Transcript

Jana Park: Producing Power, Purpose & Pacific Stories

From The Big Picture · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h 6 min · 13,051 words · 266 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Jana Park: Producing Power, Purpose & Pacific Stories", an episode of The Big Picture published September 5, 2025 (1 h 6 min, about 13,051 words). It mentions 16 people, works and ideas, including Chief of War, Chief of War, Hawaii Filmmakers Collective, Hawaii Film Alliance, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: Chief of War, Chief of War, Hawaii Film Awards, Hawaii Filmmakers Collective
  2. – 50:00: Chief of War, Chief of War, Hawaii Film Alliance, Hawaii Film Fund
  3. – 1:00:00: Hawaii Film Alliance, Chief of War, Chief of War, Finding Ohana

Notable quotes from "Jana Park: Producing Power, Purpose & Pacific Stories"

  • Monoa and an AA in American Sign Language interpreting. Jana serves as the executive director of the Hawaii Filmmakers Collective and also works as an industry manager for the…
    about Hawaii Filmmakers Collective · at
  • Yeah. I just we were just chilling together at the first ever Hawaii Film Awards.
    about Hawaii Film Awards · at
  • Coolest things that I've seen from, let's say, the biggest thing right now is Chief of War, right? How many like social media pages have spawned from the education aspect of…
    about Chief of War · at
  • As well. M so I think that's something that you know there is this Hawaii film fund that's not the official name for it but it's basically the Hawaii film fund that a bunch of people applied for $400,000 right.
    about Hawaii Film Fund · at
  • But broader support and I think that's a lot of what Hawaii Film Alliance has talked about. is the industry benefits everyone here.
    about Hawaii Film Alliance · at
  • But it's all volunteer run. it was founded by Tom Schneider and Kino Rudalfo just two guys, local filmmakers who got together in a coffee shop and they were Hey, like we have an opportunity to rent this.
    about Tom Schneider · at
  • Know Kynoa was like hey but for me personally two projects that I'm excited about. One is Grace H which is written by Elizabeth Rion and stars her and Lindsay Watson.
    about Grace H · at
  • Different international film festivals this fall and we won best indigenous nations films at the South Pacific Film Festival in New Zealand.
    about South Pacific Film Festival · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Jana Park — Person · 1 mention · first at
    And media production across both local and international projects. Please join me in welcoming Jana Park to the show.
  • Inga Park — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Tom Schneider — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Kino Rudalfo — Person · 1 mention · first at
    But it's all volunteer run. it was founded by Tom Schneider and Kino Rudalfo just two guys, local filmmakers who got together in a coffee shop and they were Hey, like we have an opportunity to rent this space. Like what if we did this? And.

Books & papers

  • Chief of War — Book · 4 mentions · first at
    Coolest things that I've seen from, let's say, the biggest thing right now is Chief of War, right? How many like social media pages have spawned from the education aspect of…
  • Grace H — Book · 1 mention · first at
  • Finding Ohana — Book · 1 mention · first at

Companies & orgs

Concepts & topics

Full transcript with timestamps

Not that there's like there's just a lot that has to be done before I think real change can happen. Like there's a lot of systemic things that need to change

before the actual like practical change happens in this current system. So to me I was like okay so I could spend a lifetime just fighting to try to adjust the system to get it to a place where we can make the change that I believe in

or I could go make films right now that I believe in like pretty quickly. Yeah. So that was where, you know, I I was managing restaurants for a while, went back to school and definitely went from, oh, acting is fun, but what I really want is to be the person choosing which stories are being told and which stories are being funded.

Welcome to the Big Picture Podcast. Today I'm thrilled to be joined by Jana Kohaa O Kokua Park. An accomplished filmmaker, writer, producer, and actress based right here in Hawaii. Raised on Makai and Oahu, Jana has been crafting stories through acting, writing, directing, and producing since childhood. She holds a BA in political science from the University of Hawaii at Monoa and an AA in American Sign Language interpreting. Jana serves as the executive director of the Hawaii Filmmakers Collective and also works as an industry manager for the Hawaii International Film Festival, supporting and nurturing independent storytelling in the islands. Additionally, she's a SAG actress with experience in theater and media production across both local and international projects. Please join me in welcoming Jana Park to the show.

Thank you so much for joining us today, the Big Picture Hawaii podcast. Um, today we have Jana Park. It's um honestly I've been wanting to speak with you for a while and um one of the reasons why I have this podcast is to speak with people like you who have been raised in the industry here, have planted their roots here in Hawaii and you know have so much resources and you know I the reason why I started this podcast was because it it kind of blew my mind how many people did not know the resources available here for filmmakers.

So, thank you so much for coming on. Thanks so much for having me. It's an honor.

Yeah. I just um we were just chilling together at um the first ever Hawaii Film Awards.

The Wiki Film Awards. Wiki Film Awards. That was killer. Did you enjoy it? Amazing. It was Oh, yeah. There were so many people. It was so great to see everybody. And of course, celebrating two Kanaka made films, which I love. And like at HIF, you know, we celebrate. So, yeah, that was it. It's just such a great celebration of our community and Hawaiian film making and there was live entertainment.

You can't go wrong. Fabulous honestly. And I I think people been hungry to get out and and unite, get together. That was the energy. Like I was there, everybody was talking story. Everybody's talking about the projects that they're doing. And I I walked away from that very inspired like you know we can do it. We can make these projects. We we we have a lot of people. you look around. So that was killer. Um Fi Eye Jeff Laauo who works at the outrigger made that connection um with us. And I just wanted to say like feeling the support of the businesses in our community for our film industry. That makes me feel real good, you know, and I'm sure you have a lot of those relationships as well, right?

Absolutely. I think, you know, this is Hawaii and it's full of storytellers and our rich culture of storytelling. And I think if you spend any length of time here, you know, you realize that pretty quickly. So a lot of the local businesses or anyone who just, you know, exists here in Hawaii,

I think has a reverence for storytelling more than say the average person. So they recognize that this is an important cause to get behind.

Yeah. And the thing about storytelling in Hawaii is it also brings in, you know, it can bring in money, it can bring in more people, awareness. So it benefits everyone, not just the film industry.

Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, I've already seen this. This is one of the coolest things that I've seen from, let's say, the biggest thing right now is Chief of War, right? How many like social media pages have spawned from the education aspect of what's going on in in a movie? It's a movie, it's a TV show, it's entertainment, but at the same time, people can pivot from that and actually give real facts, you know, real history. And I think that's the important part that a lot of people should see is that there's a lot of positive things coming out of it for us here in the culture.

