FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Jill Shiraki;  jshiraki@sbcglobal.net;  (510) 734-0875San Francisco – April 30, 2014

Internationally Recognized Documentary Mrs. Judo Offers Gentle Strength and Empowerment

From the dedicated life of Keiko Fukuda to follow judo and the inspiring lessons captured in Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful, the quest of founder Jigoro Kano to spread judo around the world continues through its television airing on Public Broadcast.Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful, a compelling and artistic film by Yuriko Gamo Romer, documents the life-long journey of Keiko Fukuda’s decision to defy thousands of years of tradition, choose her own path, and become judo history’s only woman to attain the pinnacle 10th.The special public broadcast presentation of Mrs. Judo is part of Asian American Heritage Month in May with a special series Japanese American Lives presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) scheduled on over twenty channels through public television.

Honoring the one year anniversary since her death, a special tribute was held with over 300 people as part of the San Jose Buddhist Judo Club tournament held at San Jose State University. Senior instructor Pam Mery, a 3rd degree black belt, remembers Sensei Fukuda and the influence that remains. “It was easy to forget about her “advanced” age. Her spirit was still young and vital. Sensei lived life fully and adventurously – from going on trips, to trying a new restaurant, to relishing ice cream like a kid. . . Much about what I miss is hard to convey in words. It’s what I see and hear in my memory. Her sudden and infectious laughter when one of us accidentally did something ridiculous on the mat. The particular face she would make when a judo form fell short of her expectations - - an expression that made you want to try again. . . it was always clear, she wanted the best from us, as well as the best for us. I am tremendously grateful for her love and her example.”

Filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer reflects on the making of the film, “I’m amazed at how synchronistic the film has been in how it has outreached and traveled as if Fukuda-Sensei continues to guide me. Many times after the screening, I will unexpectedly meet a former student. Most recently I heard that a former student attended the screening in Oaxaca.” On the public broadcast, she continues, “Now, it seems timely to share the film more broadly through public television and unleash the gift of her spirit and inspiring life with so many more people. We can learn so much from Keiko Fukuda who followed a path with open intention.”

Mrs. Judo premiered in San Francisco in 2012 and has been screened nationally and internationally in over twenty film festivals. The film was recognized as “Best Documentary” at the International Festival of Sports Movies in Moscow, Russia in 2013. It has continued to be screened internationally, selected for the International Women’s Film Festival in Mumbai, India, International Sports Film Festival in Milan, Italy, and Festival Cine Deporte in Oaxaca, Mexico.

With support from Cal Humanities, the Mrs. Judo Community Engagement Series held screenings in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento that included a live ju-no-kata demonstration and community panel. For a video clip highlight of the event at the Asian Art Museum that includes Olympic bronze medalist Marti Malloy, visit http://www.mrsjudomovie.com/blog/ Mrs. Judo was requested by 2,241 viewers as part of Cinema Asia America with Comcast Xfinity Video on Demand in August 2013. The KCET Link premiere public television screening launches Mrs Judo as part of the CAAM “Japanese American Lives” series in recognition of Asian American Heritage Month for May 2014.

The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) celebrates Asian American Heritage Month in May with JAPANESE AMERICAN LIVES, a special series of three episodes that explore the reach and diverse history of Japanese Americans hosted by Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. From a trailblazing female judo master to Japanese Americans making their mark in jazz music. JAPANESE AMERICAN LIVES goes beyond the history books and gives us an in-depth look into four unexpected Asian American stories of inspiration, artistry, family and hope.

    The featured films are:MRS JUDO: BE STRONG, BE GENTLE, BE BEAUTIFUL directed by Yuriko Gamo Romer, shares the life of Keiko Fukuda, who receives the 10th degree black belt at age 99 to become the highest ranking female in judo history.Two short documentaries will air together:DON’T LOSE YOUR SOUL directed by Jim Choi and Chihiro Wimbush explores Asian American music innovation and features bassist Mark Izu and Grammy-nominated drummer Anthony Brown. Since the 1960s, Izu and Brown have carved out their own blend of arts activism, creating a genre of Asian American jazz movement.HONOR AND SACRIFICE, produced by Lucy Ostrander and Don Sellers, tells the story of Roy Matsumoto, who is separated from his family in Hiroshima, not knowing that his brothers are recruited to serve in the Japanese army. While incarcerated with Japanese Americans in an American concentration camp, Roy is recruited and trained as Military Intelligence Service, and ultimately becomes an authentic American hero, based on his nearly unbelievable contribution as a member of Merrill’s MaraudersSTORIES FROM TOHOKU, co-directed by Dianne Fukami and Eli Olson, revisits Tohoku two years after 2011 earthquake and tsunami, following Japanese Americans that reach out to help and encounter the enduring struggle of individuals rebuilding their lives in the devastated region. While the impact is great, the Tohoku people take small steps day by day, remain grateful and offer a simple plea to not be forgotten.

