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
An “uchiwa” (“fan” in Japanese) against the backdrop of Little Tokyo. The image on the uchiwa is MOONEYES 533, a front engine modified roadster that MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama set a land speed record with earlier. See his new MOONEYES 1533, a rear engine modified roadster that he set another land speed record with, at the Nisei Week Grand Parade.
MOONEYES TO CRUISE J-TOWN, LOS ANGELES
Living in Los Angeles, we had the experience of cruising J-Town (Little Tokyo, as it’s affectionately known) during Nisei Week in the 80’s. During that time, Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles near the Civic Center was a vibrant Japanese American community, filled with bustling stores, markets, and restaurants.
“Matsuri” (“festival” in Japanese) season in July and August, which celebrates Japanese and Japanese American heritage, was especially exciting, with many pageants, parades, and community events.
One of the highlights was cruising J-Town. People with fixed up cars would drive through the quaint streets of Little Tokyo—Toyota Celicas, Datsun 510s, and Datsun 240Zs. It was a glorious time for the car community.
Eventually, safety, noise, and liability issues would put an end to this era. In the 90’s, after the economic downturn in Japan, Little Tokyo would also suffer from loss of business. Over time, they would also battle against gentrification, like many ethnic neighborhoods.
Today, Little Tokyo is thriving again because of passionate interest in Japanese culture. Nisei Week will take place on 8/9/2025 through 8/17/2025. The Nisei Week Grand Parade will be on Sunday, 8/10/2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thanks to the invitation by the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit, MOONEYES will be participating in the Nisei Week Grand Parade with MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama’s record-setting land speed race car, a rear engine modified roadster, along with 40 to 50 other incredible cars.
Watch as history unfolds—the car community cruises J-Town again.
To learn more about the Nisei Week Grand Parade:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMVyZQiyg1S/?img_index=1
To learn more about the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary and our upcoming screenings in Hawaii and Washington:
craftofspeed.com
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
ANNOUNCING THE MOONEYES HAWAII 2025 OHANA WEEKEND FEATURING MOONEYES' PINSTRIPER WILDMAN & HUMANIST FILMS' "CRAFT OF SPEED" MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY AT THE BOB BOSLEY MUSEUM, PRESENTED BY NAPA HAWAII
Announcing the MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend, featuring MOONEYES’ Pinstriper “Wildman” and Humanist Films’ “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary at the Bob Bosley Museum, presented by NAPA Hawaii.
MOONEYES 2025 Ohana Weekend is a festive gathering of family, friends, and community. On Saturday, 8/23/2025, MOONEYES Hawaii will be exhibiting at SPOCOM Hawaii, the largest and strongest lineup of vehicles in the state. “Wildman” will be displaying at the “Art of Pinstriping.” On Sunday, 8/24/2025, “Wildman” will be doing a pinstriping demonstration at the Bob Bosley Museum, and then there will be a screening of the award-winning “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary. MOONEYES Owner Shige Suganuma, MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama, and MOONEYES Imagineer emi will be in attendance.
Four years in the making and two hours long, “Craft of Speed” 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.
Because we’re independently distributing our documentary, we’ve been producing unique cinema events to offer special experiences to our attendees. In addition to a screening of our award-winning film on Sunday, 8/24/2025, there will be an exciting pinstriping demonstration by “Wildman”; meet & greet with MOONEYES Owner Shige Suganuma and MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama; museum visit; island hot rods display; “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book preview; discussion with the filmmakers; raffle giveaways; and food trucks.
We’re also excited to announce our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary 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 released at the upcoming Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show 2025 in Yokohama, Japan. Learn more about the book and pre-order here and at our cinema event: https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
The Bob Bosley Museum is located in the vibrant Kaka’ako District of Oahu, Hawaii. The building which houses the museum has a rich history. Built in 1930, it was originally The Novelty Foundry, a casting shop that produced tools and other equipment. In 1969, it was turned into an art gallery, showcasing the work of local artists. In 1993, Bob and Teri Bosley bought it for their business, Diamond Head Sprinkler Supply. After selling the company in 2014, they transformed it into a museum of antiques, collectibles, and vintage automobiles, including a rare 1907 Ford Model N, 1931 Cord, and 1931 Packard.
MOONEYES Hawaii, owned by Tad Matsuno, reminds us of MOON of Japan when it first started in Yokohama, Japan. Located in Kaimuki, Oahu, MOONEYES Hawaii is a popular destination for local and international car enthusiasts. Not only can you find MOONEYES speed equipment and the latest collabs with in4mation and other brands, you can talk story and enjoy the passionate car community.
NAPA Hawaii is part of the vast NAPA Network, which offers 800,000+ unique parts, distributed across 6,000+ NAPA Auto Parts stores and NAPA Auto Care centers throughout the United States. The company started in 1925, when a group of independent auto parts sellers met in Detroit to form the National Automotive Parts Association. Their stores and warehouses quickly became the go-to sources for parts. The company is now celebrating 100 years.
We’re proud to say that many of our family are from Hawaii. So it’s a very special place to us. We love Hawaii’s rich history, culture, and diversity. We’re deeply honored to be able to share our film with the Hawaiian community.
