Firelight Media, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Black Public Media, and Latino Public Broadcasting Present ‘HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From’
The film collection comprises eight documentary shorts made by emerging filmmakers that grapple with issues of cultural identity, sovereignty, and agency of the U.S. territories and Hawai‘i.
Firelight Media today announced the streaming premiere of the second season of the award-winning, regionally-focused documentary short film series HOMEGROWN, titled A Part Of/Apart From. This season, produced with Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), Black Public Media (BPM), and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), comprises eight documentary short films made by emerging filmmakers living in the U.S. territories, Hawai‘i, and their diasporic communities.
The series will stream beginning on January 14, 2025, across PBS digital platforms including the PBS YouTube Channel, PBS.org, and the PBS App, with subsequent episodes in the series premiering biweekly on Thursdays thereafter. Watch the trailer for the new season below.
“With these eight documentary short films, we hope to shed light on the perspectives and experiences of the residents and descendants of Hawai‘i and the U.S. territories — the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico — who are rarely, if ever, brought together to share their collective experience in relation to the mainland,” said Chloë Walters-Wallace, Director of Regional Initiatives for Firelight Media. “We are grateful to our partners at Pacific Islanders in Communications, Black Public Media, and Latino Public Broadcasting, PBS and our station partners, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and our filmmaker mentors for ensuring that these vital films and filmmakers have the resources they need to reach the broadest audience possible.”
“This season of HOMEGROWN includes stories that are essential to understanding the complex relationship between the continental U.S., its territories, and Hawai‘i,” said Cheryl Hirasa, Executive Director of Pacific Islanders in Communications. “The stories illuminate issues in communities that are often underrepresented or in some cases, unknown to the majority of Americans.”
HOMEGROWN (piloted in 2020 as HINDSIGHT) is produced by Firelight Media in partnership with PBS with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The series is presented as part of Firelight Media’s Regional Initiatives, which, along with the Groundwork Regional Lab, is designed to support filmmakers from underrepresented regions in the U.S. and U.S. territories. The previous season, HOMEGROWN: Future Visions, focused on the American Midwest and debuted this spring on PBS digital platforms where it has garnered over half a million views.
HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From had its festival premiere at the 44th Annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival. One film from the series, CHamoru: A Lost Language, directed by Brian Muna, won the HIFF Best Short Film Award and is now Academy Award eligible.
The eight episodes of HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From and their filmmakers, in order of their planned release schedule, are:
- Dear Aloha, Cris Romento (Hawaiʻi)
Aloha is a way of life for Native Hawaiians, who are taught from a young age to treat people with kindness and compassion. This film asks the question, How do Native Hawaiians in the diaspora keep the feeling of Aloha in their hearts, even when they live thousands of miles away? Follow two Native Hawaiians living in the Pacific Northwest as they reflect on how Aloha sustains them amidst distance, loss, and longing. Meanwhile, back in Hawaiʻi, local residents grapple with the legacy of colonization that has resulted in many Hawaiians being displaced from their homeland. - Not a U.S. Citizen, Gabrielle A. Fa’ai’uaso and John “Niko” Patu (American Samoa)
Explore the debate around the unique legal status of American Samoa, a U.S. territory whose residents are not U.S. citizens, and as a result, retain Indigenous ownership over their land. Two American Samoans share their opposing viewpoints: a traditional chief who wants to maintain the status quo and a U.S. Marine veteran who believes in the right to citizenship for his people. Both perspectives bring forward questions about American Samoans’ relationship to land, family, and identity. - What the Storms Taught Us, John P. Wheatley (U.S. Virgin Islands)
Examine the state of public schools in the U.S. Virgin Islands seven years after back-to-back Category 5 Hurricanes Maria and Irma made landfall. Through interviews with local officials, educators, and students, this documentary outlines the daily challenges faced by students and educators who have to deal with the deteriorating conditions of temporary classrooms, while billions of dollars in federal aid to rebuild remains out of reach. - Waters of Puʻuloa, Tiare Ribeaux (Hawaiʻi)
Follow the transformation of the waterways of Puʻuloa, the area now known as Pearl Harbor on O’ahu, Hawaiʻi, from a vibrant hub to a polluted industrial zone. Through the voices of Hawaiian farmers, fishermen, and activists, the film explores the impacts of militarization and environmental degradation on this historic land and its waters. Highlighting the revival of Native Hawaiian practices and the ongoing struggle for restoration, this documentary invites viewers to envision a future in which the land and waters of Puʻuloa are once again fertile and thriving. - CHamoru: A Lost Language, Brian Muna (Guam)
