- Kayo Hatta
Kayo Hatta (
March 18 ,1958 -July 20 ,2005 ) was an American film director best known for her 1994 independent film "Picture Bride".Born in
Honolulu, Hawaii , Hatta graduated fromStanford University and obtained a master's degree in film fromUCLA . She began her first film, "Picture Bride", as a short film at UCLA, but felt the material deserved to be feature length. The film garnered aSundance audience award for best dramatic film in 1995 and was praised for its authenticity (including use of real Hawaiian extras and locations); it has been used as curriculum for a number of Hawaii universities and schools. In 1999 Hatta narrowly lost out on the chance to direct theEthan Hawke film "Snow Falling on Cedars". She directed a number of other short films, [http://www.mediaartists.org/content.php?sec=artist&sub=detail&artist_id=527 including] "Otemba" ("Tomboy") (1988), which the Pan-Asian Filmmakers Foundation cited as one of three "Defining Moments in Asian American Cinema," "Bus Stop" (1990), and "Kids '99" (1999).In 2005 Hatta completed work on a short film, "Fishbowl", based on the writings of Hawaiian author
Lois-Ann Yamanaka . The coming-of-age tale of plantation kids searching for a better life premiered at theSan Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and aired onPBS in March 2006. In May 2007 the film won a RegionalEmmy Award (Northern California/Hawaii Area), in the category of Historical/Cultural – Program/Special [ [http://www.iolani.org/wn_gn_051507a_cc.htm www.iolani.org] ] .Hatta did not live to see the reaction to her latest work. In July 2005 she drowned in
San Diego . Hatta is survived by her mother and three sisters.References
External links
*
* [http://asianamericanfilm.com/boards/dcforum/DCForumID13/138.html Obituary]
* [http://www.discovernikkei.org/wiki/Kayo_Hatta Collection of interviews]
* [http://www.picturebridefilm.com/home.html "Picture Bride" Official Site]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
