We’re deeply honored to have Darryl Roth, the son of legendary artist, pinstriper, and car designer, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, who famously created Rat Fink, as our special guest at the CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening, presented by Makina Drivers Club, on Saturday, 11/8/2025, at Hagerty Garage + Social in Van Nuys, California.
Ed Roth has a long history with MOONEYES. Dean MOON and Ed Roth were good friends. Dean would, in turn, introduce Ed to Shige Suganuma, who would take over MOON Equipment Company after Dean died. Shige and Ed were friends until Ed passed.
Shige hired Hiro Ishii, a talented sign painter in Japan, and introduced him to pinstriping. To learn more about this artform, Hiro traveled from Japan to the U.S. to find Ed. Because Hiro couldn’t speak any English and made the long journey to Utah, where Ed was living, Ed called Hiro a “wildman,” which became his nickname. “Wildman” would become one of the first pinstripers in Japan and a very respected artist throughout the world.
We’ll be in conversation with Darryl about this renowned father, who made a huge impact on art and culture. Along with fellow artists, like Robert Williams, who is the godfather of the low brow art movement and related pop surrealist movement, they revolutionized the art world and pop culture. Join us for this unforgettable event.
To attend the CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening, presented by Makina Drivers Club, on Saturday, 11/8/2025, at Hagerty Garage + Social in Van Nuys, California:
https://craftofspeed.eventive.org/welcome
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VISITED OUR “CRAFT OF SPEED” BOOTH AT THE JAPANESE CLASSIC CAR SHOW!
We had an incredible time at the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS), which has become one of our favorite car shows! Congratulations to Terry & Koji Yamaguchi and the entire JCCS team on your 20th anniversary! We deeply appreciate all your support of our documentary.
Thank you to Oliver Wang, Sherrill Ingalls, and the entire Japanese American National Museum team for exhibiting with us. Check out their landmark “Cruising J-Town” exhibit at the ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery as well as “Cruising J-Town” Side Trip, an extension of the exhibit, at the adjacent ArtCenter 950 Building, which is on view until Sunday, 12/14/2025.
We loved catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Thank you for everyone’s interest in our film, new photography book, and upcoming screening.
To attend the CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening on Saturday, 11/8/2025 at Hagerty Garage + Social in Van Nuys, California, presented by Makina Drivers Club:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING—THE “CRAFT OF SPEED” PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK
During the making of the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary, we took many documentary photographs. We always envisioned “Craft of Speed” to be not just a feature documentary but also an expansive multimedia project that included documentary photography. Now, with this large collection of images, we’re creating a photography book. We felt that this book could help document MOONEYES’ important history in a complementary, yet different way compared to the feature documentary—with the power of still photography and the storytelling of a photography book.
We tried to push each documentary photograph and the resulting photography book to the level of art. The goal wasn’t to just make it beautiful but more so powerful in telling the epic story of MOONEYES. Each photograph is similar to poetry with multiple layers of meaning. And the photographs, highly curated and carefully sequenced in the book, collectively tell an even more impactful story, representing that of MOONEYES.
Through the specific sequencing of the photographs, the viewer is able to visit the historic MOONEYES Santa Fe Springs headquarters. They’re also able to explore the storied MOONEYES Machine Shop and admire its vintage metalworking machines. In addition, they can experience the natural wonders of the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats and immerse themselves in land speed racing. Moreover, they can remember the last days of the beloved Irwindale Dragstrip, which was recently closed, and feel the thrill of nostalgia drag racing.
Through social media, people glance at and swipe away countless images every day. However, a photography book is an invitation to slow down, appreciate the images, reflect on their presentation, understand their meaning, and enjoy how they together tell a bigger story. Even better, the book, by design, allows for repeated viewings—creating a new and deeper experience each time. It’s the power of a good story, told artfully.
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
To attend the CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening at Hagerty Garage + Social in Van Nuys, California on Saturday, 11/8/2025, presented by Makina Drivers Club:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
CELEBRATE THE JAPANESE CLASSIC CAR SHOW’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH “CRAFT OF SPEED” & JANM!
