The Hawai’i film industry is intent upon growing into a leading force within the local economy and global entertainment scene. Fueled by tax breaks and an increasingly educated, motivated and well-trained talent and crew base, the islands are attracting both big-budget Hollywood productions and independent passion projects. Popular recent series filmed in Hawai’i include NCIS: Hawaii, Magnum PI, Hawaii Five-O, Rescue: HI Surf and Chief of War; blockbuster movies include Aquaman, Jurassic Park and Jumanji.

Globally, there is also a fresh focus on the value of diverse voices in storytelling, with media producers like Netflix and Prime Video expressing a desire for more indigenous content. The University of Hawai’i, in collaboration with Island Productions, just announced that it will be building a state-of-art film studio on West O’ahu, an area of the island traditionally populated by higher numbers of Native Hawaiians.

And yet, according to the nonprofit International Cultural Arts Network (iCan), “despite the large number of TV and film productions filming in Hawai’i, the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (NHPI) population is still the smallest percentage represented in the overall entertainment industry.”

Therefore, those involved in leading the local media scene increasingly are dedicating themselves to spreading the message that Hawai’i is about more than just beautiful backdrops. It’s a place that births and supports filmmakers, actors, and storytellers with diverse backgrounds and points of view.

Here, six leaders of the Hawai’i entertainment industry share their insights on what’s working, what needs to be fixed, and what the future holds: Ken Kao, James Sereno, Aaron and Jordan Kandell, Angela LaPrete and Jeanette Hereniko.

Ken Kao, Waypoint Entertainment

Waypoint Entertainment has successfully produced highly acclaimed films including Academy Award-winning The Favourite starring Olivia Coleman, The Nice Guys featuring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, and The Glass Castle, based on the bestselling memoir. Their latest feature, Cuckoo, premiered at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival and also screened at South by Southwest.

Waypoint cofounder Ken Kao has made an impact in the film industry for 14 years, but only relocated from LA to Hawaii four years ago, during the pandemic. This move has given him an enhanced local perspective on global filmmaking.

“I’ve never been into creating entertainment just to make a buck,” said Kao in an exclusive interview with me. “I like the films I work on to have a message, to push the limits of a genre, to be something that stays with people. The Holy Grail for me is making something entertaining and meaningful at the same time. That’s what I strive for.”

The experienced producer recently branched out into screenwriting, and hopes to direct someday soon. One of his biggest objectives these days is to bring attention to indigenous cultures and help support inclusiveness within the entertainment industry.

“A lot of film people come here for the beauty of the scenery, and I have nothing against this. Hawaii Five-O, NCIS Hawaii – good for them,” Kao says. “But very few shows or movies use Hawai’i as a character. I would love to be able to do that, to elevate the story so that outsiders don’t just think of Hawai’i as some tourist spot with piña coladas and aloha shirts. I also know there is a growing lineup of local talent in terms of behind-the-camera crew, as well as great actors. We plan to really tap into that in our local productions.”

James Sereno, Kinetic Productions

Kinetic Productions is an award-winning production firm based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Founder James Sereno is a producer and director of short films, feature films and commercials. He grew up in Hawaiʻi and graduated from the USC Film School with a degree in Cinematic Arts. At Team One Advertising, he won a coveted Cannes Bronze Lion for his America West Airlines spot. Back home, he has received numerous Pele Awards, which are given to local advertising agencies.

Sereno wrote, produced and directed the short film Silent Years, which won numerous awards and resulted in an invitation from Roger Ebert to showcase the narrative work at Ebertfest. He also directed and produced the feature films Paradise Broken and Haole, and has produced several more.

“I grew up in Hawaiʻi and went away to film school in LA, but eventually wanted to come home to tell stories of my culture,” Sereno said in an exclusive interview with me. He moved back in 1999, formed Kinetic Productions, and has since focused on telling local stories. “I love that I live, love and produce in my ʻaina [homeland].”

Sereno feels it is a very dynamic time for telling stories of inclusion and diversity – and that Hawaiʻi sits at the center of the cultural melting pot. “With filmmakers like Justin Chon (Gook, Chief of War) and Chris Yogi (I Was a Simple Man, August at Akikoʻs), the future is exciting,” he says. However, it’s always a challenge to “share your unique perspective and point of view while still making something that appeals to a broader audience.”

To aspiring filmmakers, Sereno offers this advice. “There is really no excuse today for not being able to tell a story and bring it to life. Equipment is so accessible. You truly just need passion and a good story to make it happen.”

Angela Laprete, ICAN

Angela Laprete has over 30 years of experience as a producer on projects spanning from feature films and TV series to music videos and commercials. Her credits include Chief of War, Monarch, Hawaii Five-O and the award-winning independent film The Wind and The Reckoning, which was shot mostly in Olelo (Hawaiian language).

Born to a Japanese mother and Italian-Irish father, Laprete grew up in Hawaii from the age of four. She is fiercely committed to building out Native Hawaiian talent at all levels of production, from PAs and crew to directors and producers. She also feels that authenticity is critical in shows about Hawai’i, and therefore helps productions connect with cultural advisors. But she admits it can be frustrating at times to get people to take local talent and cultural values seriously.