Mahalo to Tad Matsuno of MOONEYES Hawaii for his generous support of our project. Our deepest appreciation to Kirk Hubbard and his family for bringing our film to Hawaii. A heartfelt thank you to Bob Bosley and the Bob Bosley Museum for hosting our event. Thank you so much to our presenting sponsor, NAPA Hawaii. Many thanks to the Auto Lunch Bunch for their hard work and warm hospitality. As always, thank you to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, Hiro “Wildman” Ishii, and Emi Suganuma of MOONEYES for being a part of our special event.
MOONEYES HAWAII 2025 OHANA WEEKEND, FEATURING MOONEYES’ PINSTRIPER “WILDMAN” AND HUMANIST FILMS’ “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY AT THE BOB BOSLEY MUSEUM, PRESENTED BY NAPA HAWAII
Oahu, Hawaii
Saturday, 8/23/2025
4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. MOONEYES Hawaii Exhibitor at SPOCOM Hawaii / “Wildman” Display at the “Art of Pinstriping”
Blaisdell Exhibition Hall
777 Ward Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96814
To buy tickets to SPOCOM Hawaii:
https://spocomusa.com/spocom-hawaii/
Sunday, 8/24/2025
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. “Wildman” Pinstriping Demonstration / Meet & Greet with MOONEYES Owner Shige Suganuma and MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama / Museum Visit / Island Hot Rods Display / “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book Preview / Raffle Giveaways / Food Trucks
4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening / Discussion with Filmmakers
Bob Bosley Museum
899 Waimanu St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
Parking is on surrounding streets.
To buy tickets to the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary screening:
http://craftofspeed.eventive.org
*Limited seating. Please buy in advance.
To learn more about MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend:
https://www.mooneyeshawaii.com/s-projects-basic?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwLZijxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp4buVibUfSd2hJnPnHi8gmFq11HnzJm6yTLc1CY81yfgXavj61VdpE5qsz-p_aem_g5qqUErkzukmz9yYZyjz1g
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
MAKINA MEANS FAMILY
This past weekend was a busy one. On Saturday, 7/12/2025, we exhibited with our friends at the Japanese American National Museum “Cruising J-Town” Exhibit at the MOONEYES 75th Anniversary Open House. And then on Sunday, 7/13/2025, we attended the G’s on Sunday X Makina Drivers Club Carrera Arroyo. G’s on Sunday and Makina Drivers Cub are both rising car culture lifestyle brands. The Arroyo Seco Parkway is the first freeway in America. The event started in L.A.’s iconic Chinatown, cruised up the historic Arroyo Seco, and met at the tasty Guisados Pasadena, a culinary institution in L.A., serving some of the best tacos in the city. It’s a car lover’s Rose Parade. This popular event has grown immensely, attracting a diverse group of cars and people. In many ways, it’s a family reunion through the invitation of cars.
Stay tuned as we plan something special with Makina Drivers Club.
To see more Carrera Arroyo event photos:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/makina-means-family
To learn more about Makina Drivers Club:
https://makinadriversclub.com/
To learn more about G’s on Sunday:
https://www.gsonsunday.com
To learn more about Guisados:
https://www.guisados.la/
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary:
craftofspeed.com
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VISITED OUR “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY / JANM “CRUISING J-TOWN” EXHIBIT BOOTH AT THE MOONEYES OPEN HOUSE!
Thank you to everyone who visited our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary / Japanese American National Museum (JANM) “Cruising J-Town” Exhibit booth the MOONEYES Open House! It was wonderful celebrating MOONEYES’ 75th Anniversary together. We loved seeing so many of our sponsors, donors, and supporters. We enjoyed sharing our multimedia project with MOONEYES fans. Thank you to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire MOONEYES family for allowing us to be a part of this special event.
As we told our visitors, we’re planning many exciting upcoming cinema events. We’ll be screening our film in Oahu, Hawaii on Sunday, 8/24/2025 during the MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend and in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025 with Namsayin.
We’ve announced our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book. We’re in the process of designing this beautiful art/documentary photography book. We plan to release it at the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show, one of the best automotive shows in the world, on Sunday, 12/7/2025. You can pre-order it here.
We were honored to exhibit at the MOONEYES Open House with our friends at the JANM “Cruising J-Town” Exhibition. This landmark exhibit tells the vast story of Japanese American car culture. With its own rich history, MOONEYES is part of this important exhibit. JANM has also released their companion book of the same name, which also includes MOONEYES. The exhibit will open on 7/31/2025 and run through 11/12/2025 at the gorgeous ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery in Pasadena, California.
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
To learn more about our screening in Hawaii during MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend:
https://www.mooneyeshawaii.com/s-ohanaweekend?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwLZijxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp4buVibUfSd2hJnPnHi8gmFq11HnzJm6yTLc1CY81yfgXavj61VdpE5qsz-p_aem_g5qqUErkzukmz9yYZyjz1g
To learn more about our screening in Tacoma, Washington with Namsayin:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMF2bouRD5g/
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
Image from the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book
THE “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK: DOCUMENTING HISTORY THROUGH ART
“Craft of Speed” was never intended to be just a film. Instead, it was always meant to be an extensive multimedia project, using different forms of media to tell the vast story of MOONEYES, including a feature documentary, cinema events, a documentary photography series, and now a photography book.
