Antonia Kao
Artist
Prior Film Works
PUP
PUP follows two gay, Christian leathermen - Master Skip and Pup Tim - as they prepare to compete in The Second International Puppy Contest (IPC), a leather title contest for human canines and their handlers.
The documentary is the first to introduce puppy play - a fetish in which a human expresses the attributes of a canine, most often in relation to another human taking the position of pup handler, owner, trainer, etc.
Warm, affectionate, and funny, the film reveals a rarely seen world. We follow Master Skip and Pup Tim through the IPC veterinary exam, where Tim is examined by the panel of judges in a private room, and then through the public portion of
the contest, where the two perform before the judges and a large audience.
Author Janet Hardy writes: "The seeking of transcendence is one of the highest human efforts ~ some do it in a church, some in a kennel, and a few in both."
In PUP, we meet two men who seek it in both, and for whom fetish is not something separate from the spiritual fabric of their lives, but rather, is comfortably woven in.
As Tim explains: "This is a spiritual thing....God didn't say: 'I'm giving you this fetish. Now it's going to mess up your life.' Here, this is your fetish, it's a gift. You can abuse it, or you can take it and cherish it and enjoy it - celebrate it! Well, that's what I plan to do.”
Buzz
"The seeking of transcendence is one of the highest human efforts ~ some do it in a church, some in a kennel, and a few in both. Here is a warm, affectionate and down-to-earth portrait of human pups and those who enjoy them, which makes it clear that love lies at the heart of all good kink."
~ Janet W. Hardy , Co-Author, "The New Bottoming Book, "The New Topping Book," "Radical Ecstasy"
"Woof! Two paws up! Tim and his master, Skip, help us look at life, eroticism, and spirituality from a new and wonderfully integrated perspective. And you'vegot to love a movie that introduces you to great new sex toys, like rubber bones and whippy tails."
~ Carol Queen and Doctor Bitch
"A beautiful documentary that goes way beyond a well-crafted 'doggy treat'! A sensitive insight into the dynamics of a caring power and surrender relationship~ one that celebrates and nurtures the connection between spirituality and sexuality."
~ Cléo Dubois , Academy of SM Arts
"Pup is a sweet film showcasing a rich thread of the tapestry that is Kink. The interconnectedness [between the characters] is tangible and infectious. This vignette is a shining example of how we can ~ and should ~ act as we truly feel; not with shame or apology but with positive, loving energy and joy."
~ Vivienne Kramer, Chairperson, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
"....[Pup] Tim and Master Skip prove they're really best in show."
~ Dennis Harvey, San Francisco Bay Guardian
"We had a huge crowd for the viewing and the new pups all really enjoyed it. I think it was important for them to know a bit about their history.... It was really an incredible evening. You really did capture a wonderful little time capsule for this community."
~ Don Mike, Alpha Pup, Handler, Personality, 2015 LA Pup Pride Weekend
Cast
Featuring: Tim a.k.a. Pup Tim, Master Skip Chasey, Zeal
International Puppy Contest Organizer/ MC: boy patrick
International Puppy Contest Judges: boytim, Ken Claude, mark s. greene, Miss Karen, Sir Michael, Master Steve, Stephen Webber, boy woodie
Additional Pups and Handlers: alpha pup (International Puppy 2001), boy chuck, boypup, foxcub, Jefpup, Keith Levitt, Don Mike, nicole, patch, Shawn Michael
Tim
a.k.a. Pup Tim
resides in Los Angeles, near his family, led by Master Skip. He is 2002 International Pup, and is co-founder of the Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles's affinity group, P.L.A.Y. (People of Leather Among You). He gave the central sermon at the ecumenical worship services for the 2003 International Mr. Leather contest, and judges leather contests from Chicago to Los Angeles. Tim is currently working toward his masters degree in Divinity, and works as a Bereavement Chaplain for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. He has been an active member of the L.A. group Avatar since 1992, and has presented workshops and presentations across the country, including Orange Coast Leather Assembly, Thunder in the Mountains, Los Angeles Radical and Wicked Women, Threshold, Southplains Leatherfest, Arizona Power Exchange, and the Las Vegas Shibari Founding Festival. The integration of dynamic and revolutionary sexual expression and inspired Spiritual manifestation is an active pursuit for Tim.
