Winning Girl
2014 | 68 mins | English
Teshya Alo is 16 years old and 125 pounds. But on the judo and wrestling mats, she throws women twice her age and pounds heavier. And she beats boys. Now, she has her sights set on gold at both the judo and wrestling world championships–and eventually the Olympics. But it won’t be easy.
She is younger and less experienced than her opponents. She trains from Hawai‘i and the cost to travel to tournaments drains her family’s resources. She’s a student at a private school for Native Hawaiians. And she’s going through puberty.
Winning Girl follows the four-year journey of this part-Polynesian female teenage judo and wrestling phenom, and in doing so tells the dynamic story of an elite athlete on her ascent, a girl facing the challenges of growing up and an entire family dedicated to a single dream.
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Distributed in North America by Women Make Movies
Order DVDs and digital site licenses of the film in North America through Women Make Movies.
Director Kimberlee Bassford is also available for speaking engagements, including Q&As, presentations and discussions on the film. Contact Women Make Movies at orders@wmm.com or (212) 925-0606 for more information.
The film can also be streamed (inside North America) for personal home viewing at:
Distributed outside North America by Java Films
To order the film or arrange a screening outside of North America, contact Java Films.
The film can also be streamed (outside of North America) at:
The film aired nationally on The World Channel's signature series America ReFramed in 2015 and 2016. It aired statewide in Hawai‘i on PBS Hawai‘i in 2016 and on OC16 in 2015. It also aired on Comcast Xfinity in February 2018.
GirlTalk HQ did a Q&A with director Kimberlee Bassford after the launch of the film on the streaming service OVID.tv. Read it here.
You can watch a Q&A that the Women Sports Film Festival did in 2020 with director Kimberlee Bassford and wrestling world champion Teshya Alo here. You can read a Q&A by Hawai‘i Reporter with Kimberlee at one of the film's screenings here. The Center for Asian American Media, which screened the film in its annual CAAMFest film festival, also did a Q&A here.
Below is a list of known screenings of the film. If you know of other screenings, please let us know so we can add them here.
Māsima 2022: Pacific Island Film Tour, Salt Lake Film Society, Salt Lake City, UT, 2022
Asian Pacific Virtual Showcase, Online, 2021
Women Sports Film Festival, Online, 2020
Waimea Ocean Film Festival, Kona/Kohala Coast, HI, 2017
Documentary Edge Film Festival, Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, 2016
Colorado Dragon Film Festival, Denver, CO, 2016
Windward Community College, Kaneohe, HI, 2016
Extraordinary Women Film Series (New Rochelle Public Library), New Rochelle, NY, 2016
FIFO Tahiti (Pacific International Documentary Film Festival), Papeete, French Polynesia, 2016
Canadian Sport Film Festival, Winnipeg, Canada, 2016
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, 2015
San Diego Asian Film Festival, 2015
Deep Waters: A Pacific Film Series, Pago Pago, American Samoa, 2015
PIC Exchange: Girl Power!, Honolulu, HI, 2015
Utah Pacific Island Heritage Month, Orem and St. George, UT, 2015
Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, HI, 2015
PUEO (Partnerships in Unlimited Educational Opportunities) Program, Punahou School, Honolulu, HI, 2015
Canadian Sport Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, 2015
Women of Wonders Film Festival, Honolulu, HI, 2015
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2015
CAAMFest, San Francisco, CA, 2015
Nevada Women’s Film Festival, Las Vegas, NV, 2015
Women’s Film Festival, Brattleboro, VT, 2015
Ko Olina Children’s Film & Music Festival, Kapolei, HI, 2015
Women’s Fund of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, HI, 2015
Hawai‘i International Film Festival, Honolulu, HI, 2014
A film by Kimberlee Bassford
Featuring Teshya Alo
Editor
Shirley Thompson
Director of Photography
Henry Mochida
Illustrator/Designer
Ashley Burke
Executive Producer for PIC
Leanne K. Ferrer
Camera
Henry Mochida
Kimberlee Bassford
Robbie Omura
Sound
John McFadden
James De Mello
Dolly and Jib Operator
James De Mello
Steadicam Operator
