With the launch of MCTV last month, we are excited to announce the first recipient of the MCTV Special Selection laurel, Mānoa Valley, a short film written and directed by NYC-based filmmaker, Emily Jampel.

MCTV (monsterchildren.tv) is Monster Children’s dedicated video streaming platform which houses 20+ years of Monster Children original films, as well as the work of filmmakers we love. The MCTV Special Selection is awarded to outstanding films of all shapes, sizes, and styles made independently of Monster Children Films, which we find to be innovative, entertaining, and which align with our values; it is a laurel given to the kind of film that your favorite filmmaker would like, and we are excited to highlight Mānoa Valley as the inaugural recipient.

Mānoa Valley is a studious short film which follows a day in the life of two friends who spend a summer day together in Honolulu’s Mānoa Valley before one of them moves to New York City and is available for streaming now at MCTV.

To be featured on MCTV or considered for the MCTV Special Selection award, send submissions to editorial@monsterchildren.com.

Key cast and crew:

Emily May Jampel (Writer/Director) 

Emily May Jampel is a director from Honolulu based in New York City. Her films have played at festivals around the world including Palm Springs, Aspen ShortsFest, Champs-Élysées, and Outfest. She previously worked as a Development Executive at the Academy Award-Nominated and Peabody Award-Winning production company The Department of Motion Pictures (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Gasoline Rainbow, Monsters & Men, 32 Sounds), was an Associate Producer on the podcast series Operator and a Creative Consultant on Constance Tsang’s debut feature Blue Sun Palace (Cannes Critics' Week). Emily was one of the 2023 Recipients of NewFest’s New Voices Filmmaker Grant. 

LUKITA MAXWELL (Iris)

Lukita Maxwell is an Indonesian-born American actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the HBO Max series Generation (2021) and the Apple TV+ series Shrinking (2023). Her films include The Young Wife (2023) and They Listen (2024).

DEREC PATRICK JUAN (Ben)

Derec Patrick Juan is a photographer, musician, skater and surfer. This is his acting debut.

Diane Ng (Producer)

Diane Ng is a director and producer based in New York by way of Hong Kong. Her feature debut Hummingbirds (producer, co-director, co-director of photography) won the Grand Prix for best feature film in Berlinale Generation 2023. Her work is supported by Sundance, Field of Vision, and SFFILM, among others. She is a 2020 NBCU Original Voices Fellow. Diane's career also spans in the narrative and commercial world, where she freelance directs and produces commercials for clients such as Nike, Facebook, On Running and Arri Rental, working in cities all over the globe, like Honolulu, L.A., New York, Texas, Zurich and Amsterdam. 

Aja Toscano (Co-producer)

Aja Toscano is a Creative Producer based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Passionate about the community, fashion, art, and the islands that raised her, Aja collaborates with brands to take a concept and make it a reality. From casting to photo and video production, she has worked with artists and global brands including Nike, Numéro Berlin, Jacquemus, Saturdays NYC, OluKai, First Hawaiian Bank, and Billabong to help make their vision possible with efficiency and conscientiousness.

Scott Ray (Director of Photography)

Scott is an NYC and LA-based cinematographer. He has shot numerous films such as Kimi Howl Leeʻs Kamaʻaina, and the feature Edge of Everything directed by Palo Feldman and Sophia Sabella.

Holden Mandrial-Santos (Composer) 

Holden is an artist, actor and musician based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. He composed the soundtrack for Alika Tenganʻs Sundance feature Everyday in Kaimuki (2022), the first-ever Native Hawaiian-directed film to ever play at the Sundance Film Festival, and stars in Alikaʻs upcoming narrative feature Molokaʻi Bound (2024). He is a member of the Honolulu-based instrumental indie surf rock band bnd Temple Waves.

Alan Wu (Editor) 

Alan Wu is a film editor and director whose work has spanned multiple awards and festivals across the world. His most recent editorial works include Alexander Rockwell's feature Sweet Thing (Berlinale Generation), Mamadou Dia's Baamuum Nafi (2019), Zamarin Wahdat’s short Bambirak (Best International Fiction Short, Sundance 2021), and Emily May Jampel’s debut narrative short Lucky Fish (2022).

Full cast and crew:

Writer/Director

Emily May Jampel

Producer

Diane Ng

Executive Producers

Lukita Maxwell

Linda Nichols & Robert Nichols 

Keith Kandell

Cast

Lukita Maxwell

Derec Patrick Juan

Alec Singer

Winona Momi Silva

Cinematographer

Scott Ray

Editor

Alan Wu

Co-Producer

Aja Toscano

For rubbertape

Producer: Jeremy Truong

Development Director: Owen Lazur

Creative Director: Jonas Berry

Associate Producers

Jen Sanchez & Rosco Flevo (WeThem.Us)

Kevin V. Doan

Composer

Holden Mandrial-Santos

Casting Director

Akemi Bischoff

Sound Design

Matthew Ericson

Production Manager

Aja Toscano

1st Assistant Director

Taylor Gruver

Art Director

Vincent Bercasi

1st Assistant Camera

Adam Denis

Diane Ng

Swing 

Rochelle Ash Yu

Sound Mixer

Cori Chong

Production Assistants

Brandyn Liu

Will Forni

Madison Willard

Set Photographer

Lila Lee

Assistant Editor

Cori Chong

Color by

Nice Shoes

Colorist

Phil Choe

Color Assist

Glenn Weidlich

Post Producer

Isabel Gomez-Boone

Catering

Morning Glass Coffee

Andy’s Sandwiches & Smoothies 

Okata Bento

Fort Ruger Market

Pioneer Saloon

Very Special Thanks

Mana Maoli

Devon Jackson at Trademark Talent

Ai Okuno at Hawaii Media Inc

Chapin Hall

Alika Tengan

Christopher Makoto Yogi

Michael Tanji

Rebecca Wyzan

Michael Gottwald

Constance Tsang

Albert Ogata

Roland Longstreet

Frankie de Fusco

Kimi Howl Lee

Kit Zauhar

Mānoa Mart

Red Hook Post