Oh, absolutely. I mean, there's at least a couple um podcasts that are about Chief of War and talking about the culture and just all the story and all that. So, I mean, that's why I'm a filmmaker myself. I think it's it really is a way to change the world by bringing these stories that haven't been shared before, you know, shining a light on these voices that have been silenced

and just kind of equalizing everything and showing, you know, we're all human beings or we're all here or we're animals, you know, here with the aa as well.

So, storytelling does that and we do it really well here in Hawaii. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Um, so was that something that clicked for you early on? How how did you get into film making? Was that something that in in high school you said, "Hey, you know what? This is a medium I could really get into."

I would say it actually started when I was 5 years old. Um, I was Yeah. So I I grew up um in the earliest part of my life here on Aahu in Monoa

and my mom enrolled me in a Honolulu theater for youth youth little workshop where we went through an acting workshop and then put on a play

and I was five and I that was it kind of I caught the bug right there for like being involved in theater in storytelling. Um, shortly after that we moved to Machai and on Machai there's no community theater

and there is now maybe but there wasn't, you know, 30ome years ago. So when we moved it was just like school and it was wonderful. I love Machai and I miss it.

Um, but there wasn't theater. So as an 8-year-old, I had been in I think at that point maybe two plays and I understood

how the gist of it worked. So, I recruited my grandma to sew the costumes and I rewrote a Disney script

and I cast I had auditions and I cast my friends and then I distributed it to the other classes.

So, I didn't realize it, right? But I was producing. Sure. In second grade in Mr. Yamamoto's class um and distributing already, you know, the works that I had produced.

So, I would say it went all the way back to that. Um, and then even in sixth grade like I wrote the play that we performed for the school just like one night I had a download and I was like, "Oh, I have inspiration." And so I got to see that and I even then I had a sense of like I don't really want to star in the play. I wanted to be the writer and I just like wrote a little cameo in for myself and that was it.

Um, and then moved back to Oahu and you know this was before YouTube and all that. So my friends and I would get together with video camera or like sometimes actually back on Machai I would film my cats and do the voices and make little films.

Oh yeah. I did the same thing with my Jackson chameleon like feeding it crickets was the biggest thing on my cat.

That's cool, right? And you edit in camera, right? Yes. No, no, seriously though. Um and I think that's a good point to make is like a a lot of filmmakers they just start with that like little storytelling could be your Legos, could be anything. And um I don't know if you have kids like if you maybe see that in them this might be a you know industry that they would want to get into. And having said that what about your mom just was like hey I'm going to put you in this or how did how do you think she got that?

She's in the arts too. So she had Yeah. So she had been going to University of Hawaii Monoa.

Um I want to say she minored in something like theater or at at the very least she did a lot of theater. M

um she had trained as a mime and she was actually running a puppet troop, okay,

called Kids on the Block, not New Kids on the Block, Kids on the Block, it's the original Kids on the Block.

And it was these large puppets that had disabilities. Okay. And so she and her troop of puppeteers would go around to the different Havaii schools

and like one would be deaf and so she's a sign language interpreter. So they had this big puppet. Someone would do the head and someone else would do the the signing

or one um puppet was in a wheelchair and had like cerebopal palsy and so they would go around and perform.

Okay. So all live though or was it like PBS? Seems like a Sesame Street type of program right?

Yes, it totally was and it could have been. Um but it was all live and I think they got grants and they took it around even to neighbor islands.

And so I was definitely in that, you know exposed. What was your mom's name? Your mom's name.

My mom's name is Inga Park. Inga Park. Okay. And she's she's a teacher and she was involved with the HSTA union a lot.

Um and a sign language interpreter and so she's just we've always been like patrons of the arts. She interprets a lot of the shows. She interpreted um

she did the sign language interpretation with a team of Hamilton when it came and I got to help a little bit because I love Hamilton. So I got to there was like four interpreters

Hamilton. You you minored in in Oh my first degree is in sign language interpreting.

Okay. So we all sign in my family. I have a deaf foster brother who's basically adopted

and like my kids were all signing before they were talking. That's incredible. And I want to make more films about deaf people too.

Good. And I hope you and and it all comes down to communication, right? So, I I kind of see that passion for you and communication, whether it's passing on stories and like you said in the Hawaiian culture, it's like oral oral stories that are passed on for generations is how the culture stayed alive and is going to stay alive. And I think just in film making and and modern day, I think this tool that we're a part of is is very strong. Even down to social media nowadays, that tool is like it's not for fun anymore. You can actually get so much done by it

and influence. I mean, the idea of an influencer, it's like, you know, kind of thrown around, but it's true. There's so much influence now,

especially for celebrities or people who say have 50 million or 100 million or 500 million followers, right?

You can access your audience in a way that is unprecedented. Yeah. Across the world.

Yes. So to me that's like there's so much power and responsibility in that. There's power, there's responsibility. um it gives people a different avenue to create and fund their creations, right? Um marketing is different now because of social influence. So I think that's one thing that we really need to learn, especially here in Hawaii, is distribution. I think we should have a lot more classes about distribution and how to bring your film to life because everyone has awesome ideas, you know, and everybody wants to um direct and write their own feature film, but when you start piecing it together and understanding how much it takes to do that, um which I I feel like not a lot of people truly understand how much it takes to create a movie, even if it's 5 minutes, even if it's even if it's a podcast,

you know, it takes a lot. And um fortunately, we have a lot of passionate people willing to help a lot of times, but you know, as a producer, as I know, it's hard to ask people to do things free all the time. Whenever you're taking away anyone from their family, you want to make sure to be able to provide. But, um, social media and that marketing game can can give you that, right? when you're working with businesses or or any type of marketing saying, "Hey, um this is another way that you can, you know, um fund your project." But um yeah, so you moved to Malai 6th grade, you're already, you know, it reminds me a lot about myself and actually a lot of the people I'm around is at a very young age there either, you know, my dad was in the industry 40ome years. So, you know, not knowing that I'm around it and I see it, it's it's a little more normal. Um, so, you know, you feel you feel like my

identity is somewhat in this industry. Um, and I don't know if you feel the same way.

Yeah. I mean, my parents, my dad's an air traffic controller and then my mom was a teacher and then a counselor.

Um, they're definitely supportive of the arts, but they're also admittedly Asian parents. Mh.

who at one point I know I said I want to be a movie star and they were like that's so great

and and and also why don't you have a backup career as like doctor or lawyer and even at that age I was like I know that's not a backup career like you're not fooling me

but um I think they gave me enough leeway to feel like I'm going to go do what I want to do and so that was great. Um, but I think having Asian parents and not and feeling very close even though I'm fourth generation,

I was um very close to my grandparents and um I was the only grandchild that really got to know my great grandma well.

So, and she's the one that came from Korea. Okay. So, I do still feel that immigrant pressure

to achieve I think and I come from a long line of achievers like my grandmother was the first Korean Fulbright scholar.