Mark Morgan
U.S. Mainland Crew
David Hamilton
Tania Khalaf
Hanny Lee
Europe Crew
David Hamilton
Tania Khalaf
Philipe Trad
Panama Crew
Kimberlee Bassford
Henry Mochida
Jackie Conley McGinnis
Assistant Editors
Chesare Antonio-Reyes
Erin Lau
Production Assistants
Margret Arakaki
Sean Aronson
Stacey Johnston
Lauren Kawana
Jackie Conley McGinnis
Shannon Nash
Teava Noy
Robbie Omura
Christopher Shimabukuro
Online Editor
Stanford Chang
Re-Recording Mixer
Paul James Zahnley, CAS
Sound Effects Editor
Lisa Devon
Audio Post Production
Disher Music & Sound
San Francisco
Animator
Ivan Vidovic
HD Mastering
Heather Weaver
Interns
Matthew Boo
Elliot Fan
Marie Medina
Josh Reeves
Kati Rehbeck
Transcription
Tech-Synergy.com
Fiscal Sponsorship
Women Make Movies
Original Score by Mark Menza
Carmen Menza, Vocalist
I’m a Superhero
Music and lyrics by Aaron Kelley
Performed by Peggy James
Living It Loud
Music by Aaron Kelley
Lyrics by Aaron Kelley and Carmen Menza
Performed by Carmen Menza
Refuse to Lose
Music by Mark Menza and Aaron Kelley
Lyrics by Aaron Kelley
Performed by Zoe Ann Zobrist
My Country
Written by Merrill Garbus
Performed by tUnE-yArDs
Courtesy of Zync Music and 4AD
Interviewees
Cherise Alo
Leroy Alo
Teshya Alo
Charles Ariola
Brent Barnes
Leilani Camargo-Naone
Clarissa Chun
Michael J. Chun
Emma Klein
Destiny Ng
John Robinson
Ku‘u Robinson
Chris Sokugawa
Archival Courtesy Of
The Alo Family
FILA
Hawaii News Now
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
KHON
Eddie King
Midweek
OC16 Sports
USA Wrestling
Wahine Sports Network
Skye Yonamine
Major Funding Provided By
Pacific Islanders in Communications
Harold K. L. Castle Foundation
American Brewing Company
Commercial Enterprises
Hawaiian Hardwood Company
Atherton Family Foundation
Kwai Dick & Evelyn Chun
Celia Bortfeld
Dolores Furtado Martin Foundation
Additional Funding Provided By
Nellie Allen-Logan
Russell Baker
John & Huong Bassford
Bridge Bayuk
Marlene Booth
John & Cynthia Bortfeld
Bill Carr
Center for Asian American Media
Frances Char
Sidney Char
Russel Cheng
Wendall & Aileen Chong
Dennis Chun
Mikey & Judy Chun
Pat Clough
Dorothy Conley
Kristen Connors
James De Mello
Jeff De Ponte
Brian Dote
Reme Grefalda
Hardware Hawai‘i
Patricia Higa
Robert & Jean Igarashi
Amy Isaacs
Cathy Kawano-Ching
Jo Ann Kagawa
Lauren Kawana
Tania Khalaf
Wes Kim
Lori Kohara
Raymond & Anna Lee
Charles J. Lin
Robin Lung
Christen Marquez
Toni Matlock
Kevin McGinnis
Gwendolyn Mink
Lori Misaka
Henry Mochida
Paula & Joel Mochida
Janet Nagamine
Susan Ogami-Van Camp
Laura Pirott
Glen Gary Price
Dick Regan
Yuriko Romer
Ty Sanga
Himani Shah
Richard Simons
Vince Sokugawa
Melvin & Shirley Suganuma
Lori Stephenson Strickland
Eugene & Frances Takemoto
Darryl Takizawa
Shirley Thompson
Nestor Trillo
Judith Vecchione
Karin Williams
Alfred Wong
Ethel Yamaguchi
Cheryl Yuen
Vera Zambonelli
Richard Zeiss
Outreach Funding Provided By
Women's Fund of Hawai‘i
Open Meadows Foundation
Open Meadows
Mahalo / Thanks
Gary Abbott
Cherise & Leroy Alo
Frank & Fuatino Alo and family
Javen Alo
Teniya Alo
Teshya Alo
Charles Ariola
Brock Bal
John & Huong Bassford
Jonathan Bassford
Michael Bassford
Naleea Bassford
Pakalani Bello
Marlene Booth
Celia Bortfeld
Matt Burkett-Erice
Laurie & David Callies
Co-Creative Studios
CrossFit Waipio
Tony deAnda
FILA
Lisette Flanary
Joel Goodman
Hawaii Animation Studios
Hawaii High School State Athletic Association
Hawaiian Airlines
Vilsoni & Jeannette Hereniko
Rob Hesia
Jonah Hoshino
Jim Hrbek
Ice Palace Hawai‘I
Inside OC16 Sports
International Judo Federation
Interscholastic League of Honolulu
J&W Nails
Elsa Pua Ka‘ai
Kamehameha Schools
Earl Kim
Ku Lokahi Wrestling Club
Richard Largo
Caleb Lucero
Robin Lung
Macys Kailua
Christopher McDonald
Kayla Miracle
Lucas Misaki
Ernest Miyamasu
Robin Mori
Lou Moyerman
Pearl City Hongwanji Judo Club
Robert Pennybacker
Jhonny Prado
Darren Reyes
John & Ku‘u Robinson
Yuriko Romer
Hector Salgado
Corinne Shigemoto
Matt Shimura
Chris Sokugawa
Vince Sokugawa
Erik Swanson
Evangeline Sylvester and family
Tactical Strength and Conditioning
Shawn Takabayashi
Marianne Teleki
USA Judo
USA Wrestling
Judith Vecchione
Sharon Webb
Joe Wilson
Billy Wood
Vera Zambonelli
Winning Girl is a co-production of Making Waves Films LLC and Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).