'Leitis in Waiting' Nominated for GLAAD Media Award
New York - Jan. 12, 2020: Nominations for the 31st annual GLAAD Media Awards were revealed this past Wednesday, and the field includes a long list of creators that the group is singling out for "fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues."
Among the nominees for Outstanding Documentary is Leitis in Waiting, produced by Pacific Islanders in Communications and directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, whose film Kumu Hina won the award in 2015.
Leitis in Waiting is the story of Joey Mataele and the Tonga leitis, an intrepid group of gender and sexual minorities fighting a rising tide of religious fundamentalism and intolerance in their small Pacific Island country. The film follows Joey, as she organizes an exuberant beauty pageant presided over by a princess and provides shelter and training for a young contestant rejected by her family. With unexpected humor and extraordinary access to the Tongan royal family, Joey's emotional journey reveals what it means to be different in a society ruled by tradition, and what it takes to be accepted without forsaking who you are.
"When this film was being made, I had no idea that with it our voices and perspectives would be heard all around the world. This nomination validates the importance of speaking out, even, or perhaps especially, when you are used to being silenced and ignored," said Mataele.
The film premiered at the British Museum in London before screening at dozens of international festivals, and has been broadcast on the PBS national series Pacific Heartbeat, ARTE Europe, SBS Australia, Maori TV New Zealand, La1ere France TV, and other networks.
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Contact:
Joe Wilson, Director
e: qwavesjoe@yahoo.com
t: +1 (808) 629-9864
Leanne Ferrer, PIC Ex. Dir.
e: lferrer@piccom.org
t: + 1 (808) 591-0059
About the Filmmakers:
Emmy Award-winning Hawaii-based filmmaking duo Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson make documentaries that emanate from the voices of those on the outside, that inspire creativity, that incite us to abandon our comfortable role as spectators, and compel us to question and to act. Their work has been supported by Sundance, screened at film festivals around the world including the Berlinale, Human Rights Watch, Toronto International, and AFI Docs, and has been viewed by millions of television viewers on national PBS series such as Independent Lens, America Reframed, and Pacific Heartbeat. With support from Pacific Islanders in Communications, Ford Foundation and Good Pitch, their films have been at the center of several impact campaigns that have reached millions via broadcast, online platforms, grassroots community engagement and educational networks. Their filmography includes Out in the Silence, Kumu Hina, A Place in the Middle, Lady Eva, and Leitis in Waiting.
About Pacific Islander in Communications:
Established in 1991 in Honolulu Hawai‘i, Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is the only national public media organization that supports media content specifically about Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. PIC works to promote a deeper understanding of Pacific Islander history, culture and contemporary issues that define our communities. PIC addresses the need for media content that reflects America’s growing ethnic and cultural diversity by funding independently produced media, and by providing hundreds of hours of innovative content about Pacific Islanders to National PBS including its flagship series Pacific Heartbeat.
About GLAAD:
GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.