Kayo Hatta
Encyclopedia
Kayo Hatta was an Asian American filmmaker, writer, and community activist. She directed and co-wrote the independent dramatic feature-length film Picture Bride
, which won the Sundance Film Festival
Audience Award in 1995 for Best Dramatic Film.
, Hatta grew up in New York. She graduated from Stanford University
and obtained a master's degree in film from UCLA.
in the Un Certain Regard
section, and received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best first film. Distributed worldwide by Miramax, the film was praised for its authenticity (including extensive use of Hawaiian pidgin
dialogue), and continues to be used in the curriculum at a number of Hawaii universities and schools.
While at UCLA, she began Picture Bride as a short film, but felt the material deserved to be feature length. Hatta describes the long process of developing and finding financing for the film on the DVD version of Picture Bride, released by Miramax Home Entertainment, in 2004. The DVD includes a "making of" documentary featuring an extensive interview with Hatta and cast members, archival historical footage, and behind-the-scenes clips from the movie set. She recounts how the film encountered many technical difficulties during production, and ran out of funding halfway through the shooting. However, the lead actress, Japanese star Youki Kudoh
, was able to make phone calls from the set to convince a Japanese lingerie company, for whom she had modeled, to buy the Japanese rights to the film, and production was able to continue. Hatta was also able to enlist the participation of a number of other established actors, such as legendary Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune
, and Tamlyn Tomita
.
's acclaimed novel The Floating World (1989), about the transient life of a young Japanese-American girl and her family following their release from the World War II internment camps. In 1999, Hatta narrowly lost out on the chance to direct the film adaptation of Snow Falling on Cedars, in which Youki Kudoh played a starring role.
As a collaborator, Hatta played key roles in the development and production of several independent films. She was co-producer http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_review&reviewID=VE1117920743&cs=1 of the award-winning film "The Olive Harvest" (2003)http://www.theoliveharvest.com/index.shtml, a romantic allegory of Palestinian culture today, directed by Hanna Elias http://www.hannaelias.com/. The film was the Palestine Authority's entry to the 2005 Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Award
s, and was recognized at the 2003 Cairo International Film Festival
as "Best Arabic Film." Hatta was cinematographer
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0368981/" for Liz Cane's documentary film "Eager for Your Kisses: Love and Sex at 95" (2006)http://www.newday.com/films/EagerForYourKisses.html#reviews a portrait of the filmmaker's 95-year-old grandfather. She is also remembered for her involvement in social justice issues http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/Asian/arts_culture_media/kayo_hatta_remembrances.asp, and for her mentorship and support for emerging Asian American artists and filmmakers http://edjustice.blogspot.com/2006/03/kayo-hattas-picture-bride-asian.html. She served on the Board of Directors for Independent Feature Projects/West "Project Involve" Mentorship Program and was Assistant Professor at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television and the Art Institute of Los Angeles, where she taught film directing and video production. She also served on the dramatic film jury at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival
.
In 2005, Hatta completed work on Fishbowl http://www.fishbowlfilm.com/, which she wrote, directed, and co-edited; the film is based on the novel, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers
, by Hawai'i author Lois-Ann Yamanaka
. Hatta had intended to adapt the novel into a feature-length film but was unable to secure sufficient funding, so she decided to make a 30-minute short film around a few key episodes in the book. http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/Asian/arts_culture_media/pc_fishbowl_hatta_1005.asp. The coming-of-age tale of plantation kids searching for a better life premiered at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
and aired nationally on PBS in March 2006. "Fishbowl" won the 2006 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Hawaii Film & Videomaker Award. In May 2007 the film also won a Regional Emmy Award (Northern California/Hawaii Area), in the category of Historical/Cultural – Program/Special.