The “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary will be exhibiting with the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) at the 20th Anniversary Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) this Saturday, 10/11/2025, 9 AM - 3 PM, next to the MOONEYES booth.
Marina Glen Park
386 E. Shoreline Dr.
Long Beach, CA 90802
japaneseclassiccarshow.com
Learn more about our film, photography book, and upcoming screenings.
Buy tickets to our CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening at Hagerty Garage + Social in Van Nuys on Saturday, 11/8/2025, presented by Makina Drivers Club:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
Pre-order our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
ANNOUNCING THE CINEMAKINA: “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY SCREENING AT HAGERTY GARAGE + SOCIAL, PRESENTED BY MAKINA DRIVERS CLUB
Announcing the CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening at Hagerty Garage + Social in Van Nuys on Saturday, 11/8/2025, presented by Makina Drivers Club.
In this 2-hour documentary, filmed over 4 years, 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 found Dean MOON’s legacy, and popularize hot rod culture in Asia.
“Craft of Speed” was nominated for “Best Feature Documentary” at the International Motor Film Awards 2025.
We’re very excited to work with our friends at Makina Drivers Club again. We had the pleasure of partnering with them to produce our sold-out CineMakina: “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening at the dynamic 8th & Santa Fe earlier this year.
Now, they will be helping us to bring our documentary back to L.A. after successful screenings in Oahu, Hawaii and Tacoma, Washington.
We try to make each of our cinema events unique so that even if you’ve watched our film before, you’ll have a special and memorable experience.
We’re deeply honored to work with Hagerty Garage + Social in Van Nuys. Hagerty is expansive in its business, from car insurance to car sales and storage to car events and media production. Their mission is to not only protect cars and drivers but also car culture.
At their beautiful Van Nuys location, they have a giant car storage facility, where they take care of millions of dollars worth of collectible cars, as well as a luxurious clubhouse and spacious parking area, where they hold special events.
The elegant clubhouse is decorated with historic photos from Rod Emory, who helped design the inviting space. Rod is the owner of respected Emory Motorsports, which is known for their concours-level outlaw Porsche 356s.
In the clubhouse, there’s an exquisite car-themed library that we’ll be converting in a stylish pop-up bookstore to soft launch our new “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book, a companion documentary photography book to the film.
Outside the clubhouse, we’ll have a curated car showcase, featuring MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama’s record-setting rear engine modified roadster (1533).
After the film, there will be a lively discussion with Darryl Roth, the son of legendary Ed Roth, whom we honor in our film. Ed Roth was a renowned artist, pinstriper, and car designer, who famously created the counter-culture character, Rat Fink.
Like all Makina Drivers Club events, there will be great music and gourmet food and beverages, provided by The Oinkster, Set the Bar, and Teofilo Coffee Company. Founded by fine dining chef Andre Guerrero in 2006, The Oinkster is a Los Angeles institution that helped establish the “slow fast-food” movement in the city. Set the Bar is a luxury mobile bar that elevates the bar experience. And Teofilo Coffee Company showcases unique speciality coffees of the Philippines and gives back to the country.
Thank you so much to Brian Kadorian, David Schulman, and Hagerty for this huge honor of working with you. Our deepest gratitude to Darryl Roth and the Ed Roth Family. Many thanks to Max, Frederick, and the Guerrero Family of The Oinkster, Aaron & Jill Espino of Set the Bar, and Ron Dizon of Teofilo Coffee Company for your warm hospitality. Thank you to Anthony Ngo of 8th & Santa Fe and Scott Tillett for your audio visual support. A heartfelt thank you to Nick & Reyna Tolosa of Makina Drivers Club for your great friendship. As always, thank you to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire MOONEYES family for all your support.
CINEMAKINA: “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY SCREENING AT HAGERTY GARAGE + SOCIAL IN VAN NUYS, PRESENTED BY MAKINA DRIVERS CLUB
HAGERTY GARAGE + SOCIAL
Van Nuys, California
Saturday, 11/8/2025
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. “Craft of Speed” Photography Book Soft Launch / Curated Car Showcase / Music / Food
2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Discussion with Darryl Roth, Son of Ed Roth, and Director Ming Lai
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Film Screening
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. “Craft of Speed” Photography Book Soft Launch / Curated Car Showcase / Music / Food
Hagerty Garage + Social
7933 Haskell Avenue
Van Nuys, CA 91406
*Limited seating. Please buy tickets in advance.