Skip Chasey
a.k.a. Master Skip
heads a family of spiritually grounded leatherfolk in the City of Angels, where he is a practicing spiritual director and certified Grief Recovery ™ counselor and also earns a living as a missionary among the savages of Hollywood. He is a co-producer of the Southwest Leather Conference and a co-founder of People of Leather Among You (“PLAY”), a social and educational group for Southern California men and women interested in the integration of spirituality and leather/fetish sexuality. In 2000 Master Skip addressed a crowd of almost one million people at the Millennium March on Washington, and since then he has given the keynote address and presented more than a hundred programs on the spiritual dynamics of SM and D/s relationships at noteworthy leather events throughout North America. He is a past recipient of the Lee Montague Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service from Avatar Club Los Angeles, where he is an active member, was named “Best Trainer” at the 2002 International Puppy Contest, and in 2005 was honored with the Pantheon of Leather Community Choice Award. For nearly seven years Master Skip served as a core instructor for the APEX Academy/Butchmanns Experience. He presently serves on the Theologies Team for Metropolitan Community Churches and on the board of directors for Butchmanns, Inc., a non-profit educational organization dedicated to self-actualization through the mindful use of physical practices and the conscious exchange of personal power for spiritual awareness. In his own words, “Blood may be thicker than water, but leather is thicker than blood.”
Tim's Pedigree
as presented at
The International Puppy Contest 2002
As I sit to write this, it is hard to believe it has been almost six years since I was born. I remember it like it was yesterday, when I asserted myself at the dinner table, pressing my four brothers and three sisters out of the way. They all knew which nipple was mine to chew and drink from. To this day, I like to chew nipples.
As I grew, I wanted to see the world on my own, and so I jumped the fence. I traveled about, with no collar and little responsibility, and found that I did not have to lick myself very often, as others were more than willing to do that for me. What a world it was!
When I was about four, I met my Handler (my Master), who embraced my Alpha nature. He helped me find the right balance between aggression and protection. He entered me in the Academy, where I met other German Shepherds. Soon I was head of my class! Leading the way through the obstacle course, I would sometimes stop short, causing a wet nose to land right where it was supposed to be. Many nights we would sneak out of the kennel and wander the streets, marking our territory. I would drink a gallon or more of water, to get ready for those nights.
One night we went to a bar on the edge of town, where we noticed most of the other pups had no collars. That was my first time in a stray bar...and I liked it. So I went back, and they became my first pack.
The first time my Handler instructed me to sit, I already knew what he meant. I had taught many of the humans I had been exposed to the same thing. Humans run about a lot and need to stop and sit more. Whenever I travel (and I hope to travel a lot more), I look for ways to leave my mark. My advice to the human breed is to relax, drink lots of water and, because your mark on the world will fade, keep on trying to make it.
So here I am. I love my Handler and the people I am allowed to protect and serve. I am loyal to those who touch me. I trust that my light heart helps them see that I am not all teeth, leather, and fighting fur. I enjoy other breeds and, as I observe things from my unique perspective (three feet above the ground), I see that even cats have a place in this world.
I encourage everyone to enjoy our diversity, because each of us has special skills that benefit the pack, even cats. As long as my Master scratches my ears, I will be the companion he needs during those times when only a pup will do. I will be your best friend, whenever you need me, or have a biscuit. This is the city...My name is Pup Tim...I'm a Police Dog.
Crew
(Crew Bios further down)
Director/Producer: Antonia Kao
Cinematographer: Bryan Donnell
Editor: Ann LeSchander, Greg Sirota
Sound Editor and Mixer: Eleanor Yerbury
Composers: Benjamin Decker, Wally Scharold
Sound Supervisor: Lisa M. Gray
Additional Camera: Alicia Dwyer, Chindy Lee, Aymae Sulick
Associate Editor: Dana Clark
Producing Consultant: Robert Bahar
Consulting Editor: Yana Gorskaya, Julie Vizza
Titles Designer: William David Hite
Voiceover Talent: Norm Anderson
Site Design: Vincent de Witt Huberts
DVD Box Design: Philip Jean-Pierre
IPC Trophy and Cast Images Courtesy of: Thomas Savage, Wi2Fi Communications
Screenings/ Events
Pup Play LA 2016
10 November 2016, 7:00pm
Sanctuary LAX Studios
10914 S La Cienega Blvd
Inglewood, CA
Los Angeles Puppy Pride Weekend
12 November 2015, 9:00pm
Bullet Bar, Los Angeles
Q&A with Pup Tim after
https://www.facebook.com/LAPuppyPride/?fref=ts
Bayou City Pups One Year Anniversary
13 September 2015, 4:00pm
Special screening of PUP as part of Bayou City Pups One Year Anniversary.