Wow. And yeah, she went from uh Manoa to study in England back in the day. Wow.

Yeah. So, you know, there's that feeling of like, okay, I want to achieve something, but it's not about like

fame or fortune. It's more like how do we make the world a better place? And I think that's been my family's culture that I was passed down. Um,

and then growing up on Mokai, that's just a very Hawaiian, you know, um, indigenous mindset as well. to like just how do we make this place better and coming from a place of privilege,

right? So, I think that all led to me like thinking I might want to get into politics and then seeing what the American political system was

and not that there's like there's just a lot that has to be done before I think real change can happen. Like there's a lot of systemic things that need to change

before the actual like practical change happens in this current system. Mhm. So to me I was like okay so I could spend a lifetime just fighting to try to adjust the system to get it to a place where we could make the change that I believe in

or I could go make films right now that I believe in like pretty quickly. Yeah.

So that was where you know I I was managing restaurants for a while went back to school and definitely went from oh acting is fun but what I really want is to be the person choosing which stories are being told and which stories are being funded. M

so when I saw that switch or you know when I had that switch it was like okay this is what I want to do

and so I feel like it's been a lifelong journey to answer your question it's kind of a long answer but it's you know and it's very to me it is my way of like how I want to change the world and like as you know it's like not fun like

I mean it is like it fills my soul and I love being on set and I love making movies

but being in this industry it's not like fun it's such a grind and there's no clear path and all that. So I think when you when you have that and you know you want to do it

Yeah. then it's in you from like small kid time. You just have to find it. What is funny is I I think maybe it's people in our industry. We have a way of making it look fun cuz like we have to or else we're going to cry.

It's true. And then people come and they're like what? This is not what we thought it would be.

I know. Um, you know, I post stuff on my Instagram and I got family all the time like you guys even work or what? Like you guys just having fun and you guys get food and and I'm like no. Yeah, we were like that 5 seconds you saw um that's attached to a 16-hour day.

Exactly. So, and no one slept in a week. Yeah, it it's, you know, we definitely all trauma bond.

Yeah. And that's why we I think a lot a lot of us get very close. You know, we talk about it all the time where we a lot of the times are spending more time with our work work crew than our actual families. It's a lot of sacrifice. You know, um our families like anybody else who works a lot in any other industry, you know, if you're passionate about something and you're, you know, even if you're an entrepreneur in your own business, you know, especially in Hawaii, you're putting so much time into it that um

you're do you have to be doing it out of passion, right? And I think a lot of people and we speak about this a lot is

if you're in the industry for anything other than trying to relay a a meaningful message or you're passionate about film making about lighting about camera lens lenses and toys then it's going to be very hard for you you know and um you might like it for a little bit but you probably should find another career. That's I mean I even tell my students that and we say I'm sure you've heard this like if you can do anything else

yes go do that. Yeah. No my dad but we can't like I can't there's nothing else.

It feeds my soul. I was doing it for free for so long and now it still like baffles me that I get paid to do this. So

that's what you got to have, right? Yeah. Yeah. Um you know my dad's single dad somewhat like your parents you know he he grew up in the industry so he did not want me to be in the industry. you know, that's the last thing he wanted for me. Um, you know, weirdly, um, he was able to afford me going to Eolani and then, um, uh, um, but it was just something that drew me back to the industry. Um, I felt like these were my people. You know, I think, um, a lot of us are somewhat freespirited. Um, and and you know, maybe we don't like a lot of rules, so we don't fit in in a lot of other work structures. But um so but you you did pursue in education film making, right? Or was that where you're talking about producing? You went back to school for that.

Well, yeah. So I my first degree is in sign language interpreting and then I got another degree in political science and women's studies from uh Manoa.

Okay. And I was just about to go to law school. Like I had taken the LSATs and I was like getting my letters of recommendation

and the head of political science at uh Manoa sat me down and basically questioned me like about what do I want

and he said you know if you want to go to law school I'll write you a letter no problem but if you want to come to grad school and study politics and maybe film and things like that then we'll walk you in because he was like on the board of the decision- making and he like him and another professor knew me personally and they were like we'd love to have you in the graduate program. So that's when I had my like quarter life crisis where I was like what am I going to do and it was like Obama was the president and he had all Republican Congress that was like blocking everything he was trying to do

and James Cameron had Avatar which was the top film in a 100 countries and don't get me wrong I think Avatar is a stunning beautiful film.

Yeah. At its heart as I'm not the first one to say this it's very Pocahontas and it's very like the white man is saving the literally colored people.

Okay. Having come out of politics and learning like Hawaiian history and everything, I was so like, uh, I I want to make a better film than this as far as the story.

And I thought, okay, well, I know James Cameron is the boss on his sets and he's not being blocked by a Republican Congress.

So, if I could be either of these two people, where do I think I can affect the most change?

So, that's when I went there. Y so I started so I started in grad school and I was studying more like um my goal was like cuz I'm not a camera person and all that tech stuff just like goes over my head

but I'm definitely like character story theater acting like that's my wheelhouse right

so when I went back to grad school I was studying like feminist film theory you know and like in indigenous film making or whatever I could

sure but then I was running a business and I got pregnant with my son and I was like Okay, this is too much.

I'll just make films. I don't need a degree. But what I was able to do was take about 100 hours of nonredit courses

through the uh h I want to I forget what it's called now, but it wasn't creative media. It was like academy for something

and it's a program. They might still have it but more with photography. Okay. Where it was nonredit classes offered at like uh not ACM something. It wasn't AC,

but it was a local. It's like run through the state maybe or something. Was it the Pacific Media

maybe something? Okay. But anyway, you you sought out other um I took those classes classes. Yeah.

And I took in directing, sound, producing, documentary film making, editing, and they brought in some pretty heavy hitters from the continent like Columbia University film professor and

and we got to learn from them. So I did my own little mini film school. Mhm. But really, I think my film school was when I worked on the feature film Camino,

um, starring Zoe Bell, who's a very talented stuntwoman, who was, you know, Uma Thurman stuntwoman and Kill Bill and won awards for that.

And so that was literally the first film that I worked on as crew. And um, what did you do?

Fay Vasquez brought me on a second ad. Wow. And yeah, I had never even paed and she but she needed a second and so she was like she was like you James Sereno said you're going to be great and I had just told James like hey you know I know I'm an actress but I'd like to get into film making. I made these showdown in Chinatown films for fun and we won and you know so can I just PA next time you have any shoot so he referred me to Fay. Fay made me the second AD. I literally didn't even know what a second AD was. I was like oh is that your assistant? I would love to be your assistant, FA. And then I show up and it's like make the call sheets and do this and do that. And I was like,

I have no idea what I'm doing. So that was my film school because like it was just in there with like a 40 person crew. They're all from LA. They have super high expectations. I have no idea what's going on, but I learned.