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com / @humanistfilms
To buy tickets to CineMakina:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
To learn more about Makina Drivers Club:
makinadriversclub.com / @makinadriversclub
To learn more about Hagerty Garage + Social:
https://www.garageandsocial.com/location/van-nuys/
“CRAFT OF SPEED” TO EXHIBIT WITH JANM AT THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY JAPANESE CLASSIC CAR SHOW
The “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary will be exhibiting with the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) at the 20th Anniversary Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) on Saturday, 10/11/2025, next to the MOONEYES booth. Like JCCS, MOONEYES is celebrating a momentous occasion this year—its 75th anniversary.
“Craft of Speed” will be promoting its upcoming cinema events. In addition, it will be taking pre-orders of its new “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book, a companion documentary photography book to the film.
JCCS is a very popular and long-running car show that celebrates Japanese classic cars and its rich culture. This year, it celebrates its 20th anniversary. Because of its important contributions to car culture, it’s part of the Japanese American National Museum’s landmark “Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” exhibit at the ArtCenter College of Design / Peter & Merle Mullin Gallery, which has been extended to 12/13/2025.
We’re honored to co-exhibit with JANM at the JCCS. The museum is an inspiring leader in the community, preserving vital Japanese American history. Car culture is an integral part of Japanese American and Asian American culture. Oliver Wang, the curator of the “Cruising J-Town” exhibit, and the museum had the vision to launch this groundbreaking exhibit—the first of its kind.
Congratulations to Terry & Koji Yamaguchi & family and the entire JCCS team on your 20th Anniversary! Thank you for your warm friendship and generous support of our documentary. Thank you as well to Oliver Wang and JANM for your great assistance with our film.
20TH ANNIVERSARY JAPANESE CLASSIC CAR SHOW / “CRAFT OF SPEED” CO-EXHIBITOR WITH JANM, NEXT TO MOONEYES
Long Beach, California
Saturday, 10/11/2025
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 “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
To buy tickets to JCCS:
https://japaneseclassiccarshow.com/visitor-info/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22565009266&gbraid=0AAAAADx_1kubwvBJq0HDGpno7OOpi_oAK&gclid=CjwKCAjwlaTGBhANEiwAoRgXBY5hsqkofDSpRDj-NKm5BtdFiyTcAGLbv2eIMIkad4S3dasq0bN3WhoCnrcQAvD_BwE
To learn more about JANM’s “Cruising J-Town” Exhibit:
https://www.janm.org/exhibits/cruising-j-town
MORE ALOHA FROM MOONEYES HAWAII 2025 OHANA WEEKEND / SPOCOM!
Check out a selection of photos from MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend / SPOCOM in Oahu, Hawaii, presented by NAPA Hawaii.
See our official thank you:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/mahalo-from-craft-of-speed
Pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED OUR “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY SCREENING WITH NAMSAYIN AT GRIOT’S GARAGE
Thank you to everyone who attended our “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary screening with Namsayin at Griot’s Garage in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025!
We love the Pacific Northwest with its natural beauty, diverse people, and rich culture. It’s a huge honor to be able to share our film with you.
Our heartfelt thanks to brothers Al-Michael Franco and Walter Franco and their families of Namsayin for partnering with us to present this cinema event. It’s been such a joy working with and getting know them. We can’t help but inspired by their strong commitment to the community, expressed through their company’s powerful tagline, “Community over Cars.”
Our deepest appreciation to Scott Valen, Guy DeVivo, and the entire team at Griot’s Garage, who help people take care of their cars and car culture. Thank you for being a wonderful host for our special event, from turning your beautiful museum into a unique theater to converting your expansive parking lot into a curated car show.
Special thanks to Dhanel Arellano @dhanel.photo and Cheryl Franco @pnwside for the first and second photos, respectively.
