Fine Cut 2014: 'Yamashita'

"Yamashita" is Hayley Foster's award-winning senior thesis film. The movie aired as part of the 2014 edition of "Fine Cut," KCET's 17th annual festival of student films.

"Yamashita" Synopsis:

A look at a young Japanese-American girl's struggle with identity, the breakdown of her family, and the rediscovery of her ancestry as she and her family are forced into internment camps during World War II.

Hayley Foster's Bio:

Hayley Foster graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a major in animation and a minor in Asian and Pacific studies. Growing up in San Jose, Calif., she spent her time watching Disney movies on repeat with her sister, which nurtured her love of animation and her love of family at a young age. From the time she could hold a pencil to when she moved on to college, Hayley was drawing and using drawings to tell stories. During her time at LMU, she honed her craft in animation while studying abroad in Japan. Her thesis -- a dedication to her supportive grandfather and to a history that captured her fascination and sympathy -- was an idea that brewed for years before coming to fruition in the form of "Yamashita." She is currently working as a storyboard revisionist at Warner Bros. Animation, with an ambition to be a storyboard artist on feature films.

Click here to read a Q&A with the filmmaker.