For more than twenty-five years, Nancy Kelly
and Kenji Yamamoto have been making critically-acclaimed independent
documentary and narrative films. Their work has screened worldwide and won
numerous awards. Their films take alternative looks at stories,
themes, characters and cultures—and do it with drama and humor. Their narrative feature film THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD is
about Lalu, a young Chinese woman brought to America during the Gold Rush as a
slave. It stars Rosalind Chao and Chris Cooper. Their most recent documentary,
REBELS WITH A CAUSE, is a humorous, inspirational celebration of wild places
narrated by Frances McDormand. They made a documentary trilogy
about the transformative power of art: DOWNSIDE UP, SMITTEN, and TRUST: SECOND
ACTS IN YOUNG LIVES. Their amusing, uplifting documentary COWGIRLS: PORTRAITS
OF AMERICAN RANCH WOMEN won many best of festival awards. Nancy
and Kenji attended the Sundance June Lab with their narrative feature THOUSAND
PIECES OF GOLD Kenji attended the Sundance Documentary Lab as the editor of NEW
MUSLIM COOL with producer/director Jennifer Maytorena Taylor.