Oh my god. And one night I stayed up 40 hours straight because we shot all day. We're making the call sheet. We realized we didn't tell the caterer we changed the schedule. And I used to work in catering and I was like, "Forget it. I'll just do it." And I went to Safeway and I got food for 40 people and I made it and I brought it and then I worked at second AD the whole rest of the day.

So it was like you know over you do what you got to do, right? But like I mean I learned

like I learned. I think that's the point of of that story is and just like you know what I got to be completely honest with you. Not a lot of people go to school for a film and actually um get to get their hands dirty, you know. Um a lot of times people show up on set and and all the way down to anybody on the crew, whatever you are, you're coming to set and you're learning on the spot. You get thrown in the fire, right? You try to, you know, ask as many questions as you can, but that is going to be your best education. And I'm not I'm not telling people that they shouldn't go to school or pursue education in film making. I'm saying that there needs to be a level of respect for people who don't who just get straight into it and start grinding because you do learn a lot. And I'm going to tell you story. I was a grip for I don't know maybe maybe seven or eight years and I thought I knew everything as a grip already at

that point. Right. And then there was a showdown in Chinatown and Tori had told me, "Hey, you should you should put something together, you know." And so we're at work on Hawaii 5 and you know, while we're working, I'm writing this script and I'm starting to talk to everybody. Hey, I'm going to do this. You know, by the end of it, like Angie lets me use the 50 studio. We do PMP in there. I get a whole one- ton grip truck. I got wardrobe doing everything. And so, and again, I'm like a grip now. I'm a director, right? And so I go through this whole thing. It was over the weekend and um everyone just kind of fell into place, right? And you can't do this without a team. That's another thing that we should constantly be. It doesn't matter who you are, you know, how badass you think you are. Always comes down to having an incredible team and not only our industry, in life, but everyone just rallied around. We made

this short film that I'm still to this day just embarrassed to talk about. Oh, I want to see it.

No, please. I'm sure I know half the people that done it. So, we scrambled and we basically only got a trailer cut for Showdown and then later on I sat down and edited the um the movie. But um I learned so much just by that one little project. than I learned in seven years of gripping up until that point. And then from that point, because I learned so much, my time on set was so valuable cuz I was like, okay, now I need to learn sound. You know, I had zero respect for sound. Sorry Malcolm but sound was like, why are you here? As soon as you make your own thing, you're like, sound is very important. I start respecting them, you know, respecting the slates. cuz I'm like

so and in everything. But um sorry to go down that path, but I'm just saying like

creating your own projects or jumping on other people's projects is going to be the best way you learn. So the advice, you know, is is get involved. Get involved at all cost or at zero cost with anybody's project that you can because that's going to be um just as valuable as going to school and going to film school. But yeah,

absolutely. I mean, I've been teaching for several years now, teaching film to high schoolers,

and I I give them this advice, which is if you are privileged enough to be able to afford to go to a good film school and you can get in and you or your parents are not going to go into a significant amount of debt for that, then do it. Great.

Wonderful. You're going to learn so much. Mhm. But if you don't have those resources, then think about it practically. Do you want to spend four years getting into debt?

Mhm. Learning theoretical theories and classes and maybe making some films. I mean, you know, USC and Chapman, they're pretty good about they're actually making films,

but maybe when you're a senior. I mean, so, and not to just those programs at all. They're great, like I said,

but is it worth it? Four years of that or if you just went and even started as an intern, then a PA, then you're a second ad, right? Then or whatever track you want to go on,

four years of getting paid to learn all the things that you're going to pay to learn.

Mhm. That doesn't make sense. So like, or you know, think about going to like LCC or uh you know, something that's like not going to break the bank.

Yeah. But don't break the bank for the sake of school because you can get out in four years and then who like who would you hire, right? Who are you going to hire, Brian? Someone with four years of experience who your friend said, "Oh yeah, they worked on this feature film with me and they did great."

Or someone who has no experience but who has a film degree. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

But yeah, not that tricky. Yeah, just and and there's a lot has to do with the pressure aspect of our industry, right? because you can do all the school things, but there's a different type of pressure when you're on set. Um, and so that can get to people honestly. Not a lot of people are built for the pressure of our industry. Um, so that's why the experience goes a long way. And you know, the sooner you're under that pressure and the sooner you can, um, learn how to, you know, equalize and and handle that pressure, um, the better you become.

And see if it's for you. That's the part, too, right? You might think, "Oh, it's fun." But then getting on a real set, Um, but then there's all of us that do get that bug and then you'll know like, "Oh yeah."

Yeah. This is where I belong. Yeah. Where are you teaching now? So, you tell these to this to high school students. Great advice. Where are you?

I teach at Mid Pacific. Mid Pacific School for the Arts at Yeah. Mid Pacific Institute.

So, um, and before that I was at Sacred Hearts running an internship program where I was mentoring girls, um, producing commercials and short films. Yeah.

So, Mid Pacific is great. Um my son is a student there and um they've been really supportive of me and the film program over the last few years. We're growing it

and I'm just really proud of our kids, our students. Like um I'm you probably know Craig Davidson,

his daughter Marley. Oh yeah. Was my dear student for the last two years and now she's in film school at Lyola. Yeah.

So she got in and several of her classmates is crying to me. A Gina too. So, but like her and all her like so her other classmate Kylie is going to USC. Wow. Other classmate Cameron is going to No, she's going to Lyola, I think.

Is Marley going there or Emerson maybe? Um, but like it's like Chapman USC Emerson, you know, like

great schools. Yeah. And did you start that help start that program? Um, no. So, but it had been a couple years since they had like an actual film maker in the role

or a film, you know, someone in film. They had kind of had other teachers covering it. Yeah,

for a couple years. So, I am the first in a couple years to actually be like doing film

and um now that I work at HIF, it's been a really nice crossover where I get to expose my students to a lot of the HIF opportunities in education.

What do you do over there at Hif? And that's kind of, you know, I always see you um you know, all your posts. You guys have so much going on in HIF. I've always respected HIF and what they brought to the islands, the festivals, and um it's just been a great resource for us and it's not easy keeping a boat like that afloat. You know, people don't understand what it takes to do that and and you're there now and and tell me about the things that you're doing.

Yeah, it's a lot. So, HIF is um going to be in its 45th festival year this year. Yeah. 45 years.