We launched the film first—a 2-hour long feature documentary that covers the entire history of MOONEYES, from Dean MOON founding the iconic American company to Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama growing it into a coveted international brand. We knew that our film was longer than typical documentaries, which are 90 minutes or less, but we didn’t want to compromise this important history just to appeal to short viewer attention spans or film festival programming limits.
Then we planned dynamic cinema events to screen the film. Because we’re independent filmmakers, we knew that we couldn’t compete against the studios. Even more so, we realized that we’re actually vying for people’s precious time. So in addition to screening the film, we offered awe-inspiring museum visits, engaging filmmaker discussions, powerful photography exhibitions, limited edition artwork, gourmet food vendors, and more. Each cinema event is different so that even if you watched the film before, you would still have a new, unique, and special experience each time.
While we were making the film, we also shot many photographs to document MOONEYES with a related, but different artform. Photography is very powerful in that it attempts to record an important event with just one frame. Oftentimes, the event becomes even more memorable because of a single iconic image.
But filming a documentary and doing photography at the same time are not easy tasks, especially with a small team and sometimes only one filmmaker/photographer. We had to carry two different cameras, which doubled the weight of our gear. We had to choose the most powerful medium to capture an image. We were often torn by which one we decided on. But we quickly got into the flow of doing both at the same time, quickly switching cameras as well as mindsets.
We shot not just movie stills and behind-the-scenes photos but also documentary photographs that provided a different perspective of the story. Some images were featured in the opening credits of our film. Others were used in the design of our movie poster, website, social media, marketing materials, and more. We were honored to display some of the images at the CineMakina Community Photography Exhibition, alongside rising and veteran automotive photographers.
There have been some excellent books on MOONEYES, including David Fetherstone’s “MOON Equipped” which focuses on the company’s history during Dean MOON’s era; Laurent Barnard’s “Go with MOON! 1950 - 2010,” which covers the history of the company during Dean MOON’s era and part of Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama’s era; and MOONEYES’ own “25th Anniversary of Excellence,” which celebrates their anniversary in 2016. So we wanted to author a different kind of book to add to the historical knowledge of MOONEYES.
We created a photography book that 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 rear engine modified roadster at the epic Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. It’s a snapshot in time of this enduring company approaching its 75th anniversary.
It’s not just a documentary photography book, recording important history, but also an art photography book, presenting history in a powerful way, interpreted through art. We’re big fans of painter, printmaker, and photographer Ed Ruscha. The images of the MOONEYES headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California with their bold colors, graphic framing, and dynamic composition recall his iconic Standard Station painting. The black-and-white images of the MOONEYES Machine Shop turn its vintage metalworking machines into fine art. And the epic landscape images of the Bonneville Salt Flats were inspired by two of our favorite photographers, Ansel Adams and Sebastiao Salgado.
We hope that a beautiful, tactile photography book in this age of social media, where countless images are seen, liked, shared, and swiped away, can be slowly read, quietly contemplated, and forever enjoyed. We’re deeply honored to be able to tell the incredible story of MOONEYES. We’re very grateful to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire MOONEYES family as well as their friends, colleagues, and fans. It’s important to preserve history, tell your story, share it with others, and inspire them in their own pursuits.
In celebration of MOONEYES’ 75th Anniversary, we’ll be releasing the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book at the MOONEYES Hot Rod Custom Show in Yokohama on Sunday, 12/7/2025. We’ll be taking pre-orders of the book from now until the show. We’ll start shipping the books afterward. Pre-order the book here and at our upcoming events.
We’ll be exhibiting with our friends at the the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) at the MOONEYES Open House on Saturday, 7/12/2025. They will be promoting their landmark exhibit, “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community,” which will open on 7/31/2025 and run through 11/12/2025 at the beautiful ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery in Pasadena. They just released their own companion book of the same name. Stop by our booth and learn more about both of our projects.
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
To learn more about the MOONEYES Open House:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/craft-of-speed-to-exhibit-at-the-mooneyes-open-house
To learn more about JANM’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
Movie still of MOONEYES from the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary
“CRAFT OF SPEED” TO EXHIBIT AT THE MOONEYES OPEN HOUSE
The “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary will be exhibiting with our friends at the Japanese American National Museum at the MOONEYES Open House in Santa Fe Springs, California on Saturday, 7/12/2025.
Learn more about our film and pre-order our new “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book. Find out about our upcoming cinema events in Hawaii and other exciting locations. And be a part of hot rod history with this momentous occasion.
The MOONEYES Open House is always a festive event as the car community gathers to celebrate at one of the oldest speed shops in the U.S. In fact, this year, MOONEYES celebrates its 75th anniversary—75 years of handcrafting speed equipment, supporting hot rodders and racers, and building global car and motorcycle culture.