Ripcord
15 Fairview St.
Houston, TX, 77006
Donations will benefit the Gulf Coast Archives and Museum Capital Fund. Special donations can be made to help support the filmmaker, Antonia Kao, without whom this would not be possible.
NYC Fetish Film Festival
7 June 2014, 2:00pm, followed by Animal Play Panel
Produced by The Eulenspiegel Society, this festival features positive representations of kink through both film and fine art, panels on lifestyle topics, and filmmaking workshops.
The Producer's Club
358 West 44th St.
Times Square, New York, NY 10036
For tickets and details: http://newyorkfetishfilm.com/
Pitzer Cinematheque
10 October 2007, 1:30-3pm
As part of Pitzer College's Media Studies program's monthly Cinematheque series, director Antonia Kao screens PUP and excerpts from Straight White Men and Me, then does Q&A.
Pitzer College
Avery Auditorium
Claremont, CA
Free and open to students and faculty of the Five Colleges (Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Scripps, and Harvey Mudd)
7th Down N Dirty Short Film Festival
2007
Short film screening curated by Shani Heckman and featuring PUP, along with work by Charles Lum, Justin Kelly, and others.
Femina Potens Gallery
465 S. Van Ness (between 15 & 16th streets)
San Francisco, CA
$5-10 sliding scale (no one turned away for lack of funds)
8th Annual Dog and Pony Show
20-22 April 2007
Excerpts of PUP will screen at this year's event . DVDs will be available for the special event price of $15 + free S&H for domestic and international orders via the special Buy Now button here through April 30, 2007.
SFCitadel
1277 Mission St at Ninth St.
San Francisco, CA 94103-2911
$20-40
6th Biennial Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
24 November 2006, 11pm
Queer City Cinema
Regina, SK
Canada
$10 in advance, more at the door
Beyond Vanilla XVI & International Pup and Trainer Conference (IPTC) 2006
29 September - 1 October 2006
The IPTC will be an educational event held in conjunction with Beyond Vanilla this year. Director Antonia Kao returns to IPTC to present a screening of PUP, followed by a discussion of her experiences making of the film. The workshop will touch upon pup play, BDSM, yoga, and other such portals to mind-body-spirit integration, and include an experiential yoga nidra component. Master Skip Chasey will present the keynote and registrants will receive a complimentary PUP DVD.
Session One 10-11.30am Sat. 9/30
Meet the Presenter 4.15-5.15pm Sat. 9/30
Session Two 12.15-1.45pm Sun. 10/1
Sterling Hotel Dallas
1055 Regal Row
Dallas, Texas 75247
Melbourne Leather Movie Festival
10 September 2006 2.00-5.45p
PUP screens with Born in a Barn, about pony play, andBeyond Vanilla. For details, please visit http://www.melbourneleatherfestival.org/
The Sun Theatre
8 Ballarat Street
Yarraville 3013
Victoria, Australia
AUD25
CineKink National Showcase Tour - Portland
16 August 2006, Time TBA
This will be the final screening of Pup as part of the national showcase tour of The Best of CineKink , a program featuring CineKink's award-winning shorts from years past.
Clinton St. Theater
2522 S.E. Clinton St.
Portland, OR 97202-1239
CineKink National Showcase Tour - Chicago
28 July 2006, 7pm
Pup will screen at the Leather Archives and Museum (LA&M) as part of the national showcase tour of The Best of CineKink, a program featuring CineKink's award-winning shorts from years past.
Leather Archives & Museum
6418 N. Greenview Avenue
Chicago, IL 60626
$20 in person or online at LA&M or in person at Early 2 Bed, 5232 N Sheridan Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
CineKink National Showcase Tour - Minneapolis
26 May 2006, 9pm
Pup will screen in Minneapolis as part of the national showcase tour of The Best of CineKink , a program featuring CineKink's award-winning shorts from years past.