Awesome. Um and I am the high film industry manager. So basically that um you know managing all our industry development anything

so workforce development you know at the festival we'd have panels and workshops and mixers spread throughout the festival this year we're doing a conference so I'm in charge of that but throughout the whole year now we're doing monthly events for our members so workshops panels zooms mixers we just I just had a mixer at HIF um this past week talking about the conference and kind of giving our high members early access to knowing like some of the guests that are coming. Um, and I this year we started another lab. So, we did a storytellers lab where we had open applications and we had six either Hawaii based or Native Hawaiian storytellers, writers, playwrights come in and convert plays, mole short stories into short film scripts. And they were mentored by Rachel Condo from Shogun and Jordan Kandell of Moana and Alika Tangan who made you know Malikai Bound and Everyday in Kaimoki local Hawaiian

filmmaker. So and they got to finish their scripts and then we had a SAG after table read like with the actors and invited producers and now they get to take it to the next level. So, I'm trying to do I kind of have a two-part mission at HIF myself,

which is one to spread the word that we have talented people like yourself who can work on union projects, who can work on highlevel television shows and features, very talented above the line, below the line. I just had a meeting today with someone in the DGA here on Aahu who said there's at least 50 DJ members residing on Aahu.

Wow. Yeah. I mean, you know, between the ads and everybody. So, they're here. we're here and you know like there's a plethora of crew

above the line, below the line that anyone coming from internationally the continent you know can take advantage of and not have to have the cost of bringing in right these people. So that's one thing. The other thing is like you said it's growing our Hawaii based storytelling and film making. Um, Anderson Lelay is our creative director at Hif and he likes to say that we're really in this new wave of Native Hawaiian storytelling and film making and it's great like we're seeing feature films going to Sundance and going to Tribeca and we're like, you know, Erin Laauo is a Konako um television director now and she's new to the DGA, I believe. So we have we're like right on the cusp of like really getting into this world marketplace of like yeah we can make films here and our stories are worthwhile. So trying to get more funding, awareness, support, and education for our filmmakers because what I'm seeing as a producer, and I'm

guilty of this a little bit myself, and so I'm having to push myself, is that we put a lot of resources into say we have a film we want to make, and we're just trying to raise the money to make the film and make sure that we can pay our friends something.

Absolutely. and then we make it and then there's no money left over to say take the cast and crew to go to the festivals to meet the executive producers to meet the studios or we're not we're just so caught up in trying to pay the bills because we live in in Hawaii and it's so hard to live here

and make art at the same time that we're not necessarily thinking about okay I'm going to make this short film or even this feature film and what's next and how is this a step and really thinking about that you know it's kind of always chasing the next thing.

And I think in order for us to really grow and to really take it to that next level where we're like consistently making the under 10 million features ourselves,

it's that it's that we need producers, right? We need Hawaii based producers, line producers, executive producers who are thinking like that and who can work with a lot of the Hawaii based creatives who have these wonderful stories but maybe don't have access to the understanding of what they have to do

to right to to take their career to the next level to take our industry to the next level.

Y so circling back to our industry conference that's our goal. We're bringing in, for example, Glenn Gainner, who is leaving Amazon right now to launch his own venture with a bunch of highle people, and he's all about diverse storytelling and authentic storytelling.

We're bringing in um Ben Proudfoot, the twotime Oscar award-winning short um he directs short documentaries and just like amazing. He's going to come and talk about that and like the power of short form storytelling, but his journey too, right? Like how did he get to win two Academy Awards,

right? Um, I spoke with a producer today, Joseph, who lives on this island actually, and he's from Baltimore originally, but he worked on Fox Rescue High Surf and he's worked on like everything like The Wire. He worked on just like on films on like a and he lives here now like

Wleiki. Yeah. But, you know, we're going to bring him in and he's going to talk about that. He's just a kid from Baltimore as he puts it. He's not from LA. He's not from New York. So other people are doing it, have done it.

Yes, it's a changing landscape, but you know, it's doable and we want our Hawaii based creators to see that

and so that's what this industry conference is about. We're going to bring these people in, have one-on-one conversations. Um, yeah, it's exciting. I mean, I met with NBC today and they're going to bring in like they're going to do a panel NBC Universal and they have like a Native Hawaiian actress in one of their shows they want to bring in. So

that's incredible. That's like that's like mindblowing incredible resources bring being brought right here what to Kaimoki like just here and um that's that's I mean when is that conference

so yeah the conference is during the festival so HIF this year is October 16th through the 26th on Aahu after that we go um to the west side and neighbor islands but the conference itself is the 24th to the 26th right now our high film industry members get early access to buy it but starting in September anyone can buy a pass I do think they're going sell out. So,

and so how do you become a H High Film member? Um, you can just go to our website and join. Yeah, it's really easy. You know, we have HIF membership.

Um, like we have the HIF selects programs where it's like the surprise movie club. It's like the secret movie club and every month we show a movie.

Cool. Um, that a lot of times it hasn't come out yet. So, I know like my friend Jerry Lynn saw past lives in at the HIF selects and told me about it and that's one of our favorite movies. Um, yeah. So, Hi members right now have access. It'll go on sale to the public in September. Um, and it'll be at Shamanad University. So, really pretty and all in the Kaimoki Kahala, free parking. And we try to keep the ticket cost low, so it's very reasonable and it includes like all free food and beverages.

Um, yeah. On the opening night, we have Kapahal, Chef Kayak Lee doing like on poo. I know. That's my favorite restaurant, Kapahale by Kahala.

If you haven't been, it's so good. And it's like, well, it's like Kayaka and Heather Run and they're like high school sweethearts that went to like Khani. Oh, perfect.

And then he went and studied in San Francisco and New York and like worked in all these highle restaurants and then brought it all back.

Boom. A lot of people, you know, I the the key group that I have been fortunate to learn from, same thing. You know, he went to LA um to pursue his career. um and then worked 40 years Michael Bay like you know from he he's you know from here and he came back to take care of his parents less Tomato and he's sharing his knowledge with everyone here you know and so we do have a lot of people who either go out learn what they can and then come home or we are fortunate enough where a lot of people like to raise their families here in Hawaii and they they call Hawaii their home and I've never really ran into anyone someone um like that who doesn't share their knowledge or willing to share their knowledge you know and you know for you to get those people out to be able to speak at panels and organize that like somebody has to do that that's the thing a lot of people talk about it but you know you have people the like

the organization of HIF and yourself putting the time and effort into coordinating there's not a lot of money in doing all this right um so it's really your passion to to teach that's driving the next generation, you know, and we got to keep that keep that going. Um, so at at HIF, what do you think is the biggest challenge? Maybe not so much with HIF or maybe both. As a producer here in Hawaii, what is your biggest challenge? What is something that you always come across and go, I wish we this was better here? Um I think the infrastru we don't have the infrastructure that some communities do have that some film industries have

and we see what they have and so we feel a little like we want that like New Zealand

like Vancouver where they have support from say their government or they have just a more more robust industry that is feeding local projects as well. M

um so I think that's something that you know there is this um Hawaii film fund that's not the official name for it but it's basically the Hawaii film fund that a bunch of people applied for

$400,000 right I think so and they're but they're giving out like you know say up to 50,000 for a feature and up to 15,000 for a short

yeah wasn't there like 200 applicants it was I think it was a lot and I and I'm and Pacific Islanders in communication is navigating that contract

oh gotcha so it's a process and like you said it takes human beings Yeah. Behind the scenes to process everything.

