SDAFF Facebook SDAFF Twitter SDAFF YouTube SDAFF Home Contact SDAFF Submit your film today! SDAFF Home SDAFF Home Image Map

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Women in Film Part 1: Kimberlee Bassford

Kimberlee Bassford is an award-winning filmmaker from Hawai'i. Her latest film, PATSY MINK: AHEAD OF THE MAJORITY, premiered at SDAFF 2009. Bassford is a graduate of Punahou School and holds a BA in psychology from Harvard University and a Masters in Journalism from the University of California Berkeley. She owns Making Waves Films LLC, a documentary production company in Honolulu, and is an Entrepreneur In Residence at Punahou School's Luke Center.


What are you working on now?

I just finished a short documentary about my journey discovering my Chinese great grandfather, and I'm in development on several documentaries including a coming of age tale about a young female judoka from Hawai‘i chasing Olympic gold and a documentary about the newest immigrant groups in Hawai‘i. There are a few other films too, but those two are the furthest out the gate right now. I'm also doing a little teaching and launching a non-profit with other Hawai‘i filmmakers to teach filmmaking as a tool for community empowerment.


People assume I am….

…..in my 20s (or younger!) but I'm not :)


My female hero is….

……Patsy Mink.


Being a woman means…

……being a perfectionist.


The best advice another woman has given me is….

…….act like you belong.


Favorite Movie & Why

The Sound of Music. It made me sing as a child, and I still love it as an adult. It's a timeless story about breaking conventions and living with passion and conviction.


My dream project is…

…..one that mobilizes communities and sparks social change (or one that takes me to Paris or other enticing locales!)


Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome is...

……self-doubt and criticism (although both are ongoing challenges)


Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I hope to have a body of documentary work I'm proud of that brings social issue and cultural stories from Hawai‘i and the Pacific to national and international audiences...to have premiered a film (or a few films!) at Sundance, Tribeca and IDFA...and to be a mom.


You can find more information about Kimberlee Bassford and her film PATSY MINK by going here:

www.aheadofthemajority.com


1 comment: