Awards: Documentary Competition

This years Documentary Competition includes eight groundbreaking new documentaries whose themes examine important social issues in the U.S. and abroad: harrowing escapes from war-torn nations, untold histories of marginalized communities, scathing critiques of American racism, and loving tributes to traditional art forms.

The Best Documentary Award is presented to the best feature-length documentary film by or about Asian Americans or Asian Canadians, as selected by a three-person jury. The winner will be announced during the Closing Night Gala party on Thursday, March 22.

Click here for the full list of nominated films.

THE JURY

Anne del Castillo

Anne del Castillo is the Associate Director, Development and Special Projects for American Documentary, P.O.V. Anne has been active in the independent media arts and public television as a producer, programmer and fundraiser for over 12 years. Prior to joining American Documentary in 2002, she was a production associate at AMERICAN MASTERS and series coordinator for FRONTLINE. She later served as Associate Director of the Austin Film Society. As Associate Director at American Documentary, Anne currently manages P.O.V.s fundraising activities, content research and program licensing.

Robert Nakamura

Pioneering filmmaker, influential teacher and mentor, Robert Nakamura has been a major force in the conception and growth of Asian Pacific American community media arts since 1970. Nakamura was a founding member of Visual Communications and in 1996 founded the UCLA Center for Ethnocommunications. Nakamura, currently a professor in UCLAs Department of Asian American Studies, has garnered many national awards for his innovative and evocative films. His most recent film, TOYO MIYATAKE: INFINITE SHADES OF GRAY, was an official selection at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.

Deann Borshay Liem

Deann Borshay Liem has over twenty years experience working in development, production and distribution of educational and public television programming. She was producer, director and writer of the Emmy Award-nominated documentary, FIRST PERSON PLURAL (Opening Night, SFIAAFF 00), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She served as Executive Director of NAATA from 1993 to 1996, and was Executive Producer of Spencer Nakasakos A.K.A. DON BONUS (1995) and KELLY LOVES TONY (1998). She is currently Executive Director of Katahdin Foundation, a nonprofit documentary production company in Berkeley, and is developing a new documentary project.