HIFFxACM Accelerator Work-In-Progress Lab
FAITH CHRISTY SOLIVEN
Film Project: HOUSING IN HAWAII – How Hawaii evolved into its housing crisis and what young people envision to help our local and Native Hawaiian people stay or return home.
Faith Christy Soliven is an American-Filipina storyteller born and raised in Maui, Hawaiʻi, and is a Creative Media Filmmaking major at the University of Hawai’i Maui College. Faith also volunteers her time as a member of HIFF’s Student Committee. She currently does portrait photography and promotional videos through her business, Faith Creative Media. Check out her portfolio at faithcreatiive.myportfolio.com
DILLON VALENZUELA & ALEXANDRA ILIKEA PERREIRA
Film Project: SHRIMPTON – An experimental multi-media animated short film that follows a shrimp stuck in the daily grind of an office job. Throughout the film, Shrimpton escapes his mundane life by daydreaming about alternate versions of himself in parallel universes.
Dillon Valenzuela is an animation artist and recent graduate from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Dillon’s first self-produced animated short film, GOING UP?, was featured in 2023 at HIFF’s University Shorts Showcase.As a recent college graduate, Dillon currently works as a freelance animator with 09 Studios, animating social media content for the Bratz dolls.
Alexandra Ilikea Perreira is an animation and storyboard artist who was born and raised in the East Bay Area of California. She is a graduating senior studying Computer Animation at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. As a Native Hawaiian and Quechua woman, she has cultivated a deep-seated passion for indigenous representation in media through her character and themes.
SERAH FLORENDO-IBOSHI
Film Project: LE JARDIN: Le Jardin (The Garden) is an experimental short video which combines organic components, whimsical shadows and lights, and the eerie sounds of “Brutus” by the Buttress to create an unfathomable, yet profound dance with the senses.
Serah Florendo-Iboshi is a senior at the University of Hawaiʻi- West Oʻahu’s Academy of Creative Media. She has worked with multiple forms of creative media including writing, videography, photography, and social media. Whether she is knee deep in the lo’i or out in the yard with her chickens, spending time in nature is a huge inspiration and an integral part of Serah’s life.
PETER WU
Film Project: CONFRONTATION SKYLINE – A experimental short student film about a photographer gets his photos stolen by another photographer & has to deal with copyright
Peter Yuanhong Wu is a 19-year-old American born Chinese Director, born and raised on Oahu, and a finalist at HIFF’s Future Filmmakers Showcase in 2019 for TOUCH OF A LANTERN. He’s currently a freshman at Kapiolani Community College taking his general education before transfering to UH Mānoa. Peter also has theater experience from McKinley High School. After this film, Peter feels more confident in directing in the genre of thrillers. He loves being on set and wishes for more experience under his belt. Connect with him on Instagram @pefilmr
BETHANY ZAMORA
Film Project: STORM SIBLINGS – Two foster siblings take shelter from a hurricane in a small room where they’re low on supplies, power, and patience with each other.
Bio: Hi, My name is Bethany Zamora! My favorite color is orange, and I love storytelling– sharing emotion and experiences– and if “storyteller” could be an occupation, it would be my dream job. “Filmmaker” is pretty close, and what I’m working towards as a creative media student at Kaua’i Community College.
ARIA DELGADO
Film Project: NO, I DON’T FEEL SAFE – A short documentary film that raises awareness on women’s safety. Eleven brave women are interviewed to share their thoughts and experiences that run through their mind as they do everyday tasks in public or even at home.
Aria Delgado is a Mexican-Japanese artist born and raised in California. She is currently a sophomore, majoring in Liberal Arts at Hawai’i Community College. She participated in the Discovery Animation summer program at California Institute of the Arts, in addition to the California State Summer School for the Arts. In her free time, she loves to explore with different art mediums and play her harp. If you would like to see more of her artwork, check out her Instagram: @ariartsss.
ALEX CLEARY
Film Project: STITCHES – Half human-puppet hybrid returns to the set of his popular children’s show, and in encountering his family and former co-stars, he revisits and confronts the conflicts that distanced himself from his family.
Bio: Growing up, film was an important aspect of life. Growing up on the island of Oahu, the world could sometimes feel small, but through film I could escape that smallness. Eventually I began to become interested in filmmaking myself. I would go on to work on several short films, some of my own and some others, and I would eventually go on to write Stitches, which had won the Abernethy Screenwriting Competition, which was the sign that I had to make this story a reality. Making this film would be a major step forward in my filmmaking career, learning crucial lessons I will take with me into the profession.