A documentary about traditional Afro-Peruvian music and dance, showing its connection to Latin jazz. Filmed in Peru and the San Francisco Bay Area, it was originally released in 2007, then revised in 2016.

Finalist, Best Documentary, San Diego Black Film Festival.

Screened in three countries including the prestigious Pan-African Film Festival of Los Angeles.

"...exciting and varied tradition...." (Brad Eden for EMRO (Edu. Media Reviews Online)

"...good educational tool...." (Troy Bedford for Anthropology Review)

"...[star] Lalo Izquierdo...is so compelling you just might jump up and join in." (Deidre Towers, former curator, Dance on Camera Festival)

aired over individual PBS stations

While focused on southern Indian classical bharatanatyam dance and music, it also includes one folk dance. Filmed in California, the solo dancer and musicians were brought over from India and most of the group dancers come from the Indian diaspora.

Includes interviews with K.P. Kunhiraman and Katherine Kunhiraman, the artistic directors, who provide a wealth of information about the art form, its connection to the Hindu religion, and its secularization in modern times.

"...visually pleasing, informative and entertaining. Recommended. (J. Reed for Video Librarian)

"The footwork is fast, the costumes beautiful...." (Multicultural Review)

WAVE finalist, Aliance for Community Media; rough cut received award from Berkeley Video & Film Festival.

aired over individual PBS stations

This documentary looks at an artist of local fame to see what such an artist has to contribute to society. We find that s/he has an important role to play, from creating beauty and an appreciation of art on the local level to helping at-risk youth.

Growing up black in the segregated South, our artist, Hershell West, found that neither his society nor his family expected him to become an artist. But he triumphed over these obstacles and we are all the better for it.

"...compelling documentary.... Highly recommended." (T. Keogh for Video Librarian)

"...[provides] an enriched sense of why public art matters." (Paul Straghalis Albany, CA, Public Library)

"...inspiring." (Pam Fingado former gallery owner & Arts & Culture Commissioner, El Cerrito, CA

Best Film, Fine Arts Category, Black International Cinema of Berlin (GERMANY). It also screened in festivals in USA and France.

Francisco Pérez left his native Spain with his mother, sister and cousin when he was a child, part of an immigration that brought thousands of country folk from Spain and Portugal to Hawaii under contract to work as farm laborers on sugar cane and pineapple plantations. Many of them later settled in Northern California.

Peréz himself, 98 years old when we interviewed him, was full of fascinating stories of life in Spain, Hawaii, and California. We enriched his narrative with on-location footage from all three places, and other material.

"[A]'must-see' for any serious student of immigration...." (Prof. John P. Rosa, Univ. of Hawai'i, Manoa)

"...accessible and fascinating...." (Prof. Maddaline Marinari, St. Bonaventure Univ.)

WAVE finalist, Aliance for Community Media

Two artists from Mexico who now live in California show off their art and talk about its connection to their indigenous roots - Aztec and Mayan in particular. One, Ernesto Olmos, is a muralist, ceramicist, musician and shaman, creator of a magic "flute of fire" which indeed has a fire burning it it.

The other, Rubén Guzmán, shows off his cartoneria, a form of paper maché he uses to embody deities and other mythological figures from his dreams. These colorful figures range from small creations under 6 inches tall, to giant figures like the dragon heads he made for Disney.

"Highly recommended. For college, general-adult: Art, Latin Americans, Mythology...." (Elena Landry, for EMRO - Educational Media Online)

"A strong optional purchase for media librarian...." (Ashley Sousa, for Media Librarian)

"Response to the film...was enthusiastic...." (Catherine Ortiz, Adult Reference Librarian, Richmond (CA) Public Library)

There are two things of great concern to Ricaro Peña of central Mexico, leader and chief drummer for an Aztec dance group in the San Francisco Bay Area. One is that his fellow Aztecs, and all indigenous people (including his own children) realize that being indigenous, being Indian, is something to be proud of, not a source of shame or embarrassment.

Born to an indigenous Aztec family which follows the traditional religion, his other concern is to be able to maintain his heritage, his culture, and his religion even though he has left his native land.

"...a great representation of how a Mexican American community is preserving their [sic] Aztec heritage..." (Pedro Lavizzari, for Video Librarian

While our documentary tells something of the history of these islands, the focus is on the dance and music, and some of their unique qualities. We learn several stories that these dances tell, while the musicians acquaint us with the impressive array of percussion instruments that Tahitians have developed.

Great seafarers, we also discover that Tahitians have important things to teach us about man's ability to do great feats without the aid of modern technology.

"...beautiful and informative...." (Chris Verdugo, production manager, CCTV)

Third place, Performing Arts, STAR award

Eight half-hour interviews with fascinating people from diverse ethnicities, some native born Americans and others, immigrants. The interviews are enriched with on-location footage. Our guests represent the following communities: African American, Bulgarian, Native American, Mexican, Swedish American, Hmong, and Persian.

The guests also represent a wide variety of careers: university professor, professional dancer, non-profit fund-raiser, social worker, small shop owner, painter, community college president, lawyer.

Roots & Branches: Letitia Moore awarded Best Film on Matters Relating to the Black Experience-Marginalized People from Black International Cinema, Berlin (GERMANY)

Roots & Branches: Pam Fingado: Honorable Mention, Arts category, Berkeley Video & Film Festival (USA)

Roots & Branches: the Series: Honorable Mention, Ethnographic category from Berkeley Video & Film Festival (USA)