In our documentary, the historic MOONEYES headquarters is a powerful character. It’s not only a historic place where Dean MOON founded MOONEYES but also a modern-day destination for international car and motorcycle enthusiasts. The MOON Tank, MOON Disc, MOON Fuel Block, and other famous speed parts are all handcrafted here. MOON Beam, the MOONEYES Dragster, the MOONLINER, and other celebrated MOON race cars were built here. Most of all, MOONEYES is a place of wonder that inspires others to build their own projects, participate in their own competitions, and pursue their own passions.
The Japanese American National Museum will be promoting their upcoming exhibit, “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community.” This landmark exhibit will open on 7/31/2025 and run through 11/12/2025 at the beautiful ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery in Pasadena, California. Also, they just published their companion book of the same name.
As always, thank you to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire MOONEYES team for your support of our project. Most of all, thank you to all the MOONEYES family, friends, and fans whom we have met at this and other events and who have become friends and supporters of our project.
MOONEYES OPEN HOUSE / “CRAFT OF SPEED” EXHIBITOR WITH JANM
MOONEYES
Santa Fe Springs, California
Saturday, 7/12/2025
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
MOONEYES
10820 S. Norwalk Blvd.
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
Parking is on surrounding streets.
To learn more about the MOONEYES Open House:
mooneyesusa.com
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
To learn more about the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VISITED OUR “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY / JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM BOOTH AT ALL TOYOTAFEST!
Thank you to everyone who visited our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary / Japanese American National Museum booth at All Toyotafest! It was a joy meeting everyone and sharing our film project and the museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community.” We also enjoyed catching up with many of our sponsors and supporters, including Hagerty, Japanese Nostalgic Car, and the Petersen Automotive Museum.
Special thanks to Brian Karasawa for displaying his beautiful 1977 RA29 Toyota Celica Liftback. With its dazzling orange color and exceptional craftsmanship, it turned a lot of heads and attracted a lot of visitors. Brian is part of Shoreline Racing, a multigenerational club that started in the 1970s.
All Toyotafest and the related Japanese Classic Car Show are incredible events to preserve history, build culture, and enjoy community. The Japanese Classic Car Show, which celebrates its 20th anniversary, will take place on Saturday, 10/11/2025. Please save the date for this momentous occasion.
We’ll be exhibiting again with the Japanese American National Museum at the MOONEYES Open House on Saturday, 7/12/2025. Come celebrate MOONEYES’ 75th Anniversary and learn more about our film and “Cruising J-Town.”
“Cruising J-Town” will open on 7/31/2025 and run through 11/12/2025 at the Art Center College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery. As one of the world’s leading automotive design programs, ArtCenter is the perfect location for this incredible exhibit.
Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book. We deeply appreciate your support. Pre-order your copy here.
Thank you so much to All Toyotafest, the Toyota Owners and Restorers Club, the Japanese Classic Car Show, Brian Karasawa, the Japanese American National Museum, Oliver Wang, Sherrill Ingalls, the entire JANM team, Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire MOONEYES team for this wonderful opportunity to participate at your great event. Thank you to all our visitors.
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
To learn more about the MOONEYES Open House:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/events
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
To learn more about “Cruising J-Town”:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
ANNOUNCING THE “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK
“Craft of Speed” is an extensive multimedia project about MOONEYES, a historic American speed parts company that has grown into an enduring international brand. This project encompasses a feature documentary, videos, cinema events, a documentary photography series, and now a photography book.
The “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book documents the world of MOONEYES, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2025, 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 photography is by photographer/filmmaker, Ming Lai, who spent four years documenting MOONEYES. The graphic design is by design director/graphic designer, Sven Igawa, who’s created brand identities and advertising campaigns for many national and international brands, including Crank Brothers, HBO, Icon Aircraft, Mountain Hardwear, PlayStation, Quiksilver, VF Corp, and Western Digital.
With 100 pages of timeless color and black-and-white photos*, the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book is a luxurious slow read of the fast world of MOONEYES. The book is dedicated to MOONEYES fans, hot rodders, racers, car & motorcycle culture lovers, craftspeople, and this incredible international community.
We’re currently designing the photography book and will publish it under our imprint, Humanist Films X Igawa Design. We plan to officially release the photography book at the MOONEYES Hot Rod Custom Show in Yokohama, Japan on Sunday, 12/7/2025. However, we’ll be showing previews of the photograph book at our upcoming events.
We’ll be accepting pre-orders of the photograph book from now until the MOONEYES Hot Rod Custom Show. We’ll start shipping the books after the show. Be one of the first to receive a copy of “Craft of Speed.”
Photography by Ming Lai
Design by Sven Igawa
Publisher: Humanist Films X Igawa Design
8 inches X 10 inches*
Hard Cover*
100 Pages*
100 Images*
Published in 2025
ISBN TBA
*The book is still being designed, and its dimensions, cover, paper, page count, image selection, and graphic design may change.
