GUAM PACIFIC DAILY NEWS
'Shiros' Head' Nominated For Film Festival Top Award
By Agnes E. Donato • Pacific Daily News • April 4, 2009

Guam's first feature-length movie, "Shiro's Head," has been selected as a finalist for the top award at the 25th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

"Shiro's Head" is one of the eight films nominated for the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative at the L.A. film festival, brothers and co-directors Don and Kel Muna announced in a news release yesterday.

The film festival will run from April 30 through May 7.

"We can't believe it," Kel Muna wrote in an e-mail to the Pacific Daily News yesterday. "We're extremely thrilled, honored and excited for 'Shiro's Head' and for Guam."

He said the nomination will put the spotlight not only on the Guam film, but also on local talent.

Shot entirely in Guam and starring a cast of local actors, "Shiro's Head" revolves around a man shunned from his family for his father's death and his ensuing struggle to come to terms with his family's history.

The film was previously shown at film festivals in Philadelphia and Hawaii. It also won the Silver Ace Award at the 2009 Las Vegas International Film Festival.

According to the Muna brothers' press release, the award for which "Shiro's Head" was nominated is the highest honor for a feature film at the L.A. film festival.

Citing information from the festival organizers, the press release said the Grand Jury Award will be presented to "an Asian Pacific film artist whose feature-length work displayed in this year's festival exemplifies artistic excellence as well as strong promise for future creative activity."
Fundraising

"Shiro's Head" is scheduled to be shown at the Director's Guild of America Theater 2 on May 1 at 10 p.m.

The Muna brothers called on their friends and supporters to help bring the film to Los Angeles to participate in the film festival.

A fundraiser will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on April 21 at Ralphy's in East Agana. Proceeds from the event will pay for the Muna brothers' travel and accommodation expenses.

Local residents are also urged to tell family and friends in the states to come to the Los Angeles screening of "Shiro's Head."

"We want to show LA that Guam has a strong presence and that we come in large numbers -- this will help the festivals to consider future films from Guam when they know we can bring in the high attendance. We're making the effort, but we can't do it alone," Kel Muna said in the e-mail.