Bedlam Theatre
504 Cedar Ave., S
Minneapolis, MN
18+, $7
Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
22 May 2006, 9.45pm
Pup will screen with 6 other shorts at the 16th annualToronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival , Canada’s pre-eminent exhibition of queer film and video from around the world. Inside Out hosts one of the largest queer film festivals internationally, with audiences of 30,000. The festival showcases the diversity of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and transgendered film and video making in documentary, shorts, features, and installations.
Program: Queer As F*ck
Isabel Bader Theater
93 Charles Street West
Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 2C7
7th Annual Dog and Pony Show
22 April 2005 Saturday, 2.45-4.15pm
PUP makes an encore appearance at this annual event , open to all species. DVDs will be available for the special event price of $15 immediately after the screening.
SFCitadel
1277 Mission St at Ninth St.
San Francisco, CA 94103-2911
$20 all 3 workshops (1-6pm Sat.)
$30 for workshops and Fri. or Sat. party
$40 for workshops and Fri. and Sat. parties
2nd Annual San Francisco Women's Film Festival 2006
19 April 2006, 7.00pm
Pup will screen in LGBTQ Opening Night Shorts Program, cosponsored by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and Frameline Distribution. The SFWFF provides a platform that showcases, awards, and celebrates local, student and international women filmmakers. It's a strong line-up, including Hung, by Guinevere Turner of Go Fish fame, andBadAss Supermama, a hilarious, touching personal film by Stanford graduate Etang Inyang.
El Rio Theater
3158 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
$10, $2 off in advance using promo code at top of this page
Leather Leaderships Conference X
9 April 2006, 3.30p
The Leather Leadership Conference is an organization dedicated to strengthening the SM/Leather/Fetish community through the development of the leadership skills of community members and fostering a greater sense of connection between and within community groups. PUP will screen as part of a program of shorts for conference attendees.
Session: A Taste of CineKink
New York City
Melbourne Queer Film Festival
5 March 2006, 10.00pm
Pup screens with Born In A Barn, a documentary about pony play. For details, please visit melbournequeerfilm.com.au .
South Yarra VIC, Australia
$14 full, $11 Concession
Pacific Film Archive
15 February 2006, 7.30pm
A place to explore cinema from every film-producing country in the world, the Pacific Film Archive reaches out through the art of cinema to the many cultures that make up the lively Bay Area community. Pup will screen with Born in a Barn and director Antonia will be in attendance. For program details, click here . For tickets, click here .
Berkeley, CA
OUT TAKES Dallas: The Dallas Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Friday 11 November 2005, 11:10pm
PUP will screen as part of a shorts program. Details will be upcoming at: http://www.outtakesdallas.org/index.asp
Dallas, TX
Reeling 2005: The 24th Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival
11 November 2005
PUP will screen with Original Pride: The Satyrs Motorcyle Club, a documentary about the oldest continuously active gay organization in the world, at this, the 2nd oldest LGBT film festival in the world. Details and ticket info. forthcoming at: http://www.reelingfilmfestival.org/
Film Row Cinema at Columbia College
1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor
Chicago, IL 60605-2328
CineKink National Showcase Tour - San Francisco
Saturday 5 November 2005, 9:00pm
PUP won Best Documentary Short at CineKink
NYC and will screen in
The Best of CineKink.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
701 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Tickets: $8 regular; $5 students, seniors, teachers;
$5 YBCA members
Reel Pride Michigan
24 October 2005
Details about this festival, sponsored by the Triangle Foundation , Michigan's leading organization serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and allied communities, will be upcoming at http://www.reelpridemichigan.com/
Detroit, Michigan
CineKink 2005
Saturday 22 October 2005, 5:00pm
CineKink is an organization that recognizes and encourages the positive depiction of alternative sexuality in film and television, most visibly through its annual film festival, CineKink NYC. For more info., and tickets (after 10/5):http://www.cinekink.com/
Program Name: "A Bear, A Pup and Lots of Uniforms"
New York, NY
Mill Valley Film Festival
8 October 2005, 2:45pm
Presented by the California Film Institute, the Mill Valley Film Festival offers a high-profile, prestigious, non-competitive environment that celebrates the best independent and international cinema.
