Here a list of films directed by women and girls screening at the 39th Hawai'i International Film Festival. Tickets can be purchased at https://hiff.org/. Enter the code: HIFF39 and you get a $2 discount! November 7 7:30 PM UNTRUE – Sigrid ANDREA BERNARDO November 8 5:30 PM PICTURE CHARACTER – Ian CHENEY – Martha SHANE 5:30 PM CONNECTING THE DOTS Shorts – [THE WIND PHONE – Kristen GERWECK – BOZE – Fuyuko MOCHIZUKI – THIS INK RUNS DEEP – Asia YOUNGMAN – ST. LOUIS SUPER

Reel Wāhine of Hawai‘i is a film series that redresses gender inequity in the film industry by documenting the real-life stories of Hawai‘i women filmmakers through a female gaze. Filmed by all-women crews, these six short portraits reveal untold stories of local activists and artists who preserve Hawai‘i history and culture through film. Six new films will have their world premiere at the 39th Hawai‘i International Film Festival on November 16 and 17. Produced, filmed, edite

We knew that week 5 of Making Media That Matters was going to be production-intensive. We are already half way through our program - where did the time go? We have only two sessions in which to film before moving to post-production. So, after a quick check-in with the team members, a healthy breakfast and some other program-related planning, the participants came in, naturally gravitating towards their crew members and talking about their film’s production. When it was time t

What do you like about yourself? This was the question with which we opened the space. Some had a prompt answer: “I like my personality!” “I like that I’m friendly!” “I like my standards.” “I like my hair.” Naming something we like about ourselves should be an easy thing to identify, but quite a few struggled to answer it. I think if asked what they like about someone else, the answers would have been immediate. I wonder why is it so much easier to compliment someone else tha

I love Saturdays! I love them because Saturdays mean Making Media That Matters (until November 2, anyway)! Saturday mornings, the team meets to chat about our weeks as we set up the space to welcome our participants. Saturday is when we gather again to learn about filmmaking, about each other, and what matters to all of us. It is simply splendid to witness the convergence of all this vibrant energy in just one place! We opened the session with a fun game - “two truths and a l

Opening a new session of Making Media That Matters brings me great joy...always. Sometimes we rush getting everything ready, but once we start we are in full force and present. Slightly after 9:00 am, we began by circling up to check in on how we were feeling that morning. Some of us were grateful, some of us were content to be where we were. Some of us were tired from a long week (which, for a few of us included protesting at the Climate March the day before). It was Saturda

Here we go - a new Making Media That Matters! We gathered for our first session this past Saturday, and it was magic. This is not the first MMTM we’ve organized at Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking, yet feelings of exhilaration and excitement on the first day are so powerfully present. We welcomed our young women as they came in, looking mesmerized by the beauty of the Waiwai (our new MMTM space!), and slowly making themselves comfortable. As they entered the space, they wrote on n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Vera Zambonelli Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking, 808-206-0848 vera@hawaiiwomeninfilmmaking.org WOMEN OF WONDERS FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS 2019 LINEUP (Honolulu, HI)— The 6th edition of Women of Wonders Film Festival, presented by Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking, announces their lineup today. The Festival hosts screenings at the HoMa Doris Duke Theatre, March 15-17, 2019. Audiences will enjoy films featuring women’s and girls’ stories around the world

Recently, we collaborated with Waiwai Collective to present Amplifying Youth Voices, a special presentation of short films produced during our 2018 Making Media That Matters program. Ka Waiwai is truly a special place and we could not have been more excited to hold a screening there. We started the evening by gathering in “the vault” at the back of Ka Waiwai. We ate ʻono Hawaiian food from Farm to Fork, a new restaurant across the street who prioritizes locally-sourced ingred

Saturday evening was the Making Media That Matters film screening at the Girls Who Make Movies Film Fest! It was held at the amazing Doris Duke Theatre, which has a beautiful, intimate auditorium. I adore screening night. It’s so incredible to see the final films and to witness the talent, hard work, and ingenuity that goes into them. I arrived to help set up and greet the participants, but when I got there everything was done and ready to go! So, I whipped out my phone to fi

