Funding Opportunity for Native Musicians and Composers

NEW DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: FEBRUARY 1, 2011

See the complete request for proposals here: http://www.fnci.org/Opportunities/tabid/91/Default.aspx

FNCI funds the creation of newly composed work by American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian composers, commissioners or performing musicians. Awards are based on artistic excellence, merit and connection to audience and community.


Common Ground Overview
The Common Ground program is inclusive, and therefore encourages American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian composers, performers, and sound artists working in diverse genres/mediums to apply. Artists are encouraged to take risks in their creative endeavors. Common Ground is designed to fill the gap in funding for artists who are particularly interested in creating work without the burden of artistic compromise. Common Ground aims to give timely aid to those American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian musicians who are strongly dedicated to their art, who show artistic merit, and who propose an excellent project. We wish to award grants to varied artists from the many genres of music represented in Indian Country, and from diverse American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian cultures.

We are pleased to announce our NEW funding guidelines. Individual awards will now range from $500 to $5,000.

(Photo by Kevin McCarthy http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevin1024/2429835377)

Haku Inoa: To Weave A Name Funded by ITVS

(A recent stop by the ITVS office in San Francisco)


The third time was the charm for Haku Inoa to finally receive funding from the Independent Television Service's (ITVS) www.itvs.org LINCS initiative. I have been very fortunate to have had the ongoing support of both PBS Hawai`i www.pbshawaii.org as a partner and the support of Pacific Islanders in Communications www.piccom.org for all three times that I have applied to the initiative.

As I have been slowly letting the news out about the new funder people naturally ask me what the next steps are. So, here is a little outline of what my plans are in the upcoming months.

1. Early to Mid February - Finish a full length 3-column script outlining all sequences in order with narration, interviews, visuals, effects, music, ect...
2. March - pre-production
3. April to May - production and shooting for
4. May to September - editing.
5. September to January - grant writing and other paperwork type things to raise the last $50,000 needed for completion funds.

So that's the plan. It's very exciting news to release at the beginning of the new year, and there will be a lot of happening to update updates about the project, so stay in touch! You can join the Haku Inoa mailing list on Mail Chimp by clicking here



(Mom, Auntie Linda, me, and all of the Haku Inoa team at PBS Hawai`i)

Happy Holidays! Silent Night / Po La`ie

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah!

As an aside, why am I the only Hawaiian that can't sing?

Eye-Land: My New Homeless Friend Kapi`i

I went to Inglewood today to talk about a youth media program that I am developing with the Tongan Community Service Center http://tonganla.net/ I was taking the Blue Line Metro back to LA when a middle aged man with a bright green longboard got on at the 103rd Street stop in Watts. He had a Maui sticker on the back of his black helmet, so I slid across the aisle to take a picture of the back of his head. Then I noticed that written in broad black permanent marker was "Maoli Nō!" ( which translates to Hawaiian Indeed!) It was hard to see against the black background of his helmet.

It took a couple of seconds to work up the courage to tap him on the shoulder and ask if he was indeed Hawaiian. He said yes and told me his name was Kapi`i. I told him my Hawaiian name. He told me just about everything about himself. He had been living in the Watts area for about five years. He told me that he missed fishing in his boat in Hilo and showed me a picture he had of himself holding up two large Ono.

He also showed me the large scar he had across his elbow, which he said he got for being "too kolohe (crazy) and hanging out with the wrong kind of people". He said that he was staying in a shelter somewhere in Watts and kinda laughed. Looking with sincere directness at me he said "Well, you know how it is for us in Hawai`i we just all stay on the beach. Being on the street isn't so bad, here though it's good to stay in the shelter." He went on "But you know there is always a way off the street."

He was on his way to go to a business class near USC so he got off just one stop before mine, he is studying so that when his father passes away he will be able to go back to Hilo and continue on his family's fishing business.


The Maui sticker that started the conversation.

THE ANIMATED ADVENTURES OF JUDO GIRL

This is a really cute documentary that is in Production at Making Waves Films http://makingwavesfilms.com/. Director Kimberlee Bassford has recently completed a fundraising trailer for the film, which is included just above in this post. Kimberlee and her camera were with Teshya and her younger sister Teniya in October when they both swept their divisions and won gold at the Infantil Pan American Judo Championships in Panama City, Panama. It was their first international tournament and first time competing on the USA National Team. Teshya and the film project were even featured in an TeamUSA.org article, the official website of the United States Olympic Committee.

Kimberlee wil continue to film Teshya and her family over the next two years as she prepares for the 2012 Judo World Championships. It's bound to be an animated adventure!

Stories from the 2010 SoCal 'Ohana Retreat

Here are a some short videos that I helped Uncle Victor and Auntie Jane Pang get online. Some interesting Hawaiian stories and legends as well as how to put an imu pit together. Enjoy!