FWENDS premiered at the 45th Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani.
In this short form video review, HOCCI mentee Curtis Wilmington III shares his thoughts on the Australian film, FWENDS. This feature film was one of three assigned screenings for the HOCCI cohort this year, which featured extended discussions with guest film critics and mentors.
Check out Curtis’ YouTube channel here: youtube.com/@Curtyy
The HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai’i through mentorship and paid career opportunities for Hawai’i-based AANHPI critics. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden diversity in film criticism across the Pacific and use influencer branding strategies to spark career opportunities. The 2025 HOCCI is supported by Critical Minded, a grant-making and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.
Curtis Wilmington III is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker finishing his final semester in the Video Production program at Leeward Community College. He’s passionate about every aspect of filmmaking and has hands-on experience directing, producing, editing, and working as an AD and PA. Curtis also worked as a VFX Intern on Disney’s LILO & STITCH (2025) during the on-set production in Oahu, giving him insight into large-scale studio operations. In his free time, he pursues photography and content creation to keep developing his visual storytelling skills. He’s excited to join the HOCCI 2025 cohort to deepen his understanding of film criticism, believing that continuous learning across all facets of filmmaking is essential for growth.
