Hapa-palooza to showcase talent and diversity
Festival includes actors panel
Vancouver kid actor Koyu Rankin remembers clearly doing the media for Wes Anderson’s animated film Isle of Dogs.
“I was very nervous, but it ended up it was fun,” said the 11-year-old Rankin who was the voice of Atari the little boy in the movie who goes looking for his dog.
That spring of 2018 film was Rankin’s first big role. Before shooting that he had a Toyota commercial and the short film Juken under his belt.
That previous Isle of Dogs press junket should stand Rankin in good stead when he takes part in the Hapa-palooza Mixed Flicks, multi-ethnic, short-film screening and young Hapa (a term for a person of mixed ethnic heritage) actors panel Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Firehall Theatre. In partnership with the annual Powell Street Festival, Mixed Flicks will also be showing the films Floating Lights and Lions in Waiting.
After the films is a Q&A panel with Rankin and fellow actors Sahara Forest (Floating Lights), Erika Forest (Godzilla) and Taylor Kare (The Romeo Section).
“I believe it’s important to showcase the amazing work these young Hapa actors are doing and how they are being represented in film,” said Hapa-palooza co-founder and filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns. “Identity plays a large role in film and media, and it’s important that mixed actors are able to play roles that reflect their own multi-ethnic identities.”
There’s bound to be many good questions for the young actors and likely topping that list will be requests for advice.
“I think no matter how hard it is just keep trying,” said Rankin, when asked about what kind of advice he would offer.
The North Vancouver elementary school student says that at the end of the day, nerves aside, it is a “really big honour” to be on this panel.
This event is free, so organizers suggest you get there early, as there is limited space at the Firehall Theatre.
“I hope people will walk away with an appreciation of how multi-ethnic actors are properly represented on screen, especially at a young age,” said Stearns. “As well, we hope people walk away feeling inspired to make media that reflects the diverse world around them!”