We’re excited to announce that our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary is nominated for “Best Feature Documentary” at the 2025 International Motor Film Awards. The black-tie awards gala will take place on Thursday, 10/2/2025 at the majestic Alexandra Palace’s Victorian Theatre and East Court in London.
The prestigious International Motor Film Awards, which has been running for 13 years, is a relatively young awards competition. In this short time, they have become the premiere automotive film awards—“the Oscars of the motoring world.”
We’re deeply honored by this nomination. There are so many great automotive films being produced each year, including feature dramas and documentaries, short dramas and documentaries, commercial and promotional films, journalism and event films, and more. To be nominated along with the other talented nominees, who are all passionate about cars and motorcycles, is humbling.
To be seen by the public and even selected by a respected film festival or awards competition, whether it’s an automotive one or not, is a difficult feat. Every year, there are more than 11,000 submissions to the venerable Sundance Film Festival, which is a good indication of the amount of films being produced annually. This doesn’t include commercial or promotional films or journalism and event films. It also doesn’t include what is known as “content” on social media. In many ways, they are all competing for not just industry awards but more so public attention.
We’re deeply grateful to MOONEYES Owner Shige Suganuma, MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama, Dean Moon Jr., and the entire MOONEYES family; our talented crew, including Producer/Co-Director of Photography Tuan Tran, Composer Sven Faulconer, Co-Composer Anthony Loomis, Sound Supervisor/Sound Designer & Editor/Foley Artist Jeff Hutchins, Dialogue Editor/Re-Recording Mixer Bruce Greenspan, and Design Director/Graphic Designer Sven Igawa; our Fiscal Sponsor, the respected International Documentary Association; all our generous grantors, donors, and supporters; and MOONEYES fans worldwide.
To learn more about our 2025 International Motor Film Awards “Best Feature Documentary” Nomination:
https://www.motorfilmawards.com/2025
To buy tickets to our screening with MOONEYES Hawaii at the Bob Bosley Museum as part of MOONEYES Hawaii Ohana Weekend, presented by NAPA Hawaii, on Sunday, 8/24/2025:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
To buy tickets to our screening with Namsayin at Griot’s Garage in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
FINDING GOLD IN HAWAII: THE HOT WHEELS MOONEYES / JIM DUNN RACING FUNNY CAR
In Oahu, Hawaii for a screening of our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary with MOONEYES Hawaii, I finally struck gold and discovered a Hot Wheels MOONEYES/Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car as part of a HW Drag Strip Collection at Don Don Donki, a mammoth store from Japan. It was there in plain sight like a gold nugget in the dirt. I even found multiple ones. MOONEYES has been collaborating with Hot Wheels for a long time, creating many collectible die cast cars. I especially love the ones that are based on real MOONEYES cars. This one is modeled after the MOONEYES/Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car with the iconic MOONEYES yellow and black livery. MOONEYES has been sponsoring Jim Dunn Racing for more than 30 years. This long friendship started when talented driver Kenji Okazaki needed to bring in a sponsor to join the team and partnered with Shige Suganuma, the owner of MOONEYES. As a result, Okazaki would become the first non-North American driver to win a NHRA Pro title.
In making our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary, we had the incredible honor of filming legendary Jim Dunn and his racing team. “Big” Jim Dunn, as he’s known, and his gracious family are esteemed ambassadors of the sport. In fact, he was inducted into the Lions Hall of Fame in 2023 and recognized with a NHRA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. He stars in his own documentary, “Funny Car Summer” (1974), which follows him during the heyday of drag racing. What is most inspiring is that he’s now 90 years old and still doing what he loves—a recurrent theme in our film. Needless to say, this Hot Wheels MOONEYES/Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car is special, but you need to know how to recognize gold when you see it.
To buy tickets to our screening with MOONEYES Hawaii at the Bob Bosley Museum as part of MOONEYES Hawaii Ohana Weekend, presented by NAPA Hawaii, on Sunday, 8/24/2025:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
To buy tickets to our screening with Namsayin at Griot’s Garage in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
COMMUNITY MADE AND DISTRIBUTED: THE “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY
We’ve had the honor of working with Tad Matsuno of MOONEYES Hawaii and Kirk Hubbard on a “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary screening in Oahu, Hawaii on Sunday, 8/24/2025 as well as brothers Al-Michael Franco and Walter Franco of Namsayin on a screening in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025.
In planning these special cinema events, we’re very grateful that our independent film has been community funded, made, and distributed. It’s the complete opposite of a studio film. The big studios and streaming companies, which are essentially giant tech companies, wouldn’t necessarily make a film about a legendary speed equipment company and two Japanese/Japanese American hot rodders who made a huge impact on international car & motorcycle culture. Our goal was to make the film for MOONEYES fans and automotive enthusiasts.
