April 26, 2012
Contributed by ksinfo
ONE VOICE, released in 2010, chronicles the journey of Kamehameha Schools' students as they prepare for the 87th Annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest and highlights their contributions to the preservation and perpetuation of Hawaiian culture. Through the voices of these students, the audience experiences Hawaiian culture as it has survived, flourished and grown through the universal power of music and song.
"We are so excited about the national broadcast of this film, because it exemplifies the talent and experience of filmmakers that exist here in Hawaii both in front of the screen and behind-the-scenes," says Ruth Bolan, Executive Director at PIC.
The national television debut of ONE VOICE follows a successful run on the film festival circuit throughout the past two years. The film received the Audience Choice Award at the 2010 Hawaii International Film Festival, the Harrah's Rincon Overall Audience Award at the 2010 San Diego Asian Film Festival, and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2011 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. Director Lisette Flanary (of Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula fame) was nominated for Best Director at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival.
Bolan says the film allows everyone to experience this extraordinary competition. "The Kamehameha School Song Contest is a unique tradition of cultural celebration. The film gives viewers a front row seat into Hawaii's heritage, demonstrating the islands' love for community, passion for Hawaiian music, and the story of a people who nearly lost their language and culture."
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR/PRODUCER:
As a filmmaker and hula dancer, ONE VOICE director Lisette Marie Flanary creates documentary films that celebrate a renaissance of traditional Hawaiian culture in the modern world. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Flanary is the writer, producer and director of Lehua Films based in New York City. Her award- winning movie "Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula," was part of the Independent Lens series on PBS in 2008, and screened in numerous film festivals both in the U-S and abroad. The film premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival's Sunset on the Beach event in 2006, where Flanary received the Hawaii Filmmaker Award and an Audience Award for Best Documentary. In 2007, "Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula" garnered an Emerging Director Award at the New York Asian American International Film Festival, the Audience Award at the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival, Best Non-Fiction Feature at the VCFilmFest and Best Documentary at the San Diego Asian American Film Festival.
Currently, Flanary is in pre-production on the final film of her trilogy entitled "Tokyo Hula," which focuses on the intense popularity of hula dancing in Japan. And, One Voice won her a nomination for Best Director of a Documentary at the 2010 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Rim Festival
Co-producer Heather Haunani Giugni is a passionate Hawaiian media content collector who celebrates her community through the lens of a camera. For more than 25 years, Giugni has been the guiding force behind Juniroa Productions, which has produced hundreds of short and long programs about Hawaii and its native people. Giugni also mentors, produces, directs, writes and connects the Hawaiian dots that help tell the story of Native Hawaiians, to a global audience. Since 2006, she has produced the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest's live broadcast. She also produces the highly acclaimed Merrie Monarch Festival, broadcast locally and viewed worldwide, via the Internet. Most recently, Giugni established a digital film and video archive for the State of Hawaii. Her success can be attributed to great collaborations, including a partnership with PIC on One Voice.
About Pacific Islanders in Communications:
The mission of Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and talent that results in a deeper understanding and appreciation of Pacific Island history, culture, and contemporary challenges. Established in Honolulu in 1991 as a national nonprofit media arts corporation, PIC is a member of the National Minority Consortia, which collectively addresses the need for programming that reflects America's growing ethnic and cultural diversity. Primary funding for PIC and the Consortia is provided through an annual grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Visit piccom.org for additional information.
About the Public Broadcasting System (PBS):
PBS' mission is to create content that educates, informs and inspires. To do this, PBS offers programming that expands the minds of children, documentaries that open up new worlds, non-commercialized news programs that keep citizens informed on world events and cultures and programs that expose America to the worlds of music, theater, dance and art.
More information on ONE VOICE:
www.onevoicemovie.com
www.piccom.org
www.facebook.com/OneVoiceMovie
www.twitter.com/OneVoiceMovie
www.youtube.com/piccom1
Media contact: Micky Huihui - 808-591-0059; mhuihui@piccom.org
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
