hawaii, Alaska, and Illinois. Dr. Patricia Rosarnio-DeGuzman Brown, psychologist, educator, researcher, and author, read from Filipinas: Voices from the Daughters and Descendants of Hawaii’s Plantation Era. Dr. Brown is a FANHS trustee and founder and executive administrator of FANHS Hawai’i State chapter. Victoria Santos, president of FANHS East Bay, co-authored a book with her 94-year-old mother, who lives in Chicago. Memoirs of a Manang: The Story of a Filipina American Pioneer chronicles Vicky’s mother’s life as an immigrant and activist in America. Lastly, FANHS Seattle Chapter member Robert Francis Flor, PhD, read from his recently published book of poems, Alaskero Memories, an ode to the Filipino Americans who worked in Alaska’s canneries and fisheries.

Acclaimed author Mia Alvar.

Mia Alvar, me, and a signed copy of her book.

In the evening, we were treated to a panel discussing Mia Alvar and her New York Times best-selling book, In the Country, a collection of nine fictional short stories about the Filipino diaspora inspired by her own transnational experience. I had her sign my copy of her book and had our picture taken. Of course, excited, I tweeted that I was honored to meet her, and she was kind enough to tweet a similar sentiment. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of her stories. I am halfway through the collection. The first story, “The Contrabida,” is as unsettling a story as it is beautifully rendered. My favorite thus far is “Esmeralda,” in which Alvar beautifully captures the shock, surrealism and heartache of 9/11 told in the perfect-pitch second person point of view.

Part II will be published on Monday, July 25.

A pictorial of LUNAFEST East Bay’s film festival

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Patty

I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.
– By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer

It’s been a week since the LUNAFEST East Bay event. While the final numbers aren’t in yet, the East Bay Committee met its goal of increasing our audience and increasing how much money we raised for the Breast Cancer Fund and El Cerrito High School’s Information Technology Academy (ITA), our beneficiaries. More than 300 watched the films “by, for, about women,” with nary an empty seat in the main part of the theater. Just as important, our aim of a 20-percent increase in funds raised after expenses is definitely within reach.

Some 175 cities or organizations have hosted a LUNAFEST film festival, and some of them are within the San Francisco East Bay. But one of the things that I feel distinguishes LUNAFEST East Bay for our audience is the sense of community that people enjoy. Anna Schumacher, filmmaker of Finding June, told me after the event: “El Cerrito is always there to support. I saw parents of old friends I haven’t seen in a half a decade or more – old friends who live on the other coast even. But those parents, and those alumni, come because the community has shaped them, their families, and El Cerrito folks will always pay that forward.”

A good friend, Wendy Johnson, came for the first time with her daughter, Lindsay, who is in high school. She sent me an email the following week, and she enthusiastically let me know: “I’ve been saying for months that this was the year I wasn’t going to miss it, and I’m so glad we went! Lindsay and I really enjoyed ourselves. It felt like the events in El Cerrito that remind you that it is a small town. I saw people we knew from soccer, scouts, and Harding Elementary School (of course).” That’s what is unique about LUNAFEST East Bay.

And now, what better way to tell the story of LUNAFEST 2016 than through pictures. Here we go:

Isabella, Wyatt, and Dylan – ready to sell, sell, sell those raffle tickets at the VIP event.

Chair Joann Steck-Bayat, Peggy Murphy, and Laurie Schumacher, whose daughter is one of the filmmakers this year, share a toast before the VIP guests arrive.

The finger food is on the table….

Our bartenders are ready to pour wine and beer….

Our two piano players playing for tips….

Our second piano player tickling the ivories.

Me, Joann, Laurie, and Joann’s husband, Hossain.

Raising money for good causes across the country.

El Cerrito High School Information Technology Academy students volunteer to help serve food at the VIP event.

The weather was nice enough to hang out in the backyard of Joann’s lovely home.

Peggy engages filmmaker Meg Smaker in conversation at the VIP event.

Dylan killin’ it with raffle ticket sales.

Committee members Jeannine Pagan and Anja Hakoshima enjoying the VIP event.

Committee members Jeannine Pagan and Anja Hakoshima share a moment at the VIP event.

Filmmaker Anna Schumacher enjoying the food at the VIP event.

