Celebrating Film + Music for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

  • May 1, 2025
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National AANHPI Heritage Month, Stephanie Mahina returns to talanoa with renowned New Zealand singer Stan Walker, who recently visited Utah. SLCC documentary film students return with final projects. Plus, filmmakers of the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival Grand Jury and Audience Award-winning film, Starring Jerry As Himself.

Tonight's show features the following people, organizations and/or events. Check them out and get plugged into your community!

Today marks the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Recently, New Zealand musician Stan Walker (Maori) made his first stop in SLC. RadioACTive Contributor Stephanie Mahina spoke with him before he took the stage at Kingsbury Hall last month.

  • Mō Āke Tonu is a global anthem of unity, strength, and resilience dedicated to Indigenous communities around the world. Anchored by the bold statement, “We will never be lost, we are the seed born of greatness,” the track is both a rallying cry and a love letter to generations of Indigenous resistance, hope, and healing. 

  • The music video, directed by Stan and co-directed by Abe Mora, and filmed at Rangiriri Pā — a sacred site of resistance during the New Zealand Land Wars against the British in the 1800s— honors the past while highlighting the present-day fight for justice.

  • Walker’s song was inspired by the powerful political and cultural moment in late-2024, when Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke delivered a groundbreaking haka (traditional Māori performance) and speech in New Zealand’s parliament, challenging threats to Māori sovereignty, which went viral.

2023 Slamdance Film Festival Grand Jury and Audience Award-winning film Starring Jerry As Himself, RA Film Editor, Valene MC talks with the filmmakers: Director Law Chen and Producer Jonathan Hsu. "True crime meets spy thriller in this genre-bending docufiction hybrid about an immigrant’s search for the American dream."

  • WATCH: Starring Jerry As Himself on all available streaming platforms and next week on Radioactive Thursday, May 8 at 6:00p, Q+A with Director Law Chen about reactions to the film's surprise ending and overarching message. 

Salt Lake Community College documentary film students return with final Spring semester projects in addition to SLCC film professor Tyler Smith: 

This Land is Our Land, directed by Munashe Tanjani: Who is allowed to call America home? When allowed to learn about each other’s American origin stories, we’ll see if strangers can affect each other by indulging in their shared humanity.

Fruit Flies: Decoding Rare Diseases, Directed by Aria Frazer:  When a microscopic nuisance is the key component to decoding rare diseases.

  • EVENT:  Friday, May 2nd, 2025 at 6:00 pm, Student Documentary Screenings will be on at the Salt Lake Community College South City Campus, in the Multipurpose Screening Room (Southeast entrance) free parking. 

How'd you like the show? Share your thoughts, suggestions and observations by calling the RadioACTive hotline: ‪(385) 800-1889. Or, send a voicememo to radioactive@krcl.org. Please tell us your name and neighborhood and leave a short message that may air on the show. So, keep it clean!

Guests' views, thoughts, or opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the board, staff, or members of Community Radio of Utah, KRCL 90.9fm.

Tonight's RadioACTive team included:

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