In order to further these objectives, Laprete cofounded the nonprofit International Cultural Arts Network (iCan) with industry partners Brian Keaulana and Robert Suka last year. “Our big picture goal is building out a sustainable entertainment industry in Hawai’i – infrastructure, workforce development and opportunities for our talent,” she said in an exclusive interview with me.

ICAN offers free classes in acting and writing to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) who are accepted into their programs. “We always think outside the box,” says Laprete. “We don’t conform to the norms because we are fortunate to have been in the business for so long. We bring in these high-level people who are in Hawai’i to teach. It’s been really inspiring for our students and our teachers.”

In terms of seeing more indigenous content and opportunities for NHPI folks, Laprete points to the success of Reservation Dogs and Beef. “There is an opportunity for more of these kinds of indigenous, diverse stories to be told from the inside out. That’s happening – and it is happening in Hawai’i, if slowly. But it is only happening because of people like those at ICAN saying, ‘We have the talent. Give them the opportunity. Our culture is so important. We have to preserve that.’”

Aaron and Jordan Kandell, Twin Ink

Identical twins Aaron and Jordan Kandell were born and raised in Hawai’i, then went on to study film and creative writing at USC. After graduating, they moved back home to the islands. Operating under their banner of Twin Ink, they have produced and written for numerous film and TV projects, including the animated version of Disney’s Moana and the feature film Adrift.

The Kandell brothers feel strongly that it is time for the film industry to become more inclusive. As a result, they’re delighted to see so many people of Hawaiian and Polynesian ancestry emerging onto the scene – not just in crew positions, but also rising up as writers, directors and producers.

“We are values-driven in Hawai’i,” they said in an exclusive interview with me. “The culture of collaboration, humility and hard work that endures in the islands plays a vital role in the success of people in the industry.”

They then proceeded to list filmmakers of note based in the islands, many of whom are kanaka, of Polynesian ancestry:

· Dana Ledoux Miller, an accomplished Samoan female writer who is currently working on the live action Moana and the animated Moana sequel

· Angela Laprete and Brian Keaulana, producers, and Pa’a Sibbet, writer/creator, the local team behind Jason Momoa’s massive epic series Chief of War

· Chris Bright, the first writer of Hawaiian ancestry on a major studio film set in Hawaii: the live action version of Lilo & Stitch

· Mitchell Viernes and Paula Fuga, who shot the new short Kukini entirely in Olelo (Hawaiian language) using an all-kanaka cast, crew, and craftsmen

· Gerard Elmore, a producer and the director of Ohina, who has been selected for Sundance producer lab

· Matt Kester, the first local boy writer to become a showrunner of a major network show, Rescue: HI Surf, which is being set and shot entirely on O’ahu using local talent

· Noah Evslin, the Kauai-born and bred writer and producer of numerous Shondaland shows who currently writes on NCIS Hawaii and Rescue

· Erin Lau, the first female kanaka filmmaker to direct a network TV episode, who is currently shooting Rescue

· Alika Tengen, who is in post-production on his second local feature film. His first was hailed at Sundance in 2022

“And there are still other heavy hitters who aren’t from Hawai’i, but do live and work here!” the Kandell brothers add. “The new head of film at Netflix, Dan Lin, relocated his family to the islands a few years ago, for example, and now serves on the Board of the Hawai’i International Film Festival.”

When the Kandell brothers returned to Hawai’i after university, they worked briefly as teachers. They maintain that same spirit of mentorship to this day, actively leading creative salons and participating in efforts to uplift the local film community. “You have to build relationships in order to succeed in this business,” they say. “We’re happy to help the future generation of Hawai’i filmmakers do just that.”

Jeannette Hereniko, Hawaii International Film Festival

As the founder of the Hawaii International Film Festival back in 1981, Jeannette Hereniko is the O.G. matriarch of the local film world. A lifelong storyteller, she decided to create HIFF shortly after moving to Hawaii in the mid-70s because, she said in an exclusive interview with me, “It became clear and shocking to me that the individual life stories of Hawai’i’s Asian Americans and Hawaiians were rarely featured in the media and never seen on the big screen.”

When she launched the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, the purpose of her life came into focus: The Festival showcased films made by and about Asians and Pacific Islanders that reflected their stories about their culture and point of view.

These days, Hereniko says, the Hawaiʻi film scene is experiencing a renaissance. “Hawaiʻi filmmakers are better prepared and positioned to share their stories on the screen than ever before. We have built a supportive film community nurtured by HIFF, Ohina, ICAN and Hawai’i Women in Filmmaking, to name but a few. Perhaps most importantly, today the world of filmmaking welcomes and often seeks out diversity.”

That said, people in Hawai’i continue to face the same challenge as always: Funding. “Unlike New Zealand, Canada, France, Korea, and many other places, our national and state governments do not offer meaningful funding for filmmakers, particularly for those who want to make a feature film that may not be a blockbuster hit,” Hereniko explains. “It’s especially competitive to secure funds from Hawaiʻi donors because we are a relatively small state with immediate worthy and urgent needs.”

The solution? “We need more imaginative producers who, among other things, can write convincing business plans that attract investors and private donors,” Hereniko says. “We also must elect state leaders who recognize the value of Hawaiʻi’s film industry, not only economically but as a universally effective medium to tell stories that reflect our diverse and rich culture.”