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
SAVE THE DATE: MOONEYES HAWAII 2025 OHANA WEEKEND 8/23/2025 - 8/24/2025 / “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY SCREENING 8/24/2025 / OAHU, HAWAII
On Saturday, 8/23/2025, MOONEYES Hawaii will be exhibiting at SPOCOM Hawaii, the largest car show in the state. Pinstriper “Wildman” and Imagineer emi will be joining the celebration. On Sunday, 8/24/2025, “Wildman” will be doing an exciting pinstriping demo starting in the morning, and then, there will be a screening of the award-winning “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary in the afternoon. Enjoy an entire weekend of family, community, and aloha. Stay tuned for more details.
MOONEYES HAWAII 2025 OHANA WEEKEND
Oahu, Hawaii
Saturday, 8/23/2025
4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. MOONEYES Hawaii Exhibitor at SPOCOM Hawaii / “Wildman” Display at the Art of Pintstriping
Blaisdell Exhibition Hall
777 Ward Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96814
To buy tickets to SPOCOM Hawaii:
https://spocomusa.com/spocom-hawaii/
Sunday, 8/24/2025
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. “Wildman” Pinstriping Demonstration / Museum Visit / Island Hot Rods Display / Raffle Giveaways / Food Trucks
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening / Discussion with Filmmakers / Meet & Greet with MOONEYES Owner Shige Suganuma and MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama / “Craft of Speed” Photography Book Preview
Bob Bosley Museum
899 Waimanu St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
Parking is on surrounding streets.
To buy tickets to the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary screening:
TBA
To learn more about MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend:
https://www.mooneyeshawaii.com/s-projects-basic?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwLZijxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp4buVibUfSd2hJnPnHi8gmFq11HnzJm6yTLc1CY81yfgXavj61VdpE5qsz-p_aem_g5qqUErkzukmz9yYZyjz1g
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
“CRAFT OF SPEED” TO EXHIBIT AT THE 29TH ANNUAL ALL TOYOTAFEST
The “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary will be exhibiting at the 29th Annual All Toyotafest on Saturday, 6/28/2025 at Marina Glen Park in Long Beach, California. Our booth is located next to the MOONEYES booth.
Learn more about our feature documentary about MOONEYES. Find out about our upcoming cinema events and multimedia projects. And celebrate with this incredible car community.
Because we love Toyotas, from classic to modern ones, we’re very excited to participate in the long-running All Toyotafest. The organizers also put on the popular Japanese Classic Car Show, which is about to celebrate their 20th anniversary on Saturday, 10/11/2025. To honor their important work in preserving automotive history and promoting international car culture, we featured them in our documentary.
We’ll be exhibiting with our friends at the Japanese American National Museum, who will be promoting their upcoming exhibit, “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community.” This landmark exhibit will open on 7/31/2025 and run through 11/12/2025 at the beautiful ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery in Pasadena, California.
Thank you so much to Terry & Koji Yamaguchi, All Toyotafest, the Toyota Owners & Restorers Club, and the Japanese Classic Car Show for this wonderful opportunity to participate in your exciting event. Thank you to our friends at the Japanese American National Museum for exhibiting with us.
29TH ANNUAL ALL TOYOTAFEST / ‘‘CRAFT OF SPEED” EXHIBITOR WITH JANM
ALL TOYOTAFEST
Long Beach, California
Saturday, 6/28/2025
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Marina Green Park
386 E. Shoreline Dr.
Long Beach, CA 90802
Parking is across the street and surrounding lots.
To learn more about All Toyotafest:
https://toyotaclub.org/
To buy tickets:
https://torc.ticketspice.com/29th-annual-all-toyotafest
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
To learn more about the Japanese American National Museum’s “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” Exhibit:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
EXPERIENCE THE CINEMAKINA: "CRAFT OF SPEED" MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY SCREENING / CAR SHOW / PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
Thank you to everyone who participated in our CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary / Car Show / Photography Exhibit, presented by Makina Drivers Club X Humanist Films! Check out a selection of photos from our cinema experience. This is what an event created by the community for the community looks like. Many thanks again!
Read our official Thank You:
https://www.humanistfilms.com/news/2025/3/3/thank-you-to-everyone-who-attended-our-cinemakina-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening
Learn more about CineMakina:
https://www.humanistfilms.com/news/2025/1/15/makina-drivers-club-x-humanist-films-present-cinemakina-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening-at-8th-amp-santa-fe
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED OUR CINEMAKINA: “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY SCREENING!
Thank you to everyone who attended the CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening, presented by Makina Drivers Club X Humanist Films! Our deepest gratitude to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire MOONEYES family for allowing us to share your important story. Much love to Nick Tolosa of Makina Drivers Club and his family and Anthony Ngo of 8th & Santa Fe and his entire team for their great collaboration.
Many thanks to our featured speed shops and builders—Benton Performance, Bulletproof Restorations, Current Los Angeles, Manofield + Mobile Weld Specialist, Sleepers Speed Shop, The M Shop, Timeless Autoworks, Vintage Japanese Motor Union, and Vintage Vochos—and exhibiting photographers—Andy Bermudez @floral.nef, Andres Caceres @rflctve, Jacob Martinez @_kidsoftoday, Elias Omar @omarchived, TJ Roque @mr.mukatsuku, Tyler Rousseau @tyler_rousseau, and Justin Villanueva @justinrvillanueva—for the honor of showcasing your inspiring work. Much appreciation to our Special Guests—Oliver Wang and Chelsea Liu of the Japanese American National Museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community.”