Yummy sliders, anyone? Our ITA students were fabulous ambassadors for El Cerrito High School.

Enjoying the food and being outside on a lovely mid-March evening.

Enjoying the food and wine, and being outside on a lovely mid-March evening.

A reminder of why we’re here.

The GoPro team, distinguished by their sport jackets, pose before on the move capturing the evening on camera.

The GoPro team, distinguished by their sport jackets, pose with one of the ITA students before going on the move capturing the evening on camera.

East Bay Committee member Peggy did a smashing job as emcee of the evening.

East Bay Committee member Peggy did a smashing job as emcee of the film festival at the El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater.

I asked the filmmakers to talk about the inspiration for their film. Meg Smaker, filmmaker of Boxeadora, discusses finding the story that nobody is telling but that needs to be told.

At the on-stage interview before the screening, I asked the filmmakers to talk about the inspiration for their film. Meg Smaker, filmmaker of Boxeadora, discusses finding the story that nobody is telling but that needs to be told.

Anna Schumacher and Matt Takimoto discuss the inspiration for Finding June – the movie and the score, respectively.

Filmamkers Meg Smaker and Anna Schumacher, Finding June composer Matt Takimoto, and yours truly as interviewer and author.

Filmmakers Meg Smaker and Anna Schumacher, Finding June composer Matt Takimoto, and yours truly as interviewer and author.

LUNAFEST filmmakers hamming it up at the photo booth, from left to right, Ruan Du Plessis (director of photography for Finding June), Anna, Matt, and Meg.

Artist Lauren Ari and her daughter make LUNAFEST an annual mother/daughter tradition.

A group of friends sharing a memory at the photo booth.

Good friend Wendy Johnson and her daughter Lindsay at the photo booth.

Raffle prizes on display!

We had a successful raffle, with a GoPro camera and several themed baskets of goodies.

Just another successful LUNAFEST with the East Bay Committee members – sans Beth, Rebecca, and Laurie. Until next year….

10 great reasons to attend LUNAFEST

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Patty

Without risks you don’t go anywhere, you don’t learn anything, and the movies that have been least enjoyable for me have been the ones that have kind of been by rote. Directors should always explore their boundaries – that’s where really exciting things happen.
– Ellen Kuras, American cinematographer and director

LUNAFEST East Bay is this Saturday and you don’t have your tickets yet? What are you waiting for? If you need some more convincing, here are my top 10 reasons for attending LUNAFEST this year!

1. Community spirit. What I love about events like LUNAFEST is the sense of community that I feel when I see people coming through the doors of the El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theatre to watch short films “by, for, about women.” I get a thrill when I look out across the auditorium and see their faces illuminated by the light from the movie on the big screen, knowing that we are all sharing in wonderment and joy as the story before us unfolds. When we spill out into the lobby after the screening, I bask in the energy of our little community talking about what moved us and what brilliant minds behind the films inspire us to share our own creative gifts.

Enjoying LUNAFEST with friends, your community.

Enjoy LUNAFEST with friends, your community.

2. Girlfriends, moms and daughters, sisters. Call it a ladies’ night out. Call it mom/daughter time together. Go on a date with your female loved ones (and/or your male loved ones!). Go out to eat, enjoy the film festival – don’t forget to have a group shot at our photo booth to commemorate the occasion (last year’s inaugural photo booth was a hit!) – and afterwards have a glass of wine or a cup of tea and talk about your favorite moment in each short film or your favorite film. Celebrate the creative force of six amazing women filmmakers and make it an annual event. Better yet, make it a priority to support women filmmakers’ movies. Vote with your pocketbooks.

Last year's guest filmmakers, Katherine Gorringe and Emily Fraser, at the photo booth.

Last year’s guest filmmakers, Katherine Gorringe and Emily Fraser, having fun at the photo booth.

Take your daughter to LUNAFEST and create memories!

3. Raffle prizes. This year, we have some wonderful raffle prizes: Good wine – and lots of it! Plus, two spa baskets, a bicycle basket, which includes a $100 gift certificate from Bikes on Solano (1554 Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA, 510.524.1094), a wine and appetizers basket, and a Solano Avenue merchant basket. So many goodies to choose from, and you can put your raffle ticket toward the gift you are coveting!