So, it's a start. That's what I want to say. That's a start. Yeah. It's not a big start, but it's a start and we have to start somewhere.

So, there is that and there is say PIC and there is the Nicholls family fund and they're awesome.

Um, but you know, broader support and I think that's a lot of what Hawaii Film Alliance has talked about. Um,

is the industry benefits everyone here. That's what it comes down to. It's not a selfish ask.

It's not just, oh, you know, help our film industry cuz we need help. It's you help us. It's gives back like tenfold to the community. We bring in, you know, you bring in a feature,

a Disney, a Jumanji or an NCIS. It's bringing in millions of dollars to our economy. It's building awareness of the beauty of Hawaii.

There's just so much benefit. and you know and and employing right Hawaii people that are artists which I think most people do support in their heart.

Yeah. So yeah I I think um you know there's a misconception number one that it's not Hawaii people producing and and um working on these projects but you know I'm I'm here to kind of spread that word that and and that's what this podcast is for is like I want people to see the faces actually this is their career. This is their job. They've been doing this for years and years. their kids are doing this. You know, it's multigenerational. People been building it for generations. So, when you have a falloff or a scare like we have had in this past year, um it affects a lot of people, you know, and like you said, we, you know, we get a lot of support from outside businesses because outside businesses know the positive effects that we have on on other people. And um if there's any kind of marketing budget that Hawaii has, I think it should be all put toward our industry because not only is it say a weekly thing that

people are watching, you know, it's not like a one-time commercial or a flyer. Um it's actual a weekly program if if we do have a television show here or a movie or a short streamer. Um that it's a weekly marketing thing, you know, and that thing gets out there. Um so you know if there is some pivots that can be made you know um I think that that's some of them that would really really help us. Um so when you when you say your challenges are infrastructure um and you you you are you specifically talking about funding is is funding hard to find?

um funding. Yes. And like I said, I just feel like we need more broad support like we need support from the state. We need support from the city. We need support from all of these like we do have some you know like like HFA HIF we do work with some corporate but more

yes like more corporations who have a vested interest in Hawaii who are operating their businesses here and making so much money

off of our people off of the land here and tourists too of course but them to have a more vested interest what like maybe by force like by the tax the way the taxes is set up like oh you want to have a business here a chunk of that is going to go into the arts specifically for telling Hawaii's stories right

so that's you know that model is set up in other places it's not like reinventing we don't have to reinvent the wheel

I think um so there is it's money it's you know we do have some studios but we could have more

we could I think we could have you know just just that steady like presence of like we're here there's happening.

It's built. It It's It is It's built. It's here, you know. So, we we have So, we have like the film studio.

I'm saying like that's what we want to show, right? Exactly. Exactly. It's built. The The story is here. Come shop.

That's what it is. And so, yeah, we have we have the 18th Avenue studio and you know, there's some out in Capo and all that,

but I don't feel like we're taken seriously so much. You know what I mean? It's going to go like below the line and you know some crew and stuff but you know you just see that

and I understand also of course movies take a long time to make so you have your team that's on it for a long time that's not necessarily based there there's obviously that practical aspect

but there's plenty of times when you could have hired an above the line person here if you just dug a little deeper so I think your podcast if we have a um a hyphen a directory on our website. So that's one place too that we're trying to get people. Yeah. Just so

How do you get put on that directory? So if you just join the membership and then you're there and you know you can put your website and all that. So it's a nice we have I don't know I want to say 100 people or something on there now. Great.

Um and then of course I'll plug Hawaii filmmakers collective right. So I used to be the executive director there. I it's an all volunteer-run organization. So I've voluntarily worked there for

about 10 years. Yeah. Um, and now we at HIF I partner with them. So I still get to work with HFC people.

Um, but it's all volunteer run. You know, it was founded by Tom Schneider and Kino Rudalfo just two guys, local filmmakers who got together in a coffee shop and they were like, "Hey, you know, like we have an opportunity to rent this space. Like what if we did this?" And they did. And now it's like almost 300 members and there's all kinds of monthly events they have.

Where was that? Was that on W? It's still there. Yeah, that's right. So actually there's like HFC and then HIF were like down there. Yeah. So we're all in this and I feel like part of keep it Kimuki and reinvigorating the arts and small businesses.

Yeah. Diamond Head has studio is in the general area. Exactly. And we have our film festival at Kahala and this year the industry conference at Shamanad. Yeah.

So everything is like right there. Yeah. Um but yeah. So I know we're getting kind of

No, no, no. Um no, it's interesting. I I I do, you know, I like talking about the challenges um you know, especially from a producer standpoint because, you know, to be fair, I did want to touch on that subject and how important and what factors in is the inception of projects, right? I think the hard part about getting our people on movies and shows sometimes is the understanding that these shows, like you said, take years of development. Like I think Chief of War is like 10 years of development, right? Believe it or not, a lot of these shows are years of development. And so where where they're thought about and first created unfortunately is on the continent, right? So when you start your project there, just like how if you started a project here, right? Call up your friend as a DP. Call up your friends who are writers. Hey, let's go meet up. Let's start talking about it.

And then it gains traction. Next thing you know, it gets picked up. Now you're shooting it. But you've already have have had these people around you putting so much of their hours in um to your project. So unfortunately most of those are going to happen

in the mainland, right? And so that's where we need to come up, right? That's what we need to work on is

creating things from inception here and developing those things and then guess what? We'll be able to call the shots, you know? So, we have to take responsibility for that a little bit and not be so harsh on getting so upset at people's projects that they've developed elsewhere and are just trying to get them made. You know, we don't want to be pushing and shoving our way onto their passion projects. there's a balance because, you know, I mean, we you guys need to respect us and give us um a living,

but also, you know, we need to understand that once we start creating from inception here, we'll be able to call the shots. And I think that's why producers like you are so important in teaching that process and, you know, tapping into our talent. I mean, I would say, you know, when you talk about the challenges, it goes back to what I was saying in that I don't know that we have like homegrown producers or that we could use a lot more homegrown producers who are thinking strategically and who do have experience like I don't have so much experience in Hollywood. you know, my experience is very much like here in the indie film world and I'm just starting to get out there a little bit more and in fact we might be producing a locally based series which is really fun with a producer I know in New York. Um, but you know, it's like Angie Lret and and then there's like a few others and then there's me

and I don't even, you know, I'm still learning for sure and I have my mentors, producer mentors,

but it's that like we need more producers on the business side that are going to work with the creatives

to help that whole side of it, you know, the marketing, the strategy, the business. Like if you're a filmmaker these days, you're an entrepreneur basically.