Cheers to Amboy, Oinkster, Highland Cafe, and Set the Bar for expanding our cinema event into a culinary one. A shout out to our DJ, Vitaliano, for spinning records and turning our event into a party. We’re very grateful to John Pompa of Syndicate Press for handprinting our limited edition “Honor the Past. Build the Future.” posters for all of our guests. A special thank you to Gary Israelian for being our hero and a good friend. Thank you to all our family and friends for your hard work with event support.
Our utmost gratitude to Jon Dunn, Diane Dunn, and Jim Dunn of Jim Dunn Racing for your gracious support our film. Doumo arigatou gozaimashita to Terry, Koji, and Ty Yamaguchi of Japanese Classic Car Show for your kind help. Most of all, thank you to all our attendees, including Karen Brown of MotorTrend, Brian Kadorian of Hagerty, Rev. Hibiki Murakami of Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, and many respected companies, organizations, and individuals, who made CineMakina a unique and special cinema experience. Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to everyone for your generous assistance with L.A. wildfire recovery.
See event photos:
https://www.humanistfilms.com/news/2025/3/3/experience-the-cinemakina-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening-car-show-photography-exhibit
INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING IS ANYTHING BUT INDEPENDENT. IT’S CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS.
In documentary, you work closely with your subjects. We’ve had the joy of spending more than four years with MOONEYES on this multimedia project, which includes a feature documentary, documentary photography series, cinema events, and more. To create this expansive project, we’ve enlisted the help of gracious MOONEYES family, friends, and colleagues; respected experts; and talented crew.
During the pandemic, we received precious aid from the California Humanities CA Cares Relief Grant and Doc Society to survive during this challenging time. Our fiscal sponsor, the International Documentary Association, has provided invaluable filmmaking support. Through two crowdfunding campaigns, we were blessed by many generous donors from all over the world to help finish the film.
To independently distribute our film, we’ve partnered with many leading automotive museums, renowned industrial design colleges, respected automotive publications, and rising car culture brands. We’re honored to collaborate with Nick Tolosa of Makina Drivers Club and Anthony Ngo of 8th & Santa Fe.
To organize our CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening / Car Show / Photography Exhibit, presented by Makina Drivers Club and Humanist Films, we’re excited to work with many innovative speed shops, talented photographers, celebrated food & beverage vendors, and kind volunteers. Most of all, we’re grateful to all of the devoted MOONEYES fans and passionate automotive community, for whom we made this film.
To all of these people, families, companies, and organizations, we owe a debt of thanks. We’ve always thought independent filmmaking is about collaboration and gratitude.
To learn more about CineMakina on Saturday, 3/1/2025 at 8th & Santa Fe in Downtown, Los Angeles:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/makina-drivers-club-x-humanist-films-present-cinemakina-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening-at-8th-amp-santa-fe
To buy tickets:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
YOU WATCH A MOVIE. EVEN BETTER, YOU SEE SOMEONE REBUILD THEIR LIFE.
A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS FROM CINEMAKINA WILL GO TO L.A. WILDFIRE RECOVERY.
As the news of the Los Angeles wildfires recede from the headlines, it becomes even more critical to assist those in need. Makina Drivers Club and Humanist Films are based in L.A. We couldn’t help but feel heartbroken by the wildfires in our great city. We have dear friends who have lost their homes. We’ve frequented thriving businesses that have been destroyed. We’ve enjoyed the beautiful natural surroundings that have been ravaged. Through our CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening, we hope we can help, even in a small way. A portion of the proceeds will go to L.A. wildfire recovery. We plan to donate it to the respected California Community Foundation. We deeply appreciate your support of CineMakina and our humble efforts to assist.
To learn more about CineMakina on Saturday, 3/1/2025 at 8th & Santa Fe in Downtown, Los Angeles:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/makina-drivers-club-x-humanist-films-present-cinemakina-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening-at-8th-amp-santa-fe
To learn more about California Community Foundation:
https://www.calfund.org/
To buy tickets to CineMakina:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
A CINEMA EXPERIENCE CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
Like independent filmmaking, independent film distribution is extremely tough. This is especially challenging with a niche feature documentary about hot rodding and car & motorcycle culture like our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary. Many, if not most, independent films can’t find distributors. Even films that are selected and even awarded by the major film festivals can have a difficult time securing them.
Even if the independent films do find distributors, the deals that they receive are usually not profitable or even fair. More often than not, they're preyed upon by predatory distributors, who demand all of their rights as well as their profits in exchange for elusive distribution. Any earnings are buried in their high marketing costs. So independent filmmakers aren’t able to survive, much less thrive.
Independent filmmakers have thus resorted to independent distribution. Sometimes, they work with “aggregators," a type of intermediary to get their films into the major streaming companies. Lately, despite paying expensive fees, they still aren’t able to get their films into the streaming companies.
