The 24-minute documentary about the historical and cultural roots and modern practice of cheerleading earned Bassford first place at the prestigious Student Academy Awards this year, and with that came an invitation to Cannes.

The film follows the Los Gatos Tigers, a group of 8- to 11-year-old suburban California girls on a quest to win a national cheerleading competition.

"Cheerleader" follows the Los Gatos Tigers, a squad of 8- to 11-year-old California girls determined to win a national cheerleading contest.

"I really enjoyed cheerleading, but at the same time, there are aspects that are somewhat concerning to me," Bassford said. "I enjoyed the competitions more than standing on the sidelines cheering for the football team. There are issues of gender, sexuality and competition all at play."

Bassford graduated from Punahou in 1995. In between a bachelor's degree in psychology at Harvard and a master's in journalism from Berkeley, she worked as a production assistant on several local productions, including the Rell Sunn documentary, "Heart of the Sea: Kapolioka'ehukai."

Since the success of "Cheerleader," which also won a CINE Golden Eagle Award and has been screened at a dozen film festivals in the United States and Canada, Bassford has had little problem finding new projects.

Next month, her talents will soon be on display with "The Meaning of Food," a three-part PBS documentary series airing April 7, 14 and 21.

As producer and segment director for the series, Bassford shared whale meat with Makah Indian whalers, steamed tamales with Mexican-Americans in South Texas and shared meals with Samoan families in Tacoma, Wash. Closer to home, Bassford also produced a segment profiling Waiahole taro farmers Paul Reppun and Calvin Hoe.