We’re deeply honored to be able to share our film with the Hawaiian and Pacific Northwest communities. We’ve trusted in the process of engaging with the interconnected community. And now we get to celebrate with them. Mahalo!
To learn more about our screening with MOONEYES Hawaii at the Bob Bosley Museum as part of MOONEYES Hawaii Ohana Weekend, presented by NAPA Hawaii, on Sunday, 8/24/2025:
https://craftofspeed.eventive.org/schedule/mooneyes-hawaii-2025-ohana-weekend-featuring-mooneyes-pinstriper-wildman-humanist-films-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening-at-the-bob-bosley-museum-presented-by-napa-hawaii-683f2099febf42215f804596
To learn more about our screening with Namsayin at Griot’s Garage in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
https://craftofspeed.eventive.org/schedule/namsayin-presents-crafted-through-culture-mooneyes-documentary-craft-of-speed-by-humanist-films-68795786df25b51d245d6c22
MOONEYES CRUISED J-TOWN IN THE NISEI WEEK GRAND PARADE
Recently, we had the honor of documenting MOONEYES participating in the long-running Nisei Week Grand Parade in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles with MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama’s record-setting land speed race car. Geared for high speed, his rear engine modified roadster was hauled on a trailer by the MOONEYES dually truck. Its blue, light blue, red, and orange livery is in honor of Chico’s mentor, Fred Larsen, a MOONEYES machinist and multiple land speed record holder. His record-setting streamliner, which is in the NHRA Museum in Pomona, California, is in the same colors.
It was an incredible sight to see the MOONEYES land speed race car, which just returned from racing at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, cruise J-Town (also known as Little Tokyo) along with 25+ more classic vehicles. It paraded by many of Little Tokyo’s landmarks, from historic temples to legacy businesses to beautiful murals to important museums. Best of all, it passed by the enthusiastic Los Angeles community who came out to celebrate Japanese American history and culture.
This grand procession honored many of the people who were involved in the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” exhibit at the ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery (running through 11/12/2025). With its own rich history, MOONEYES is part of this groundbreaking exhibit—the first of its kind.
A heartfelt thank you to Oliver Wang, the curator of “Cruising J-Town,” the Japanese American National Museum, and the Nisei Week Grand Parade for allowing MOONEYES and “Craft of Speed” to be a part of this special event. Many thanks to all the MOONEYES fans and people who attended the parade.
To learn more about the “Cruising J-Town” exhibit and book:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary and our upcoming screenings in Oahu, Hawaii on Sunday, 8/24/2025 and Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
craftofspeed.com
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
TO SOME, IT’S JUST A PARADE. TO OTHERS, IT’S AN INCREDIBLE CELEBRATION OF HISTORY, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY.
This weekend, as part of the long-running Nisei Week Japanese Festival, the Nisei Week Grand Parade will take place in historic Little Tokyo, Los Angeles on Sunday, 8/10/2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. According to the Rafu Shimpo newspaper, it’s “one of the longest running ethnic festivals in the U.S.” The first Nisei Week was held in 1934.
The Nisei Week Grand Parade will be special this year. As part the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit at the ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery (running through 11/12/2025), MOONEYES’ record-setting land speed race car and 25+ vehicles will be cruising J-Town (also known as Little Tokyo), bringing back this rich tradition.
The festival and parade are a grand celebration of Japanese American history and culture, bringing the diverse Los Angeles community together. Best of all, they merge with car culture this year on the bustling streets of Little Tokyo.
To learn more about Nisei Week:
https://niseiweek.org/
To see the Nisei Week Grand Parade route:
https://niseiweek.org/festival/#map
To learn more about the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit & Book:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary and Photography Book as well as our upcoming screenings in Oahu, Hawaii on Sunday, 8/24/2025 and Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
craftofspeed.com
MOONEYES: FROM RACING AT BONNEVILLE TO CRUISING J-TOWN
MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama’s land speed race car at CineMakina
This Sunday, 8/10/2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., MOONEYES will participate in the Nisei Week Grand Parade in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. As part of the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit at the ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery (on view until 11/12/2025), MOONEYES will be cruising J-Town (as Little Tokyo is affectionately known) with 25+ other vehicles. Just back from racing at Speed Week at the epic Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, MOONEYES will be bringing MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama’s record-setting land speed race car, a rear engine modified roadster. It will be an incredible sight seeing this history-making race car on the streets of historic Little Tokyo. For MOONEYES fans and automotive photographers, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
To learn more about the Nisei Week Grand Parade:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMVyZQiyg1S/?img_index=1
To see the Nisei Week Grand Parade route:
https://niseiweek.org/festival/#map
To learn more about the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit & Book:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary and Photography Book as well as our upcoming screenings in Oahu, Hawaii on Sunday, 8/24/2025 and Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
craftofspeed.com
MOONEYES IS PART OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM’S “CRUISING J-TOWN” EXHIBIT
We had the honor of attending the opening reception for the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit at the ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery. It was an incredible event gathering the community to celebrate Japanese American history and car culture.
