Kayo and Mari Hatta

PICTURE BRIDE, directed by Kayo Hatta and co-written with her sister Mari, won the Sundance Audience Award in 1995. Distributed by Miramax Films, the film was also an Official Selection at Cannes. The sisters did many pitch sessions together, and it was actually their HK-style Asian surfer girl film SHADOW PUPPETS that landed them a development deal. Mari is currently writing a children's film for a Japanese production company. Kayo is working on her next film, THE FLOATING WORLD

Pitching Lessons

1. FADE IN: First studio pitch meeting. You decide you look too old. You go to meeting in anime tee shirt, Hello Kitty backpack and braids.

2. They make small talk about yoga. Say you're Buddhist. Better yet, Tibetan Buddhist. Bingo!

3. You pitch project you love, story with two Asian American leads. You notice sudden glazed eyes.

4. They mention Jackie Chan. You instantaneously concoct HK-style action pic with supernatural Asian surfer girls and shootouts on surf boards--picture BULLET IN THE HEAD meets MOTHRA meets ENDLESS SUMMER.

5. You proceed to enact Cibo Matto as Mothra twins while demonstrating surf moves (about which you know nothing). Flicker of interest, until someone says HK action pics are passŽ.

6. You blurt out magic words: "white male lead" and "romantic comedy." They lean forward again.

7. You say white male lead interracial romance gorgeous Asian woman lots of ethnic food shots.

8. They love it. You sign development deal.

9. You wake up in middle of night, covered with sweat.

10. Next day you return development $.

11. You start working on NAATA Media Fund grant for that project you loved. FADE OUT.