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Creativity of Filipino Americans in Film and Video

 

Friday, October 20, 2006, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Baird Auditorium
National Museum of Natural History
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW

Join us for the premiere of Sandaan, a documentary created for the Filipino American Centennial by Sonny Izon, the award-winning creator of An Untold Triumph and his co-writer and co-producer Stephanie J. Castillo..Sandaan, is an intimate family album of Filipino experiences in America during the past one hundred years – at times exhilarating, at times bittersweet, but ultimately a determined and triumphant journey toward claiming America as home.

In celebrating Filipino American filmmakers, the program also features two short films: Manongs by Linda Mabalot and an animated film, Maritess vs. the Superfriends, by Dino Ignacio.

This program is part of a series of programs throughout 2006 at the Smithsonian Institution to commemorate the centennial of Filipino migration. Free and open to the public, on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

‘Sandaan’ to premiere at NaFFAA conference

Aug 16, 2006
To commemorate 100 years of Filipino immigration to the United States, Hawaii was chosen as this year’s site for the 4th Global Filipino Networking Convention and the 7th NaFFAA Empowerment Conference, from September 28 thru October 1.

A highlight of this gathering, which is expected to draw hundreds of delegates from all over the world, is the premiere screening of “Sandaan” (One Hundred), a one-hour high definition documentary that explores the Filipino American story. Written and produced by noted filmmaker Sonny Izon, it recounts the challenges faced by Filipino immigrants and the impact they made in shaping American life.

“Filipino Americans were a critical and unique factor in the United States rise as a world power in the 20th Century and will continue to do so in the 21st Century,” says Juanita Tamayo Lott, a demographer and policy analyst. “They not only brought their values, skills and knowledge to America, but they made the defining decision to become integral to American society and the future of the United States.”

The showing of this film and its historic significance sets the tone for the four-day “convention of conventions,” which aims to bring together business, professional, social, political and religious groups.

With the theme “100 years of the Filipino Diaspora: Hawaii and Beyond,” the joint conference will be held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu.

Prominent Filipino Americans, government officials from both the U.S. and the Philippines and celebrities are expected to grace the event. In addition, “mini-conferences” on various issues - from civil rights to charter change, veterans equity to voting rights - will engage the delegates’ interests and passions throughout the four days.

A big agenda item is a plenary session on political empowerment. “As we celebrate our accomplishments as Filipino Americans, it is also important during this centennial year to mobilize our community into active, civic participation in the U.S. political process,” says Gloria Caoile, former NaFFAA national vice chair and coordinator of NaFFAA’s FilVote project.

“With the U.S. mid-term elections coming up, we need to make sure of a large voter turn-out and demonstrate to policy makers in the White House and Congress that we care about issues like voting rights, immigration and veterans equity.”

“Sandaan” describes the civic engagement of the pioneer generation in the 1906-1956 period, not just as permanent residents but as fully participating U.S. citizens. They inspired the second and third generations to engage in the civil rights and other social movements of the 1960s, notably the establishment and institutionalization of Asian American and Pilipino American Studies in California.

“We must come out of this convention ready and revved up to rock the American political landscape with our votes, determined to shape America’s history once again in the next 100 years,” adds Caoile.

For more information, visit www.naffaa.org.