Y And as you know, that's two different skill sets. Yeah. It's often very different parts of your brain and just like what you're good at. There's not a lot of people that are really good at the acting, directing, writing, creative stuff and good business managers.

Y that happens, but it's rare, right? Usually you like it's one or the other and then you get together with those people.

So I think we definitely have proven that we have this side of it. We have the creatives and we have the stories and we have super talented filmmakers like Alikica and Justin Aong and Kiara Lacy.

But what's next? And so more of this this producer side. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. And and um and that's why I think it's important like Hif, you know, doing a monthly meetup, right? and the Hawaii Film Alliance. That's basically, you know, all we really want to do is continue to unite and keep united our film industry and the culture of film making alive, right? And if you don't do that by face to face talking story just like old school, right? It's like cruising at the beach. You're going to get a lot more connection by chilling at the beach barbecuing than constantly, you know, on Instagram or emailing, you know. So, if we continue to create these um, you know, venues or places or, you know, conferences that people can get together, I think the inspiration, the momentum builds, right? and you get to I'm you know what so we at um Hawaii Film Alliance had a event at Moana's is the first you know meet and greet and we

wanted to make it it was it was actually very fun it was like very warming to see um my people again and then and then I met a whole bunch of people who have incredible skills in so much so many arenas I met a philanthropist I met um people who actually work in, you know, on the continent that want to come home and they was checking this out because they're looking for ways to come home, you know, in this industry and, you know, actors just everything, right? But the more we get together, the more we can start assembling that team like you said,

I'm a good grip. I am not good at business, right? But we need to find someone good at business. We need to find producers and then we need to find sound people, post-p production people. These are things that we can actually be working on. So, you know, at times we all want to cry out for help, help, help, help us. But these are actual practical ways that we can help ourselves. And you can do that by showing up, showing up to these things that local people are providing such as yourself right?

Um clubs, um film festivals. There's a lot of things that we can do. And if you're just to me, if you're just sitting on the sideline with your hand out and not active and trying to do something, then I think you're actually part of the problem. But that's just my opinion.

Well, I think there's, you know, nowadays with, you know, online resources, online resources, there's no excuse.

Yeah. to not be involved if you, you know, if you want to be in this industry and you're interested or you have the bug or anything like between HIF and our high film membership, Hawaii filmmakers collective, oh film labs, Hawaii women in film making, they're doing incredible things with education, especially young girls in Hawaii and teaching them film making.

Um, you know, and we have creative industries, right? And on Maui there's the Akaku, I think. And there's just like there's a lot going on. So there's a lot of opportunities to get out, get involved.

Um, and I think too, like you're saying, how to people and I've heard that before, people wanting to come back, right?

So there's online opportunities too to connect now, I think. Right, with the Zooms and all that.

So just tapping in, you know, HFA got to do a Zoom so that it can hit neighbor islands too.

Oh, we will. Yeah. And you know what? We we can't wait to bring in the Outer Islands into the f like we honestly love the passion because we know how hard it is to do it here in the city.

So I I just respect anybody. It's like people who do independent films as opposed to like network shows, right? When I whenever I go do an independent, I'm like how you guys do this? Like you guys are hardcore. You know what I mean? So it's like

it's a different ball game, right? I respect outer islands because they're doing it with the resources that they have, you know, and so um you're right though. It's like you there's no excuse and all you have to do is seek seek out these resources, you know, and you can make incredible things like what like right now what is you know a project that you're very proud of that you know you worked on. um well that that I worked on because I was just gonna say stuff that's going on right now is that there the HFC is having about to have a 72-hour film challenge and screening

and then um it's Labor Day so it's coming up. Yeah. But then the screening is two weeks later and so I think I'm going to be a judge for that one.

There we go. Now that I'm not officially there you know Kynoa was like hey um but for me personally um two projects uh that I'm excited about. One is Grace H which is written by Elizabeth Rion and stars her and Lindsay Watson.

Oh yes. Yeah. And Finding Ohana. That's right. And it also um co-stars Ocean Kawili.

Okay. Who was just on Chief of War and um he's amazing. And so it's based on a true story about Elizabeth's grand aunt who had moved here from the continent back in the 50s and was a teacher at Holly Eva Elementary and librarian. And every Sunday her sister would have a new man to try to set her up with

and she never wanted one. But she did have a best friend roommate Grace who like she traveled with and they like threw great dinner parties.

Um and when Elizabeth heard this she was like oh it's not poor Ruth. It's like, yeah, Ruth was a badass and she was living her life, you know,

and she wasn't going to con like just, you know, fit into the norms, right, and conform to the norms of society at the time.

So, we've just made a short film about that. We got Pacific Islanders communication grant for that.

And it actually um I'm excited to say, and like you said, this is a team effort, so like this is my team. Um

we actually won an award already before we had our premiere. So, we're going to be premiering, we've confirmed, at six different um international film festivals this fall and we won best indigenous nations films at the South Pacific Film Festival in New Zealand.

Let's go. And where did you guys shoot that? Here on Aahu in Monoa and at Kulio Beach.

Yeah. So, and and um how long how long was your I'm just curious about that kind of stuff. How long did it take to shoot?

Um so, two days. We did a two-day shoot. We had one day rehearsal. We did Thanksgiving weekend. So Thanksgiving was Thursday and then Friday was our rehearsal and Saturday and Sunday we shot. Um Ann Misawa from uh and the award-winning cinematographer, she was the DP. And because it's pick, we purposely had a lot of Pacific Islanders on the crew that were stepping up into roles that they hadn't been in. So our two producers, Kule Cahili and Brandon Bernaldees, are both Native Hawaiians who hadn't produced at that level. So they got to do that. I had a director intern, Cheryl Noilani, who is, you know, my shadow through the whole thing.

Uh, and we actually had two of our a Native Hawaiian student and another Pacific Islander student from Mid Pacific come and get to be paid interns on set. So, it was really wonderful and um yeah

congratulations to you. Yeah. And maybe you can speak on that. How hard is it to get into a film festival? So, you created this um, you know, wonderful you know, project. Now you're at the point, okay, what are we gonna do with it? I mean, you as a producer, you you were talking about having a direction to go from when you start the project. So, you already know I'm gonna make this film and then I'm going to put it into film festivals. What What is the hopes of doing that?