Currently, streaming companies, which are actually tech companies, are in a state of contraction, downsizing and not acquiring independent films. Independent filmmakers are therefore left with no place to release their films.
So what are independent filmmakers to do? How can they distribute their films? How can they make a living? How can they have a long-term sustainable career? One way is to do what filmmakers, especially independent ones, do best—be creative. As Specialized, one of the leading bicycle manufacturers, said in their classic tagline, “Innovate or die.”
To be more specific, independent filmmakers may have to go outside of the traditional film distribution system. They may have to reach out to their audiences directly. Luckily, no one knows their audiences better than them. This independent distribution strategy helps shift the power from the distributors and streaming companies, who are profit driven, to the filmmakers, who are creative driven.
This isn’t a new idea. It’s actually an old one. Starting in the 1950s until his retirement in 1988, Warren Miller, one of the first skiing, snowboarding, and action sports filmmakers, pioneered independent distribution by renting his own theaters, doing his own marketing, and hosting his own screenings. He connected with his own niche audience of skiers, snowboarders, action sports enthusiasts, and outdoor lovers directly. Ultimately, he lived to 93 and had a prolific career, producing, writing, and directing hundreds of successful films.
This direct-to-consumer distribution model involves audience building or, more generally, community building. When we decided to distribute our film independently, we were honored to work with leading automotive museums, renowned industrial design colleges, respected automotive publications, and rising car culture brands to reach the widespread automotive community.
For our latest cinema event, the CineMakina: MOONEYES Documentary Screening on Saturday, 3/1/2025 at 8th & Santa Fe in Los Angeles, California, we’re thrilled to collaborate with Nick Tolosa of Makina Drivers Club, Anthony Ngo of 8th & Santa Fe, and all of the featured speed shops, exhibiting photographers, celebrated food & beverage vendors, and other talented folks involved with the event. In addition to being good people, they're great at building a strong community. Imagine a rich cinema experience created by your community specifically for you.
To learn more about CineMakina:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/makina-drivers-club-x-humanist-films-present-cinemakina-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening-at-8th-amp-santa-fe
To buy tickets to CineMakina:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
BEHIND THE SCENES OF "CINEMAKINA: SLEEPERS SPEED SHOP / LEN HIGA"
Makina Drivers Club X Humanist Films present the CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening on Saturday, 3/1/2025 at 8th & Santa Fe in Los Angeles, California. As part of this cinema experience, there will be a car show showcasing legendary MOONEYES and modern speed shops. One of the featured shops is respected Sleepers Speed Shop, owned by Len Higa, which is known for hot rodding Porsches.
We admire the storied history, elegant design, and precise engineering of Porsche. To be able to film Len and his team hot rod air-cooled Porsches is an incredible honor. We love how the world of MOONEYES becomes interconnected with the world of Porsche in this video. We’re thrilled to be able to tell Len’s important story.
The video was produced by Nick Tolosa of Makina Drivers Club and Ming Lai of Humanist Films. Ming also wrote and directed it as well as edited and color graded it. Inspired by Len, we wanted to “hot rod” this video like we had done with our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary.
Tuan Tran served as the director of photography. He was also the co-director of photography on “Craft of Speed.” His camera kit, which he owns and operates, consists of a Canon C70 with a Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS lens as the A camera and a Canon R5C with a Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS lens as the B camera. With these Canon Cinema EOS cameras, he created beautiful rich footage. The dual gain output (DGO) of the Canon C70 allowed us to film in the shadowy speed shop without any digital noise.
Tuan mounted the Canon C70 on a DJI gimbal to help speed our filming during the tight shoot day. It also helped to create fluid shots in an otherwise static space, where Len and his team were focused on their intensive work. We also designed long dolly shots with the gimbal-mounted camera to engage the viewer with the subject.
Tuan also operated the DJI drone. While we used the drone to create dramatic aerial establishing shots of the speed shop, we also employed it in atypical ways—like long eye-level dolly shots of the shop. In effect, it would draw the viewer into the dynamic setting.
We love black-and-white films and photography. We enjoy all the classic black-and-white films and more recent ones like “Roma” by Alfonso Cuaron and “El Conde” by Pablo Larrain. We also adore the black-and-white photography of legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams and documentary photographer Sebastiao Salgado.
Master street photographer, Elliot Erwitt, eloquently said, “Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.” To this end, we used black-and-white to help convey Len’s artistry and craftsmanship. We were also inspired by the chiaroscuro of his speed shop’s interior. Because the location is cluttered with Porsches, tools, machines, and parts, it helped to remove the distraction of these items and unify the overall look.
Ming edited the video with Adobe Premiere. While we shot the video in color, he converted it to black-and-white during color grading. Thanks to the Canon C70 and R5C’s rich color science and wide dynamic range, he was able to color grade the footage and convert it to black-and-white easily. The footage looked beautiful and contrasty.
Instead of black-and-white being used to convey the past, color expresses the vibrant, idyllic past when Len and his brother, Travis Higa, used to watch Kenji Okazaki drag racing his MOONEYES / Jim Dunn Racing Team funny car—a formative time in their youth. We were able to source this amazing archival footage of Okazaki from MOONEYES. Because the video had degraded over time, Ming restored the original color of this historical footage.