Program: Tender Gender Benders
142 Throckmorton Theatre
Mill Valley, CA 94941-1910
$10 Tickets available at festival website .
boy Patrick Chees Legacy Memorial Service at
Beyond Vanilla XV & International Pup and Trainer Contest (IPTC) 2005
1 October 2005, 6-7pm
During the service, in honor of boy Patrick Chees (1973-2004), the founder and owner of IPTC, there will be a pause in all Beyond Vanilla workshops and events to allow everyone who wants to attend to be able to. Throughout the weekend (9/30-10/2), PUP DVDs will be on sale at a Beyond Vanilla vendor booth at a special rate of $5 off or $15/DVD (cash only) for weekend attendees. A PUP trailer will screen at the contest. For more information and to register for these events, please refer to www.beyondvanilla.org andwww.intlpuppycontest.org .
Sterling Hotel Dallas
1055 Regal Row
Dallas TX 75247
Legacy event is open to the community and free.
Folsom Street Fair 2005
25 September 2005
DVDs will be on sale for $15 (cash only) from director Antonia Kao right before or after her volunteer shift doing top support at the Society of Janus booth from 12:00-2:00. For info. about event: www.folsomstreetfair.com
Society of Janus booth
Folsom between 10th & 11th
San Francisco, CA
$3 Suggested Donation for Fair
Folsom Fringe 2005
24 September 2005
The trailer will be available to view at the Hospitality Suite and is an on-call, backup workshop Saturday. DVDs will be on sale for $15 (cash only) Saturday 1:45-2:45pm at the presenter's vendor/ table area by the workshop classrooms. Details: folsomfringe.com
The Doubletree Hotel
2050 Gateway Pl.
San Jose, CA 95110
$150 for full weekend package
Masters And slaves Together Meeting
11 September 2005
Private screening at monthly meeting of Greater San Francisco Bay Area MAsT chapter.
Oakland, CA
Outfest 2005: The 23rd Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
16 July 2005 7:15pm
PUP will screen with Original Pride: The Satyrs Motorcyle Club, a documentary about the oldest continuously active gay organization in the world. After-party at Gauntlet II . Tickets available at www.outfest.org , by calling 213.480.7065 11am-7pm, or in person at the DGA.
Program # ORIGI16
Director's Guild of America, Theater 1
7920 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046-3300
Parking at DGA or at 8000 Sunset Blvd.
$12
smOdyssey July Popcorn Social
3 July 2005, 2-6pm
There will be a PUP screening and Q&A with Director Antonia Kao opening the social. DVDs will be available for sale. For more information about smOdyssey, please check out www.smodyssey.com .
Back Room of Pierce Ink Studio
48-B Race Street
San Jose, CA
$5-20 suggested donation to help cover venue. Noone turned away for lack of funds.
Frameline29: The 29th San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
19 June 2005 10:15pm
PUP will screen with Born in a Barn, a documentary on pony play. For tickets and details, please refer towww.frameline.org . After party at The Lexington Club .
Program Name: Pups and Ponies
Roxie Cinema
3117 16th Street (at Valencia Street)
San Francisco, CA 94103
NewFest 2005: The 17th New York LGBT Film Festival
10 June 2005 10:30pm
PUP will screen with Mr. Leather , a documentary about leather title contests. For details and tickets, please refer towww.newfest.org .
Program: Mr. Leather
Theater 1, Loews State Theater
Loews 34th St.
New York, NY
2005 Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality Western Region Conference
Unstudied, Understudied, and Underserved Sexual Communities: New Areas for Research, Education, and Therapy
7 May 2005 8:30-10pm
A portion of PUP will screen to conference attendees as part of the conference film festival. To register, please refer towww.sssswr.org .
Hyatt at Fisherman's Wharf
555 North Point Street
San Francisco, California 94133
6th Annual Dog and Pony Show
23 April 2005 Saturday sometime between 2:30 & 4:30PM
There will be a PUP screening and Q&A as part of the Saturday afternoon of programs on animal role play. DVDs will be available for purchase after the screening. Entry fee includes three programs (+/- 1-2:30, 2:45-4:15, and 4:30-6pm). PUP will be the middle program. See pupumentary yahoo group for details.