In October 2005, three months after her death, the State of Hawai’i posthumously recognized Hatta with its Film in Hawai’i Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival
, "presented by the State of Hawai‘i to the film or television entity that has significantly contributed to promoting the local film industry."http://google.com/search?q=cache:XL9H67IpO2UJ:www.hiff.org/download/media/2005F/LVHIFFpressrelease20051028_Awards.doc+www.hiff.org/download/media/2005F/LVHIFFpressrelease20051028_Awards.doc.&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a.
Picture Bride (film)
Picture Bride is a 1995 feature-length independent film directed by Kayo Hatta from a screenplay she co-wrote with Mari Hatta, and co-produced by Diane Mei Lin Mark and Lisa Onodera. It follows Riyo, who arrives in Hawaii as a "picture bride" for a man she has never met before. The story is based...
, which won the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
Audience Award in 1995 for Best Dramatic Film.
Early Life
Born in Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, Hatta grew up in New York. She graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and obtained a master's degree in film from UCLA.
Film Career
Picture Bride was an Official Selection at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival1994 Cannes Film Festival
The 1994 Cannes Film Festival started on 12 May and ran until 23 May. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Pulp Fiction directed by Quentin Tarantino.-Official Selection:*Clint Eastwood *Catherine Deneuve...
in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section, and received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best first film. Distributed worldwide by Miramax, the film was praised for its authenticity (including extensive use of Hawaiian pidgin
Hawaiian Pidgin
Hawaii Pidgin English, Hawaii Creole English, HCE, or simply Pidgin, is a creole language based in part on English used by many "local" residents of Hawaii. Although English and Hawaiian are the co-official languages of the state of Hawaii, Pidgin is used by many Hawaii residents in everyday...
dialogue), and continues to be used in the curriculum at a number of Hawaii universities and schools.
While at UCLA, she began Picture Bride as a short film, but felt the material deserved to be feature length. Hatta describes the long process of developing and finding financing for the film on the DVD version of Picture Bride, released by Miramax Home Entertainment, in 2004. The DVD includes a "making of" documentary featuring an extensive interview with Hatta and cast members, archival historical footage, and behind-the-scenes clips from the movie set. She recounts how the film encountered many technical difficulties during production, and ran out of funding halfway through the shooting. However, the lead actress, Japanese star Youki Kudoh
Youki Kudoh
is a Japanese actress and singer. She won the award for best newcomer at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival for The Crazy Family. She also won the award for best actress at the 16th Hochi Film Award for War and Youth.-Filmography:-External links:* *...
, was able to make phone calls from the set to convince a Japanese lingerie company, for whom she had modeled, to buy the Japanese rights to the film, and production was able to continue. Hatta was also able to enlist the participation of a number of other established actors, such as legendary Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune
Toshiro Mifune
Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, from 1948 to 1965, in works such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo...
, and Tamlyn Tomita
Tamlyn Tomita
Tamlyn Naomi Tomita is an actress, who has appeared in many Hollywood films and television series.-Early life:Tomita was born in Okinawa, the daughter of Shiro and Asako Tomita. Her father then later became a Los Angeles Police Officer, rising to the rank of sergeant. He succumbed to cancer in...
.
Other Projects
Hatta directed a number of short films, including Otemba ("Tomboy") (1988), a semi-autobiographical film which the Pan-Asian Filmmakers Foundation cited as one of three "Defining Moments in Asian American Cinema." Despite the success of Picture Bride, however, Hatta was unable to find studio financing for her subsequent feature film projects, which included a screen adaptation of Cynthia KadohataCynthia Kadohata
Cynthia Kadohata is a Japanese American writer known for winning the 2005 Newbery Medal. Her first published short story appeared in The New Yorker in 1986....
's acclaimed novel The Floating World (1989), about the transient life of a young Japanese-American girl and her family following their release from the World War II internment camps. In 1999, Hatta narrowly lost out on the chance to direct the film adaptation of Snow Falling on Cedars, in which Youki Kudoh played a starring role.