Follow filmmaker Brian Muna as he seeks to reconnect with CHamoru, the language native to the elders in his family and the people of Guam. In this search for self-identity, he examines his culturally American upbringing and the importance of passing on the CHamoru language to his sons. Along the way, he meets CHamoru language advocates and youth who are revitalizing their Indigenous language, giving him hope for future generations of CHamoru speakers. - We Are Taino, Emmanuel Phillips (U.S. Virgin Islands)
Follow Maekiaphan Phillips, a Taino woman from the U.S. Virgin Islands, on her personal journey to reclaim her Taino heritage and to become the first woman Kasike (chief) of the Taino tribe. In her efforts to redress a history of colonial erasure, she pursues official recognition of the Taino people in the U.S. Virgin Islands. - Casa Laurel, Pati Cruz Martinez (Puerto Rico)
Watch as a group of elder, local residents in the Calle Loiza district of San Juan, Puerto Rico, gather every Friday night for karaoke at Casa Laurel, one of the few locally owned businesses left in the area. While foreign investment transforms Calle Loiza into a street lined with tourists and Airbnbs, the film pays homage to this karaoke spot as a gathering place for joy and community. - Escambrón, Playa, Maria del Mar Rosario (Puerto Rico)
This documentary is a lyrical portrait of Escambrón Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the activists fighting to protect its coastline from overdevelopment. Watch as beach-goers, protestors, performance artists, and scientists discuss why this public space is vital to the well-being of the people and marine life that intermingle on its shores.
In addition to being distributed through PBS Digital Studios, each filmmaker in the series has been mentored by a local PBS Station representative, and each station partner will host a unique screening or event in support of their affiliated film. The HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From station partners include PBS Hawai’i, PBS Utah, South Florida PBS, WUCF (Orlando), Oregon Public Broadcasting, WTJX (U.S. Virgin Islands), PBS Guam and WABE (Atlanta).
About Firelight Media
Firelight Media, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025, is a nonprofit organization that supports, resources, and advocates on behalf of documentary filmmakers of color. Firelight Media’s artist programs include the Documentary Lab, an 18-month fellowship for underrepresented filmmakers; Groundwork Regional Lab, which supports underrepresented filmmakers in the American South, midwest, and U.S. Territories; and the William Greaves Funds for mid-career filmmakers. Firelight Media also produces digital short films, including the forthcoming collection HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From, for PBS Digital Studios, and season 3 of In the Making, with PBS’ American Masters.
About Pacific Islanders in Communications
PIC amplifies Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) voices that enriches America’s cultural landscape through the art of storytelling. PIC is the only organization in the country that does this by developing, producing, and funding films, providing professional development opportunities to emerging filmmakers, and engaging audiences through public media distribution and community engagement screenings. PIC has funded award-winning public TV programs and digital first content that reaches millions of viewers across the U.S. Recent films supported by PIC include Waterman-Duke: Ambassador of Aloha, Family Ingredients, and our signature series PacificHeartbeat, which will be releasing its thirteenth season in 2025.
About Black Public Media
Black Public Media (BPM) supports the development of visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. For more information, visit blackpublicmedia.org.
About Latino Public Broadcasting
Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) is the leader in the development, production, acquisition and distribution of film and digital cultural media that is representative of Latino people or addresses issues of particular interest to Latino Americans. These programs are produced for dissemination to public broadcasting stations and other public media entities. Providing a voice for the diverse Latino community throughout the United States, Latino Public Broadcasting is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. LPB also produces the acclaimed PBS documentary series VOCES, exploring the rich diversity of the Latino experience. VOCES presents new and established filmmakers and brings their powerful and illuminating stories to a national audience — on TV, online and on the PBS app.
Between 2009 and 2022, LPB programs won over 135 awards, including three prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards as well as Emmys, Imagen Awards and the Sundance Film Festival Award for Best Director, Documentary. LPB has been the recipient of the Norman Lear Legacy Award and the NCLR Alma Award for Special Achievement — Year in Documentaries. Sandie Viquez Pedlow is executive director of LPB; Edward James Olmos is co-founder and chairman.
About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 42 million adults on linear primetime television, more than 15 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, and 56 million people view PBS content on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2–8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on Twitter.
About PBS Digital Studios
PBS Digital Studios produces original, digital programming designed to engage, enlighten, and entertain online audiences. The PBS Digital Studios network has more than 30 million subscribers on YouTube, generating an average of 50 million views each month. In 10 years, it has launched over 70 original series and has accumulated over four billion lifetime views on YouTube. Series include the Webby Award-winning BE SMART and SOUND FIELD, as well as popular series such as WEATHERED, EONS, MONSTRUM and PBS SPACE TIME. For more information on PBS Digital Studios, visit PBS.org.
