(L to R) Geoff McFetridge; Sing J. Lee; HIFF Director of Programming Anna Page; Till Schauder; Nicky Nodjoumi; Sara Nodjoumi; Chiaki Yanagimoto; Debra Zmekhol
New American Perspectives (NAP) presented by the Vilcek Foundation shines a spotlight on immigrant and foreign-born artists, celebrating the powerful impact that diversity has on contemporary cinema and media in the United States. The program centers the voices of immigrant artists through film screenings, filmmaker Q&As and masterclasses. For HIFF43, we presented a stellar cohort comprised of the following artists – Geoff McFetridge (b. Canada), Sing J. Lee (b. United Kingdom of Hong Kong descent), Nickzad Nodjoumi (b. Iran), Sara Nodjoumi (b. U.S. to Iranian parents), Till Schauder (b. U.S. to German parents), Chiaki Yanagimoto (b. Japan), and Denise Zmekhol (b. Brazil). Read all of their bios here.
Artist and designer Geoff McFetridge was HIFF43’s Featured NAP Fellow, as he talked about his career and pursuit to fulfill his drive to be an artist. This extended conversation, moderated by Jasper Wong of World Wide Walls, was held after the Hawai‘i premiere of the documentary GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE. Below is the full conversation.
In addition to this conversation, HIFF also presented a panel discussion with the entire cohort, which was called DRAWING A LIFE: NEW PERSPECTIVES IN FILM & ART. The filmmakers and artists discussed their careers, their work, and their experiences as cultural workers in the United States. Ultimately, it was a fascinating conversation about the creative process, moderated by HIFF’s Director of Programming Anna Page. You can view the full panel in the video below:
Here is the full list of feature films that were a part of HIFF43’s NAP program:
- A REVOLUTION ON CANVAS directed by Till Schauder & Sara Nodjoumi
- AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD directed by Ben Braun & Chiaki Yanagimoto
- GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE directed by Dan Covert
- SKIN OF GLASS directed by Denise Zmekhol
- THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER directed by Sing J. Lee
Here are some photos of the HIFF43 NAP cohort out and about at the Festival. Thank you for participating and making this year’s NAP a smashing success!