SFCitadel
245 Eighth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103-2911
$20
Lady Thorn's SM Community Exchange - SM Flea Market
10 April 2005 Sunday 2-5:00PM
Please see the Society of Janus Calendar for more information.
PUP will be available to view at a vendor table. DVDs will be available for purchase.
942 Mission St. (between 5th and 6th Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103-2911
$5
Let Us Entertain You (LUEY)
12 February 2005 Saturday 4:00 PM
Special Screening In Honor of
boy patrick chees (25 May 1973- 26 December 2004)
The Ripcord
715 Fairview St.
Houston, TX 77006
Suggested Donation in honor of boy patrick to your local AIDS organization.
People of Leather Among You (PLAY)
13 January 2005 Thursday 7:30 PM
Special, Preview Screening of Pup
Metropolitan Community Church
8714 Santa Monica Blvd., 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Donation.
Director's Statement
When I first dove headfirst into the leather world and discovered the grit, profundity, laughter, and nuance there, I knew the next film I was going to make would be something about BDSM. This was because I looked around - got my hands on every BDSM film I could get my hands on - and saw nearly none that did justice to my experience or went beyond BDSM 101. Sick: The Life and Death of Supermasochist Bob Flanagan was one of the few that stood out for me at the time.
I had no idea then that five years later, I'd have made this little film, about a fetish I hadn't even heard of at the time, and that the journey would be such an intense, personal, and spiritual one.
When I first met Pup Tim and Master Skip, I was most blown away by the fact that I could be helping them with a flogging demo on stage at a huge leather title contest one night, and, less than twelve hours later, be sitting next to them, singing beautiful music in church. I was moved to witness two lives in which such seemingly disparate elements coexisted with peace, playfulness, and ease.
It made me see how much disjuncture I harbored in my own life as a kinky woman who wasted much energy gauging who to tell or not tell what to in her own life. For several years, I had been actively exploring the BDSM world and most of the things I was most excited about during this time were related to the growth I was doing in the 'leather world'. And yet what I saw in the media, and what my immigrant-generation Taiwanese-American parents understood of that world, was so negative and misinformed that I automatically hid my life. The cost of choosing to wear masks all the time is intimacy. If you're not "known", it's hard to feel loved for who you are. I think that is most painful with those you most love and want to be close to.
So the process of creating this film about two men who live the integration of sexuality and spirituality in their own lives has come hand-in-hand with the process of integrating those arenas in my own life.
I think that is one of the gifts of the film.
This is a film not just about a little-known fetish or contest in a sub sub culture, although it is happily about those things too. Ultimately, it is a film about love; about living integrated and whole -- "real in our own skins"-- as Master Skip put it once; and about the unexpected places where we can find spiritual practice and joy.
Links
(some obsolete now)
Pupumentary Yahoo Group for announcements and conversations related to the film.
Leatherdog.com, a central resource site. A workshop on puppy play led by Sir Michael, Jefpup, and boy chuck of Leatherdog.com was the initial inspiration for the film.
The International Puppy and Trainer Contest, the official contest site for information about the contest and how to enter to compete.
The Los Angeles Pups Club, the home club for Los Angeles area pups, dogs, and handlers to meet in person, and the base club for Master Skip, Pup Tim, and the 2003 International Pup and Trainer patch and Shawn.
PupZone.com A community site for Men who love their pups, and the pups who love them back: leather-pups, rubber-pups, skin-pups, bondage-pups and slave-dogs.
3bois.com/puppypile, 2003 International Pup patch's page with information about puppy play.
pug's pup stuff page, female pup pug's page about her experiences.
Crew Bios
Antonia Kao
Director/Producer
Antonia is a documentary filmmaker based in the San Francisco Bay Area whose films have screened at numerous film festivals, including Women in the Director's Chair, The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, and Outfest. Her directorial credits includeLullaby (1999), which won an Outfest Audience Award for Best Experimental Short; Straight White Men and Me(2000), which won an Anti-Defamation League Dore Schary Documentary Finalist Award; and, now, Pup (2005), which won the CineKink Best Documentary Short Award. She holds a BA in English and Women's Studies from Wellesley College and an MFA in film production from the University of Southern California Graduate School of Cinema-TV.