Congratulations to our friend Oliver Wang, who curated the exhibit, and the entire JANM team for this huge accomplishment! The exhibit and its companion book of the same name are massive in scope, taking almost a decade to research, write, and design. They are monumental in that this expansive story hasn’t been documented, shared, and celebrated until now.
With its own rich history, MOONEYES is part of this extensive exhibit. It was wonderful to see how this iconic company fits into Japanese American history and car culture and how everyone is interconnected in this community. The exhibit opens on 7/31/2025 and runs through 11/12/2025.
To learn more about the exhibit and book:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary and our upcoming screenings in Oahu, Hawaii on Sunday, 8/24/2025 and Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
craftofspeed.com
NAMSAYIN PRESENTS "CRAFTED THROUGH CULTURE"—MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY "CRAFT OF SPEED" BY HUMANIST FILMS
Namsayin presents “Crafted through Culture”—MOONEYES Documentary “Craft of Speed” by Humanist Films on Saturday, 8/30/2025 at Griot’s Garage in Tacoma, Washington.
Four years in the making, this 2-hour documentary covers the entire history of MOONEYES. In the film, Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama, two Japanese/Japanese American hot rodders, helped save MOON Equipment Company, an iconic American speed parts company, rebrand it as MOONEYES, preserve legendary founder Dean MOON’s legacy, and popularize hot rod culture in Asia. This year, MOONEYES celebrates its 75th anniversary.
We’re thrilled to screen our film in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We love the region with its diverse people, rich culture, and strong community.
To continue our goal of producing unique cinema events, we’re working with some amazing partners—Namsayin and Griot’s Garage. In addition to a film screening, we’re curating a showcase of vehicles, post-film discussion, music, food vendors, limited edition merch, and more to create an unforgettable experience.
We’re honored to work with Namsayin, a community-based car culture brand and media platform founded by brothers Al-Michael Franco and Walter Franco. They showcase and tell the stories of the people behind the car culture in the greater Northwest and beyond. They convey these stories through different mediums such as apparel, vehicle design projects, and curated automotive experiences. We love their powerful message, “Community over Cars.”
In addition to being the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Namsayin, Walter was the Curator and Collection Manager of the world-class Lemay - America’s Car Museum. We’ll be having an engaging discussion after the film with Walter, Al-Michael, and special guests TBA.
We’re excited to work with Griot’s Garage, which is known for their high-quality car care products. This cinema event will take place at their beautiful Griot’s Garage Corporate Headquarters and Flagship Retail Store. The original building was built by Coca-Cola in the 1950s as a bottling and distribution warehouse. Now, it has been fully restored and has become a car lover’s destination. It houses a museum-quality Auto Display and hosts many car events, namely their monthly Caffeine & Gasoline cruise-in car shows.
We’re also excited to announce our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book, which documents the world of MOONEYES, from the famous MOONEYES headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California to Shige Suganuma, the Owner of MOONEYES, conducting a test & tune of his MOONEYES Dragster at the beloved Irwindale Dragstrip in Irwindale, California to Chico Kodama, the President of MOONEYES USA, building and racing his new rear engine modified roadster at the epic Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. The book will be officially released at the upcoming Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show 2025 in Yokohama, Japan. Learn more about the book and pre-order here and at the Namsayin event: https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
Our deepest gratitude to Al-Michael Franco and Walter Franco of Namsayin for presenting this screening with us. Thank you to Griot’s Garage for their warm hospitality. Mahalo to Tad Matsuno of MOONEYES Hawaii for his thoughtful introduction and longtime support. As always, thank you to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire MOONEYES family for all their support.
NAMSAYIN PRESENTS “CRAFTED THROUGH CULTURE”—MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY “CRAFT OF SPEED” BY HUMANIST FILMS
GRIOT’S GARAGE
Tacoma, Washington
Saturday, 8/30/2025
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Curated Vehicle Showcase / “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book Preview / Music / Food
7:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m. Film Screening
9:00 p.m - 9:30 p.m Discussion with Al-Michael Franco and Walter Franco of Namsayin, director Ming Lai, and Special Guests TBA
9:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Curated Vehicle Showcase / “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book Preview / Music / Food
Griot’s Garage
3333 S. 38th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409
Buy Tickets:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
*Limited seating. Please buy your tickets in advance.
*VIP Admission includes choice of limited edition hat or T-shirt as well as free appetizers and beverages.
namsayin.com / @namsayin
griotsgarage.com / @GriotsGarage
craftofspeed.com
humanistfilms.com / @humanistfilms
mooneyesusa.com / @mooneyesusa