SCHEDULED SCREENINGS

KCET Link (Los Angeles): Fri, May 2 at 7 pm (Link TV); Sun, May 4 at 6 am, 2 pm (KCET Link); Fri, May 9 at 9 pm (KCET-HD)KQED (San Francisco): Wed, May 28 at 5 pm and 11 pm: KQED World: Tues, May 13 at 5 am, 11 am, & 1 amPBS Hawaii (Honolulu): Fri, May 9, 10 pm; Tues, May 13, 11 pmOther confirmed: WLIW World (New York), PBS SoCal (Los Angeles), PBS SoCal World (Los Angeles), WYCC (Chicago), WHYY World (Philadelphia), KERA (Dallas), KERA World (Dallas), KRCB (San Francisco), WGBX (Boston), WGBX World (Boston), WETA (Washington), GPV Knowledge (Atlanta), KAET World (Phoenix),WEDU World (Tampa), WPBT World (Miami), WEFS (Orlando)WVIZ World (Cleveland), KETC World (St Louis), OPB Plus (Portland).

Check your local listings for program dates and times. For markets not listed, contact your local PBS stations to request the series.

 ABOUT CAAMCAAM (Center for Asian American Media) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting works in film, television and digital media. For more information on CAAM, please visit www.caamedia.orgABOUT HOST KRISTI YAMAGUCHIAthlete, artist, wife, mother, philanthropist—in each of these things Kristi Yamaguchi embodies the word champion. Her motto is “Always Dream,” and Kristi’s accomplishments prove that dreams can come true with hard work and dedication. Her achievements—on the ice, in her personal life and in the realm of community service—are many, all of which prove her consistent commitment to excellence.Following her victories at the 1992 Winter Olympics and World Championships, Kristi embarked on a successful professional career that went non-stop for more than a decade. Kristi served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to promoting the Games, she also performed in both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Kristi served as a correspondent for NBC's Today Show and hosted daily shows on Olympic ice skating for Universal Sports. Kristi recently returned from the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi as the Digital Ambassador for the U.S. Olympic Committee as well as a Today Show correspondent. Kristi’s family is now her first and foremost priority. She thoroughly enjoys being on the ice, but nothing compares to being with her daughters.One of Kristi’s lasting legacies will be her Always Dream Foundation (www.AlwaysDream.org) founded in 1996. It was established with one goal in mind: to find innovative ways to provide support for a diverse range of programs designed to inspire and embrace the hopes and dreams of children. Committed to the belief that early childhood literacy is the foundation on which all academic and life success is built, the Foundation has set its sights on improving access by children of low-income families to books and technology.ABOUT THE FILM & KEIKO FUKUDAIn a world dominated by men, a tiny 99-year-old Keiko Fukuda became the highest ranking woman in judo history. In July 2011, Fukuda made world history when she was awarded the 10th – judo’s highest honor. She received the distinguished title of “Shihan” (grand master) and is the only woman in the the world to hold this honor. Fukuda died on February 9, 2013 and was the last living disciple of judo founder Jigoro Kano.Fukuda was born into an upper-class samurai family in Tokyo, where the path for women was to marry. But Fukuda’s life was predestined two generations earlier when her grandfather (a jiujitsu master) became the first teacher for Jigoro Kano, who went on to develop judo. When she was 21, Fukuda was invited by Kano, to join the newly formed women’s division of the Kodokan (the home of judo). In 1934, her life’s path was radically altered when she gave up marriage, family, and her homeland, to a life destined to spread judo around the world.In 1966, she immigrated to the United States as a single woman, hoping to make a living by teaching judo. Her move to the U.S. caught light of rank injustice within the Japanese judo system. With the help of American women’s rights activists and her judo students, Fukuda began her struggle up the male dominant ladder of judo. (For more info, visit www.mrsjudomovie.com)ABOUT THE FILMMAKERYuriko Gamo Romer, is the director and producer of Mrs Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful that has premiered in 2012 at numerous film festivals, both nationally and internationally, and was recently awarded the best documentary at the International Sports Film Festival in Moscow. Her past film Occidental Encounters won numerous awards at film festivals internationally, among them a Student Academy Award, The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award and a Silver Apple.In 2010, she completed Friend Ships, a short historical animation about John Manjiro, the inadvertent Japanese immigrant rescued by an American whaling captain. Yuriko is Japanese American, born in Japan, raised in the United States, and bilingual. She holds a master’s degree in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University and lives in San Francisco with her husband and son.