www.divine-eye.com
Bryan Donnell
Cinematographer
Bryan Donnell studied studio art and creative writing at the University of North Carolina and was an exhibiting artist for several years before turning his focus to film. He received his M.F.A. in film production at USC, where he was nominated for the Eastman Kodak Scholarship for nationally outstanding student cinematographers. Films he has shot have been screened at numerous major international film festivals and have received many awards, including a student Oscar, two student Emmys, and Best Short at Cannes. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
www.bryandonnell.com
Ann LeSchander
Editor
Annís editing credits include Ocha Cups for Christmas , an Emmy award-winner for best dramatic short, and The Real Billy the Kid , a documentary. She has also edited comic shorts for Fox Television Italy. Previously she has directed and edited the short documentary Small Town U.S.A. , which explores the state of small towns today. As a writer/director, Ann's short film The Day Before has won critical acclaim in festivals across the country including the "Best of the Fest" trophy at the Rochester International Film Festival. Ann received her B.A. from Colgate University and her M.F.A. from the University of Southern California Graduate School of Cinema-TV.
Greg Sirota
Editor
Greg Sirota is an editor living in San Francisco. A graduate of New York University Film School, Greg has edited documentaries and narrative films which have aired on PBS, Sundance, History and Discovery Channels. His directorial work has been screened at film festivals around the world. Currently he is working for Lucasfilm, Ltd. as a documentary editor.
Eleanor Yerbury
Sound Editor/Mixer
has worked as an independent sound designer in the Bay Area since 1999. A master of Pro-Tools with an uncanny ear for sound design, Eli brings a wealth of experience to her projects. She recently completed sound work on Unsu Lee's Happily, Even After (Tribeca Film Festival) and Mitch Altieri'sLurking in Suburbia (CineVegas Film Festival) both due for release in 2004. Other recent projects include Thirst (2004), Confessions of A Burning Man(2003). and Cul de Sac: A Suburban War Story (Toronto Film Festival).
Benjamin Decker
Composer
Hailing from Oakland, CA, Benjamin Decker has been writing, recording and producing music for 20 years. He studied music, as well as audio engineering, at S.F. State University. Specializing in contemporary genres, Benjamin prefers composing and recording in real-time with real instruments. Working closely with a film's director to create audio and music that truly become an integral part of the viewing experience is his goal.www.palominosound.com
Wally Scharold
Composer
is a music-nerd. Whether he is composing for chamber orchestra, virtual death metal bands, children's toys, or whatever, his music evokes encyclopedic knowledge of all genres to the point that any and all attempts at classification are lost and really serve no practical purpose whatsoever. While too many people in the art-music world are busy dropping names and turning up their noses, he is quite happy playing with the dirt at the bottom of the hole he has dug to keep him snugly beneath it all, and ohhhhh what a view it is.
Lisa M. Gray
Sound Supervisor
At the age of three Lisa taught herself to play piano. Her passion for music started there and never stopped. She graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Production and Engineering. Lisa has her own audio post-production company focusing on documentary film, video, and radio. Since living in the Bay Area she has put great effort into creating programs for youth and incarcerated adults, empowering them with access and knowledge to music and music technology. Her greatest passion is working on documentary media and collaborating with others.
Dana Clark
Associate Editor
is an independent filmmaker who believes in telling stories that spark and activate people. She recently completed her studies at The Evergreen State College where she enjoyed interdisciplinary studies and used them to combine socioeconomic studies with filmmaking. Her short documentary, Bands Against Bush: A Record Of Dissent , recorded a day of artistsí protest in Olympia, WA, and has been screened at various film festivals. Mine, a 16mm short that Dana co-produced, premiered at Outfest and has won awards at many film festivals. Danaís current project, Phoenix , a Super8 short, is in post-production. Dana is working with Lucasfilm Ltd. on a documentary film project that includes over 100 historical short documentaries that will be companions to the Young Indiana Jones series soon to be released on DVD. Her commitment to community and storytelling is deepening as she connects herself to her new community in San Francisco. Dana strives to continue to tell the untold stories of people and experiences that are underrepresented.