Films produced at our filmmaking programs for girls were officially invited to the 38th Annual Hawaii International Film Festival (November 8-18, 2018). The films were: Thoughts and Prayers by Jade McKinney, Olivia Park, Inez Anderson, Jessie Hearther, and Jordan Hurst; The Vortex by Senala Poe, Jessie Hearther, Fiona Sievert, and Jade Brier; The Mural by Emily Smith, Ka’iulani Ferrer, Helena Goto, Kaede Kimura, and Xiamara Gallant Ortiz; and Decode Dress Code by Martha Nicho

It’s Thursday night and I cannot BELIEVE it is the last session of Making Media That Matters, 2018! The program always seems to move quickly, but this one moved at warp speed! As we settled into a circle with our snacks, Vera talked to us about the last 11 weeks. She discussed the importance of the films created, as well as the significance of the relationships we developed. She shared sadness in saying goodbye, but pride in all of the work students contributed. I felt myself

Reel Wāhine of Hawaiʻi was a special presentation at Hawai‘i International Film Festival. It screened on November 10 at 1:15 and was a very special time for everyone involved! Produced, filmed, edited and directed by local women filmmakers, Reel Wāhine of Hawaiʻi is a series of six short films profile women who helped create and build the local independent film industry as well as current working filmmakers at the top of their field. At a time when the film industry has come

It was another year of Connect, Collaborate, and Corroborate! at the 2018 Wāhine in Film Mixer! The Mixer was launched 3 years ago with the idea of bringing together all the women and girls who had films screening at the Hawaii International Film Fest so that we could all go and support each other. This year, we hosted during brunch hours. Over 50 people joined the mixer and had the opportunity to make new friends or catch up with older ones. Doors opened at 11:30 and guests

As a turkey sub was being devoured, a mysterious figure named 'Bob' emerged. He spoke of his 5 year old daughter whose animation was showcased at the very first HIFF in 1981. History was about to reveal itself. Waiting in line at HIFF can be a worthwhile experience! 'Bob' expressed how his daughter, addressed an audience of 600! She told a tale of 2 flowers that were friends, they got into a spat, and as the sun rose, so did their friendship, to endure brighter days. At

Your are invited to the 2nd Annual Girls Make Movies Film Festival (GMMFF), dedicated to celebrating and promoting the diverse perspectives of young women in film. GMMFF showcases the new emerging talent, supports young women in the field of filmmaking and fosters partnerships that give opportunities for young women filmmakers worldwide. We will screen short films produced during our 2018 Spring and Fall Making Media That Matters program, which provides a platform for girls t

A majority of young female surfers and their parents, filled the theater for HIFF's Premiere screening of 'Unstoppable" and a chance to hear from their heroine first hand. Bethany Hamilton, is one of my heroes! She's humble and determined. She's had many challenges, simultaneously, and never stopped trying. She is "Unstoppable" and she teaches every girl the secret behind her strength. Here are some memorable questions the audience got to ask. Most memorable Q & A from

Last weekend, we participated in the Hawaiʻi Peopleʻs Fund’s 46th Anniversary Bash: Visionary Futures | Future Visionaries. As HPF put it, all of us participants make up their “incredible family of changemakers” – and what an honor it was to share space with so many impactful organizations & community members! Our station was right next to the entrance of the event, which was held at Church of the Crossroads. As folks checked in and got settled into the space, they could stop

We’re nearing the end of another season of Making Media That Matters. We only have a few weeks left! We began the session promptly at 4pm at Impact Hub. The filmmaking mentors wanted to open the space by checking on the production process. They asked each team to show the entire group some of the footage captured from last week’s session. A few groans arose. It’s hard to have your work viewed mid-process, before editing and music and the right angles are selected. A few parti

Valerie and I had lots of fun participating in the CK Student Career Expo last week! The event was very well-organized and all the youth were prepared with professional questions & notebooks. The goal was for the students to interview various organizations / employers throughout the day to gain insight on potential career fields. Val and I started the day by checking in at Kapolei High School and getting set up. We ran into some familiar faces right away and there were people