Unfortunately, we were’t able to attend this great event because we had become ill. To protect the health of others, we decided to stay home and recover. We were very disappointed not to be able to participate in the event and thank everyone involved. However, we feel very grateful to our entire team for making it possible and all the attendees for the wonderful turnout. Thank you for “always lookin’ out” for us.
We were very moved by the enthusiasm and warmth of all of the attendees. We made this film for you—MOONEYES fans and automotive enthusiasts.
As always, thank you to MOONEYES owner Shige Suganuma and MOONEYES President USA Chico Kodama for traveling all the way to Tacoma to support our cinema event. They had just traveled to Oahu, Hawaii for our screening as part of MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend and are in the middle of land speed racing season.
Stay tuned for more special events.
To support Namsayin’s community-driven work:
@namsayin
To support Griot’s Garage’s care of cars and car culture:
@griotsgarage
To pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
ALOHA FROM THE MOONEYES HAWAII 2025 OHANA WEEKEND / “CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY SCREENING!
Check out a selection of photos from our MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend / “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary Screening at the Bob Bosley Museum in Oahu, Hawaii, presented by NAPA Hawaii.
See our official thank you:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/newsarchive/mahalo-from-craft-of-speed
Pre-order the “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
“CRAFT OF SPEED” AT THE MOONEYES HAWAII 2025 OHANA WEEKEND
Mahalo to Ryota Katayama, a car enthusiast and photographer, who covered our cinema event as part of the exciting MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend! Cars and photography go hand-in-hand—a great way to document the beautiful cars, the vibrant scene, and its rich culture. We’re always inspired by the photographers and filmmakers whom we meet in this inviting space.
Check out Ryota’s great work:
@ikinuku.hawaii
Buy tickets to our screening with Namsayin in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
MAHALO FROM “CRAFT OF SPEED”!
Mahalo to everyone who attended our MOONEYES Hawaii 2025 Ohana Weekend / “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary screening at the Bob Bosley Museum, presented by NAPA Hawaii!
We enjoyed meeting all of the MOONEYES fans and automotive enthusiasts. We loved finding out how we’re all interconnected through cars, bikes, and community.
Our heartfelt thanks to Tad & Janice Matsuno and their family for partnering with us to bring our film to Hawaii. We deeply appreciate your warm hospitality.
Our deepest gratitude to Kirk Hubbard for all his vision and hard work in organizing this cinema event. This screening wouldn’t have been possible without his assistance.
Thank you to Bob & Teri Bosley and the Bob Bosley Museum for hosting our special event and allowing us to turn your beautiful museum into an inviting MOONEYES Hawaii clubhouse.
Thank you to Darryl Turner and NAPA Hawaii for their generous support of our special event. We’re very proud to work with Napa Hawaii, an institution on the islands who helps people to take care of their cars and life’s journeys.
Many thanks to all of our hardworking volunteers, who converted an eclectic museum into a unique theater, turned the art-filled streets of Kaka’ako into a curated hot rod showcase, and welcomed the guests with aloha.
A family gathering is not complete without good food. Thank you for the ono grindz from our vendors: Eva Brand Hot Dogs @ewa_brand_hotdogs_, Ono Viet @onoviethi, and Ramen Spot Beach @ramenspotbeach.
Special thanks to SPOCOM Hawaii for hosting its hip automotive rave.
As always, thank you to MOONEYES owner Shige Suganuma, Emi Suganuma, Chico Kodama, Sandy Kodama, and Wildman for traveling all the way to Hawaii from Santa Fe Springs, California and Yokohama, Japan to support our screening.
MOONEYES Hawaii Ohana Weekend is a fitting name for this special event because it’s filled with love and aloha. Mahalo!
To buy tickets to our next screening with Namsayin in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, 8/30/2025:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
To pre-order our “Craft of Speed” Photography Book:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/store/photographybook
“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS NOMINATED FOR “BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY” AT THE 2025 INTERNATIONAL MOTOR FILM AWARDS
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 President USA Chico Kodama’s land speed race car at CineMakina
MOONEYES: FROM RACING AT BONNEVILLE TO CRUISING J-TOWN
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
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