As a collaborator, Hatta played key roles in the development and production of several independent films. She was co-producer http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_review&reviewID=VE1117920743&cs=1 of the award-winning film "The Olive Harvest" (2003)http://www.theoliveharvest.com/index.shtml, a romantic allegory of Palestinian culture today, directed by Hanna Elias http://www.hannaelias.com/. The film was the Palestine Authority's entry to the 2005 Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s, and was recognized at the 2003 Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival
The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. It was established in 1976 and was the first international film festival held in the Arab world...
as "Best Arabic Film." Hatta was cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0368981/" for Liz Cane's documentary film "Eager for Your Kisses: Love and Sex at 95" (2006)http://www.newday.com/films/EagerForYourKisses.html#reviews a portrait of the filmmaker's 95-year-old grandfather. She is also remembered for her involvement in social justice issues http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/Asian/arts_culture_media/kayo_hatta_remembrances.asp, and for her mentorship and support for emerging Asian American artists and filmmakers http://edjustice.blogspot.com/2006/03/kayo-hattas-picture-bride-asian.html. She served on the Board of Directors for Independent Feature Projects/West "Project Involve" Mentorship Program and was Assistant Professor at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television and the Art Institute of Los Angeles, where she taught film directing and video production. She also served on the dramatic film jury at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
In 2005, Hatta completed work on Fishbowl http://www.fishbowlfilm.com/, which she wrote, directed, and co-edited; the film is based on the novel, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers
Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers
Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers is a Japanese American-Hawaiian-Adult Fiction novel by Lois-Ann Yamanaka. Its tonality is distinctive to that of a local Hawaiian culture in that all the main characters speak in Hawaiian Pidgin. Although it is an adult fiction novel, the plot follows a young...
, by Hawai'i author Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Lois-Ann Yamanaka is a Japanese-American poet and novelist from Hawaii. Many of her critically acclaimed literary works are written in Hawaiian Pidgin, and some of her writing has dealt with controversial ethnic issues...
. Hatta had intended to adapt the novel into a feature-length film but was unable to secure sufficient funding, so she decided to make a 30-minute short film around a few key episodes in the book. http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/Asian/arts_culture_media/pc_fishbowl_hatta_1005.asp. The coming-of-age tale of plantation kids searching for a better life premiered at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presented every March is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, USA...
and aired nationally on PBS in March 2006. "Fishbowl" won the 2006 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Hawaii Film & Videomaker Award. In May 2007 the film also won a Regional Emmy Award (Northern California/Hawaii Area), in the category of Historical/Cultural – Program/Special.
Awards
Over the course of her career, Hatta received numerous honors, including the Asian CineVision's Asian American Media Award for Outstanding Achievement and Contribution to Asian American Media; the Asian American Arts Foundation Golden Ring Award for Artistic Achievement; and the MANAA (Media Action Network for Asian Americans) Media Achievement Award. Her honors in Hawaii include the Hawaii Council of the City and County of Honolulu Certificate Honoring Women Filmmakers of Picture Bride for Outstanding Achievement in Film; a Hawaii State Senate Testimonial of Commendation; and a Hawaii State House of Representatives Testimonial of Commendation.Death and Legacy
In July 2005, she drowned in Encinitas, CA outside of San Diego. Hatta did not live to see the reaction to her last work.In October 2005, three months after her death, the State of Hawai’i posthumously recognized Hatta with its Film in Hawai’i Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival
Hawaii International Film Festival
The Hawaii International Film Festival is a film festival held in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was started in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko and has been held annually in the fall for two weeks...
, "presented by the State of Hawai‘i to the film or television entity that has significantly contributed to promoting the local film industry."http://google.com/search?q=cache:XL9H67IpO2UJ:www.hiff.org/download/media/2005F/LVHIFFpressrelease20051028_Awards.doc+www.hiff.org/download/media/2005F/LVHIFFpressrelease20051028_Awards.doc.&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a.