Alicia Dwyer
Additional Camera
is currently directing a feature documentary narrated by Martin Sheen about Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers. She was a producer and additional cinematographer on the Academy Award-winning documentary Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, narrated by Judi Dench, and an editor on the feature film and HBO seriesPandemic: Facing AIDS, narrated by Elton John, music by Philip Glass. Alicia has worked as a cinematographer in the US, Mexico, Africa, the Middle East and Europe and on an Emmy Award-winning comedy short, Sway. A graduate of Princeton University and University of Southern California film school, she has received special recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives for work on the issue of HIV/AIDS and is a Distinguished Visitor in Global Studies at UC Santa Cruz where she teaches documentary filmmaking.
Chindy Lee
Additional Camera
enjoys shooting movies and reading manga. Her work has appeared in various film festivals, including the LA Shorts Fest, Seattle Film Festival, New York Urban Film Festival, as well as on Discovery Times Channel and HBO family. She currently resides in LA with her husband and houseplants.
Aymae Sulick
Additional Camera
Aymae's documentary credits include The Season , an ESPN television special; Living By Instinct: Animals and Their Rescuers , winner of a 3rd place student Emmy; and The Size of It , recently featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her goal is to travel and shoot internationally and to use her creative abilities to explore social issues and observe/experience other cultures. She has thus far traveled and shot widely, including in Europe, Japan, Israel, and Egypt. Aymae received her M.F.A. in film production at the University of Southern California Graduate School of Cinema-TV and currently resides in Los Angeles.
Robert Bahar
Producing Consultant
is co-founder and coordinator of Doculink , a grassroots networking organization for documentary filmmakers with more than 900 members around the world. He is currently producing the veritÈ documentary Made in L.A. , which documents the experiences of Latina immigrants working in downtown Los Angeles' garment industry. He produced and directed the award-winning documentary Laid to Waste and has worked for Academy-Award winning documentary filmmaker Tracy Seretean. He has line-produced and associate-produced several independent films including the upcoming Untitled Jeff Goldblum Project and ITVS/PBS' Diary of a City Priest , which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He recently served on the selection committee for the International Documentary Association's InFact Film Festival and holds an M.F.A. from The Peter Stark Program at the USC School of Cinema-Television.
Yana Gorskaya
Consulting Editor
is a writer, director and documentary editor whose editing credits include Spellbound , the Academy-nominated documentary which follows eight children from all over the country on their way to the National Spelling Bee, Friendly House , a look at the first and most successful drug rehabilitation home for women in the United States, and In the Name of Love , an exploration of Russian marriage agencies. She received her B.A. from Columbia University, Magna Cum Laude, and her M.F.A. from the University of Southern California Graduate School of Cinema-TV with numerous honors. Originally from Russia, Yana met and married her wonderkind French husband in New York.
Julie Vizza
Consulting Editor
has favorably contributed to a number of acclaimed feature and documentary projects, most notably as editor of writer/director Eugene Martin's Diary of a City Priest , an official selection at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Her earlier work with Martin on the 1998 drama Edge City screened at the Berlin Film Festival and won first prize at the Hamptons Film Festival. Most recently her editorial work on the 2002 Winter Olympics was recognized with an Emmy for Outstanding Technical Remote Team. A graduate of the Temple University Film and Television program, Vizza was born in Italy and is fluent in Italian. Her latest projects include work as editor on the documentaries Finding Norman by director Ally Walker, and director Erica Hamilton and producer Robert Bahar's Breaking Convention .
William David Hite
Titles Designer
is a Compositing/ Visual Effects/ Motion Graphics Artist who just moved to Walnut Creek from New York.
Norm Anderson
Voiceover Talent
Born and raised in the woods of Western Massachusetts without running water, electricity or television, Norm currently resides in Los Angeles while working as a screenwriter, director and voice over artist. He has electricity, TV and a DVD player now and is quite happy about it.
Philip Jean-Pierre
DVD Box Designer
Watch the Movie
Stream the film here with password WoofLove
https://vimeo.com/936521913?share=copy
As of 4/19/24, when I moved this film from Amazon CreateSpace to Vimeo, this film is now available for free. I hope it finds its audience and is of service.
If you or your group want to use it for a gathering/event, please let me know in advance so I can track the film's passage through the world, update this page, and potentially cross-promote.
If you or your group would like to donate, you can do so on Venmo @Antonia-Kao.
PUP DVDs are no longer available but I have retained five copies in archives and welcome you to reach out about these.