{"id":179021,"date":"2023-06-20T10:12:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T20:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=179021"},"modified":"2023-06-20T10:12:56","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T20:12:56","slug":"mermaids-lament-at-hollywood-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/06\/20\/mermaids-lament-at-hollywood-film-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Hollywood film festival features UH<\/abbr> Hilo talent in Mermaids\u2019 Lament"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>

\"girl<\/p>\n

A locally produced independent film infused with the many talents of faculty and alumni from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Hilo<\/a>, is nominated for Best Feature at the Dances with Films<\/a> film festival. Mermaids\u2019 Lament premieres June 25 at the historic Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California. Get tickets and learn more about the festival online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mermaids\u2019 Lament—a creative psychological drama that explores the resiliency of women—is directed by Geoffrey B. Hajim, a professional filmmaker who lives in Pāpaʻikou<\/span> on Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island. Over his 25-year career, Hajim has completed more than 150 projects, from television spots to the first feature film in the Hawaiian language. He has taught film at Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Community College<\/a> and worked with drama students who have gone on to study at UH<\/abbr> Hilo.<\/p>\n

The film is the story of two women who find strength in each other despite their personal struggles. Oee is played by UH<\/abbr> Hilo alumna Dayva Summer Escobar and her therapist, Dr. Nell Jamison, is played by UH<\/abbr> Hilo Associate Professor of Drama Justina Mattos.<\/p>\n

“One of the joys of working on this film is that I was able to perform opposite one of my former acting students, Dayva Escobar, who just graduated from UH<\/abbr> Hilo,” said Mattos about her student who graduated from UH<\/abbr> Hilo in 2021. “As a teacher, it is very rewarding to see your students excel and thrive beyond the classroom. I was so proud to see the focus and professionalism that she brought to the set. Beyond that, Dayva is a very kind and socially conscious human being, and I feel that her performance in this film really brings out those traits in the character of Oee.”<\/p>\n

To learn more about the film and crew, visit UH<\/abbr> Hilo Stories.<\/a><\/p>\n

—By Susan Enright<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The independent film will premiere at the Dances With Films film festival on June 25.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[646,61,71,14,907],"class_list":["post-179021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-film","tag-hawaii-community-college","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-hilo-stories","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t