2015 Nichi Bei Foundation to present 20th Anniversary Screenings of Kayo Hatta's 'Picture Bride' Sept. 25 in S.F.'s Japantown - FundraiserNEW

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Special screenings of late director Kayo Hatta's groundbreaking film on Japanese immigrants (Issei), the award-winning "Picture Bride," will be presented by the Nichi Bei Foundation on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 in two screenings at New People Cinema, 1746 Post St. in San Francisco's Japantown. Actress Tamlyn Tomita and co-screenwriter Mari Hatta will be in attendance at the second of two screenings that day.

"Picture Bride" was the first theatrically-released feature film written, directed and produced by Asian American women. The winner of the Audience Award at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, it featured a cast that included Youki Kudoh, Akira Takayma, Tomita, Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa and legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune in his last acting role.

"In her attempt to leave behind a troubled past, Riyo exchanges photographs and letters with Matsuji, a Japanese sugarcane worker in Hawai'i, and a marriage is arranged," reads a synopsis of the film. "Upon her arrival in Hawai'i, she discovers that her new husband bears little resemblance to the handsome young man in the photo and her world is not the paradise she expected. What ensues is a time of hardship, struggle, and unexpected joy."

The first screening, at 3:30 p.m., will be geared toward students and the public, and include only the film and a brief discussion led by San Francisco State University Asian American Studies Professor Christen Sasaki.

The 6:30 p.m. Benefit Screening will serve as the Nichi Bei Foundation's fall fundraiser, featuring the participation of actress Tamlyn Tomita ("Karate Kid, Part II," "Come See the Paradise," "The Joy Luck Club," "Picture Bride" and "Glee") and co-screenwriter Mari Hatta, the sister of director Kayo Hatta. The 6:30 Benefit Screening will include a behind-the-scenes short feature, the 1995 film "Picture Bride," a discussion with Tomita, Mari Hatta and others involved in the film; and a reception featuring Hawaiian-themed food, wine, sake-tasting, and a performance by Francis Wong, Wesley Ueunten and Friends from Genyukai Berkeley. There will be a tribute to Kayo Hatta as well. Media personality Jan Yanehiro, former co-host of KPIX-TV's "Evening Magazine," will emcee the 6:30 Benefit Screening and Reception.

"Upon the 20thanniversary of this landmark film, which was a grassroots effort to honor the legacy of our Issei generation, we wanted to make 'Picture Bride' accessible to an entirely new generation who may not have seen the film," said Nichi Bei Foundation President Kenji G. Taguma. "At the same time, we wanted to honor the legacy of Issei women, who helped to build our Japanese American communities, as well as pay tribute to the work of Kayo Hatta and the rest of the cast and crew."

The cost of the 3:30 p.m. screening is $15 for general admission, $10 for students and Nichi Bei Foundation members. The cost of the 6:30 p.m. Benefit Screening and Reception, including the discussion with cast and crew, is $50. Various sponsorship levels are available. For more information, e-mail [email protected]. Tickets can be ordered by visiting www.nichibei.org/picture-bride.