HONORING THEIR SERVICE
‘A LONG MARCH,’ A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT FILIPINO WORLD WAR II VETERANS, IS ONE OF OVER 25 MOVIES AT THE 2022 GI FILM FESTIVAL SAN DIEGO
What would become filmmaker Tammy Botkin’s passion project began with an invitation to attend a Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project medal ceremony for service members who had served in the Philippines.
“I interviewed my first family member of a veteran who had served, and I knew immediately I was going to be hooked,” Botkin recalled. “He was so compelling and shared so deeply his family’s experience.
“One by one, family members came and spoke to me.”
This experience resulted in a short film that, following encouraging feedback from a test audience, would be expanded into a feature documentary that is Botkin’s directorial debut: “A Long March.” The film will screen Tuesdayat 5 p.m. at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park as part of the 2022 GI Film Festival San Diego. The festival began in 2015 and is organized by KPBS in partnership with the Film Consortium San Diego.
2022 GI Film Festival San Diego
When: Tuesday through May 21
Where: Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park
Tickets: Tickets are $10 to the public or $8 for military, veterans, and KPBS members. All-access passes are $125 (in person) and $75 (virtual).
Online: gifilmfestivalsd.org
COVID-19 policies: In-person attendees must be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 lab test result prior to entering, and proof of vaccination or negative test result is required. Guests are encouraged to download and use the digital verification app Bindle; paper credentials also accepted. Facial coverings are highly encouraged.
“A Long March” tells the story of three Filipino veterans — Celestino Almeda, Rudy Panaglima and Feliciana Reyes — who served the U.S in World War II honorably only to be neither acknowledged nor compensated for their duty and sacrifice. Botkin says there are about 4,000 such veterans who are still alive in the United States and another 4,000 in the Philippines.
The film was funded by grants but also by money out of Botkin’s pocket.
“I feel personally that we have an obligation to our ancestry to heal the wounds of the past,” Botkin said, “by recognizing what we’ve done and making restitution where we can.”
Botkin’s hope is that the film will lead to the dispersal of some $56 million in funds at the Veterans Administration that she believes is due the Filipino veteran survivors and their families, and that “A Long March” can help bring about the repeal of the Rescission Act of 1946, which took Filipino veterans’ benefits away from them, benefits that they had been promised.
“This country is coming to a
Guide to the GI Film Festival
The GI Film Festival San Diego is back in action.
The annual affair — which highlights films for, by and about veterans — kicks off Tuesday and runs through next Saturday. It aims to preserve military history, bridge divisions between military and civilians, and honor those who have served. After two years of virtual screenings, this year’s event will once again be held in person at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.
The festival is presented by KPBS, in partnership with Film Consortium San Diego. Jodi Cilley, founder and president of Film Consortium San Diego, said the team is excited for the event’s return to pre-pandemic times.
“There’s nothing better than sitting in a theater next to the WWII veteran you see on screen or hearing first-hand from a film subject on their war experience, or even talking to a filmmaker who served in the Vietnam War finally getting to tell their story,” Cilley said in a statement. “The GI Film Festival San Diego brings together our troops and civilians, and that is what makes this event so special, unique and an experience like no other. ”
Here’s what you need to know about the 2022 GI Film Festival.
What’s playing
In total, there will be 13 narrative stories and 14 documentaries. Themes include posttraumatic stress, veteran suicide, women in service and transitioning to civilian life, as well as experiences from World War I, World War II, Vietnam and present day.
The showcase serves as the home of five world premieres, four West Coast premieres, and 13 San Diego premieres. There will also be local filmmakers featured at the event, including Jonathan Hammond (“We All Die Alone”) and Scott Campbell (“Down on the Ranch”).
From student projects to international movies, here are a few highlights and where they fall in the lineup. (Many of the films
will also host panel discussions with the filmmakers after the screenings; see gifilmfestivalsd.org for details.)
• Opening night selection “Dear Sirs” isa biography that follows the journey of filmmaker Mark Pedri, who honors his late grandfather by biking 500 miles across Europe on original prisoner of war transportation routes.
7 p.m. Tuesday.
• “A Long March” brings to light the unjust treatment of veterans from the Philippines who were forced to serve in World War II, then denied benefits or recognition of that service.
5 p.m. Wednesday.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder is front and center in “Here. Is. Better.,” which grants the audience access to trauma therapy sessions of veterans struggling with the disorder. 7:15 p.m. Thursday.
• Inspired by an off-Broadway play, “Landing Home” chronicles the struggles of a combat soldier transitioning to civilian life. 7 p.m. May 20.
• “Into Flight Once More” honors the 75th anniversary of D-Day by highlighting squadron members in 2019 who re-created the historic flight journey of those World War II veterans. Noon May 21.
While this year’s festival will be in person, people still have the option to watch films online. On-demand passes grant users virtual access to all movies, which can be viewed from the day after each film’s in-person festival debut until May 30.
Bonus attractions
In addition to the screenings, a virtual workshop titled “How to Craft a Low Budget Story” will be offered from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday. Led by New York Film Academy instructors Sanora Bartels and Crickett Rumley, the free event features a conversation about creative writing, a Q&A session, and a roundtable discussion. Though open to the public, it is geared toward independent filmmakers seeking to create a high-quality movie on a tight budget.
On closing night, comedian and veteran Thom Tran will host an awards celebration at 7 p.m. that presents honors in 13 categories. In addition to the ceremony, there will be complimentary refreshments and lots of mingling — the perfect chance to reflect on the five-day-long festivities. General admission tickets are $40, or $35 for nominees, military, veterans and KPBS members.
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