Yeah. So, for this film in particular, um it touches on a lot of themes about identity and queerness and also it's set during statehood. So, not only are these two women really not allowed to be themselves and maybe even fully understand themselves, but the Hawaiian characters are grappling with becoming a state and they're against it, you know, and it's very clear. But that's just really the setting. So, because of those two, I think very important topics. Um, from the beginning, we've always had this plan that, you know, our impact campaign is talking about those two issues and really just getting that out there, right? getting out that um I mean just telling more queer stories in general, but like 1950s Hawaii, like I grew up here. I never saw anything like that.

And I mean, when I first viewed the film we made, I balled because I was like, "Wow, if I had seen anything like this growing up, I would have had a very different understanding of myself."

So, I think getting it out there into the world is our goal. um just to tell those stories, especially at this time in this political climate. Like it's it's almost our activism is like making this film and getting it out into the world.

And then also just very important to me is like getting out that here in Hawaii a lot of us feel occupied still and feel that we're just still under illegal occupation. So um how important it is um especially in this climate that this story your your main mission is to get it out there and how what is the best way to get it out there basically.

Yeah. So that story though of like that we are occupied that some of us don't consider ourselves a state you know just getting that awareness out and having that conversation

and then from there I think our goal as a team is like I said getting the actual producers and you know people who haven't experienced that yet to the festivals so that our Pacific Islander filmmakers can take it up a notch right and like take it out there show what they're working on um and get out there and connect,

right? So, that's Yeah, that's my goal with that. Yeah. So, I'm sorry. I'm just saying this because I kind of do want to share

I do want to share the process. Sometimes it's it's very um disconnected, I think. And I think that's one thing that we can kind of clarify is how does a short film, your short film get to basically get the traction to maybe do a full feature, right? and and the film festival route is clearly a popular route. One of the most people take is that what the film festivals bring in investors and producers and that's what you're trying to showcase to them.

They can. Okay. They definitely can. Um it, you know, like I said in the beginning, there's no straight path in this industry. So, you really got to want it, right? and and especially now postcoid, post strikes, post t tax cuts everywhere else but here.

Um you have to forge your own way and you have to get creative, right? So one way that people have done it that we've seen is that you have a short say as a concept for a feature and you take it out to the festivals and if you can get into the bigger level festivals there tends to be higher level producers, executive producers, maybe studio reps, maybe distribution reps, right? going to the festivals to see what are the films out there and see if there's anything they like. So that's one way to do it. I think one reason too that a lot of us go to festivals is we're kind of proving ourselves as filmmakers with the short films, right?

So it's like if I can make three award-winning short films and say maybe one goes to Sundance or whatever it is, you know, like just award-winning short films and I've proven myself as a filmmaker, as a producer, as a director, as a writer, whatever it is. Um, then when I if I do approach someone with money,

sure, it's like, okay, here's my work and it's screened at, you know, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and won the audience award and it's screened at Tribeca and it, you know, it won best film at HIFF and blah blah blah and here's the film and then they can watch it

because these are still human beings and they watch it and they go, "Oh, you did a good job on this and I trust you now to make a feature."

So there's, you know, Yeah. I think I think that's the whole point that people miss as well. Film making is a big dice roll and when you're trying to pitch to investors that hey this could either make money, break even or some because you're trying to get the message of your film out there but it's not free and you need somebody to make it and usually the people funding that look for a return on investment. So like you said the the film festival you know the awards that you win the people that you show it to the credentials that you get helps you pitch for other ideas in the future.

Absolutely. The other thing that festivals do I think is connect us. I have made the most incredible connections. Um even at small film festivals I found um

I found the director that I'm is going to direct my family's Korean-American feature film and she's incredible. She's like in PGA WGA. She's directed over 100 episodes of network television,

award-winning filmmaker herself, and we just connected. She's Korean immigrant.

Her name is the same name as my grandmother. They're both named Anna Park. But this was like because she saw my film at a festival. She saw the Q&A. She reached out to me

and we connected and then I actually brought her out here to do a workshop and you know, so it's also that because like you said, you need people to make films

and I went there. I actually felt like I manifested that because I went to this film festival in New York. It's called Caffne. It's not the biggest film festival, but they're really great at bringing people together. And it was originally the Korean-American Film Festival New York. Now it's called Capne Infinite Cinema, and they do all kinds of films.

And I went there with the intention of thinking, I want to meet KoreanAmerican producers that are better than me, that are more experienced than me. You know what I mean? That just like

like that are like And I did. Yes. like I went and I met Anna and I met Jen and now we're friends and they both have worked on much higher level stuff. They're a little bit older than me, but you know they they liked my film and then now they're mentoring me and I'm so grateful. So that's the other thing that festivals can do is you need the people to make the films and if you have any right if you're smart you want to work with people that are better than you that are more experienced than you if they're willing to work with you.

Yes, absolutely. I always preach that too. you know, you want to put yourself in a room where there's a lot more people with experience higher than you and you can reach up to that level. If you had to um you know, give a young filmmaker, I mean, obviously you teach high school, so you're talking to a lot of them young filmmakers, but uh if they're out there and you had to tell them one thing, one bit of advice you'd have to tell a young filmmaker, what what would it be? I would say what I tell my students, a big message I tell them, which is the film industry has so many different opportunities for careers. And we often think about the writer, director, maybe the producer, but the writer, director, star. Those are the three that like always come up, right?

And there's 200 people a lot of times in the room that are just as, you know, passionate about telling that story and have a totally different skill set. And we need like as a producer, I need like I only know a couple of sound people that work in Hawaii right now, right? And if they're taken, what am I going to do? So I tell my students this, like maybe you didn't think, oh, I want to work in sound. So maybe you do want to be a writer or director. you can still do that whilst building your career in a skill set that's actually in demand that you could then take and do pretty much anywhere throughout the world. So, you're talking about being a grip, talking about being an AD, talking about being a production manager, wardrobe, hair, lighting, all those things. You you know how it is, Brian. You get good at it, you will work. So you can do that and then you still can write and direct and produce and guess what? All your

friends are in the industry and they will help you now. That's right.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Jana Park: Producing Power, Purpose & Pacific Stories"?

In order: 0:00 Chief of War, Chief of War, Hawaii Film Awards, Hawaii Filmmakers Collective; 40:00 Chief of War, Chief of War, Hawaii Film Alliance, Hawaii Film Fund; 50:00 Hawaii Film Alliance, Chief of War, Chief of War, Finding Ohana.

What is mentioned in this The Big Picture episode?

16 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Chief of War, Chief of War, Hawaii Filmmakers Collective, Hawaii Film Alliance, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii International Film Festival. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Jana Park: Producing Power, Purpose & Pacific Stories"?

The episode runs 1 h 6 min; the transcript is about 13,051 words in 266 timestamped sections.

More from The Big Picture

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 7, 2026.