For the interview of Len, we wanted to make it look natural—like it wasn’t lit. We used a Godox UL150, a 150 watt LED light that is fanless and completely silent, which makes it ideal for recording interviews. To soften and shape the light, we used a Godox SB-UE octagon softbox with a honeycomb grid.
Our audio kit included a powerful and compact Zoom F6 audio recorder, which has 32-bit float, and a trusty Sennheiser G3 lav mic and ME-66 shotgun mic. Like typical garages, the speed shop was very noisy, inside and out. We were able to record the audio cleanly with the Zoom F6 and denoise it easily in Adobe Premiere.
Jeff Hutchins, who envisioned the soundscape of “SpongeBob SquarePants” and has won five Emmys, created the powerful sound design, specifically the archival footage of Okazaki drag racing. Brianna Tam via Artlist composed the powerful score, which gave the video gravitas and humanity.
Thank you so much to Len Higa & Family, Thomas Johnson, Tony Jackson, Gary Castillo, and Sleepers Speed Shop for this huge honor. Many thanks to our crew for their dedication and hard work. And a heartfelt thank you to Nick Tolosa of Makina Drivers Club and Anthony Ngo of 8th & Santa Fe for their dynamic collaboration.
Presented by Makina Drivers Club X Humanist Films
Production Company: Humanist Films
Featuring: Len Higa, Tony Jackson, Thomas Johnson
Producer: Nick Tolosa/Makina Drivers Club
Producer/Writer/Director: Ming Lai
Composer: Brianna Tam/Artlist
Director of Photography: Tuan Tran
Drone Operator: Tuan Tran
Editor/Colorist: Ming Lai
Sound Designer: Jeff Hutchins
Photographers: Ming Lai, Nick Tolosa
Archival Footage: Courtesy of MOONEYES
Thank You: Sleepers Speed Shop, Len Higa & Family, Tony Jackson, Thomas Johnson, Gary Castillo
Special Thanks: MOONEYES, Nick Tolosa/Makina Drivers Club, Anthony Ngo/8th & Santa Fe
sleepersspeedshop.com
craftofspeed.com
humanistfilms.com
makinadriversclub.com
8thandsantafe.com
mooneyes.com
To watch the video:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/cinemakina-sleepers-speed-shop-len-higa
To learn more about CineMakina:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/makina-drivers-club-x-humanist-films-present-cinemakina-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening-at-8th-amp-santa-fe
To buy tickets to CineMakina:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
"CINEMAKINA: SLEEPERS SPEED SHOP / LEN HIGA"
Makina Drivers Club X Humanist Films present the CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening on Saturday, 3/1/2025 at 8th & Santa Fe in Los Angeles, California. As part of this cinema experience, there will be a car show showcasing legendary MOONEYES and modern speed shops. One of the featured shops is respected Sleepers Speed Shop, owned by Len Higa, which is known for hot rodding Porsches.
We admire the storied history, elegant design, and precise engineering of Porsche. To be able to film Len and his team hot rod air-cooled Porsches is an incredible honor. We love how the world of MOONEYES becomes interconnected with that of Porsche in this video. We’re thrilled to be able to tell Len’s important story.
To buy tickets to CineMakina:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
Presented by Makina Drivers Club X Humanist Films
Production Company: Humanist Films
Featuring: Len Higa, Tony Jackson, Thomas Johnson
Producer: Nick Tolosa/Makina Drivers Club
Producer/Writer/Director: Ming Lai
Composer: Brianna Tam/Artlist
Director of Photography: Tuan Tran
Drone Operator: Tuan Tran
Editor/Colorist: Ming Lai
Sound Designer: Jeff Hutchins
Photographers: Ming Lai, Nick Tolosa
Archival Footage: Courtesy of MOONEYES
Thank You: Sleepers Speed Shop, Len Higa & Family, Tony Jackson, Thomas Johnson, Gary Castillo
Special Thanks: MOONEYES, Nick Tolosa/Makina Drivers Club, Anthony Ngo/8th & Santa Fe
sleepersspeedshop.com
craftofspeed.com
humanistfilms.com
makinadriversclub.com
8thandsantafe.com
mooneyes.com
"CINEMAKINA: SLEEPERS SPEED SHOP / LEN HIGA" DROPS ON VALENTINE’S DAY
We had the honor of filming Len Higa and his team at Sleepers Speed Shop, which is known for hot rodding Porsches. This respected speed shop is a part of our upcoming CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening / Car Show / Photography Exhibit, presented by Makina Drivers Club X Humanist Films, on Saturday, 3/1/2025 at 8th & Santa Fe in Los Angeles, California. Because this video is about passion, we’ll be releasing it tomorrow on Valentine’s Day.
To learn more about CineMakina:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/makina-drivers-club-x-humanist-films-present-cinemakina-craft-of-speed-mooneyes-documentary-screening-at-8th-amp-santa-fe
To buy tickets:
craftofspeed.eventive.org