A VIP attendee ponders which raffle prize she wants to win.

4. Braxtons’ Boxes. Who can resist delectable chocolate chip cookies and red-velvet cupcakes from Braxtons’ Boxes? For those who have devoured these goodies the past two LUNAFEST seasons or have had them at a birthday party or other event know what I’m talking about. Prepare to die by chocolate and sugar! Not a bad way to go.

The dynamic duo, Pamela Braxton and her son Zachary, of Braxtons’ Boxes.

5. Meg Smaker. Meg’s film, Boxeadora, chronicles the struggles and dreams of Cuba’s only female boxer. It’s a powerful and sobering documentary. Meg, who hails from Oakland, will be one of our filmmaker guests. She’ll participate in our on-stage filmmaker interview. Once you see her film, you’ll want to seek her out during intermission or after the event to ask questions about her film.

Documentary filmmaker Meg Smaker.

6. Sarah Feeley. Sarah’s film, Raising Ryland, documents the Whittington family and their journey to raise their transgender son with love, compassion, and understanding. Parents, be prepared to bring a handkerchief or box of facial tissue to share. Sarah is a recent transplant to El Cerrito! She’s been invited to join us on March 19^th, and if she’s able to attend and not be called away for work, we’ll introduce her to the audience. Seek her out during intermission or after the event and find out more about her work.

Sarah Feeley at Well Grounded Tea & Coffee Bar, El Cerrito, CA.

7. Anna Schumacher and Matt Takimoto. Local kids – Class of 2005 – done good: Anna and Matt are alumni of the former Portola Middle School (now Fred T. Korematsu) and El Cerrito High School. Anna earned her BA in theatre at the University of California at Davis, and Matt earned his BA in music at the University of Oregon. Anna’s second film, Finding June, is one of six films chosen for this year’s LUNAFEST, and Matt scored the music. Both will be at the VIP event prior to the screening, and both will be on-stage for a short interview by yours truly. You can meet them during intermission and after the event, and find out what they’re working on next.

Anna Schumacher (photo credit: Talia J. Photography).

Matt Takimoto.

8. IT Academy. LUNAFEST enables local film festival planners, such as LUNAFEST East Bay, to donate a portion of their proceeds to local organizations. LUNAFEST East Bay donates to El Cerrito High School’s Information Technology Academy (ITA), which is a small learning community supported by TechFutures, a nonprofit organization founded by Mr. and Mrs. Ron Whittier. ITA “gives the underserved West Contra Cost Unified School District students an opportunity to have career-focused courses in digital art and computer systems management.” Last year’s proceeds helped to buy the ITA a 3D printer. Lucky kids!

El Cerrito High School and ITA student serves finger food at the LUNAFEST VIP event before the film festival.

9. The Breast Cancer Fund. If you want to learn more about environmental hazards that put women at risk, then get educated by going to the Breast Cancer Fund website, which “works to prevent breast cancer by eliminating our exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation linked to the disease.” The nonprofit organization shows how we can be proactive in protecting our health and our families’ health. In the 15 years of its existence, LUNAFEST film festivals around the country have raised $860,000 to date for more research in this area. Most of LUNAFEST East Bay’s proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Fund. Be proactive. Be an advocate.

Jeanne Rizzo, RN, president and CEO of the Breast Cancer Fund.

10. Simply great short films. This year six short films were chosen. And they’re really good. Not just good, but thought-provoking, artistic, humorous, invigorating, heartfelt, and especially a testament to the human spirit. Animated vision, different global viewpoints, examinations of social and cultural issues, and exercises in overcoming barriers – this year’s LUNAFEST has got them covered. And the best thing is that the women filmmakers are strong role models for girls and women of any age to create, do what you love, and pave the way for women to be treated equally in the film industry and everywhere else. Go Ladies!

Anna Schumacher by her filmmaker poster at the San Francisco premiere of LUNAFEST, October 2015.

Note: You can still get tickets online. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here. And then mark your calendars for Saturday, March 19th, 7:30pm, at the El Cerrito High School’s Performing Arts Theater. See you there!

The Dress at 50

Live the creative, meaningful, and full life

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