New American Perspectives
Presented by
Celebrating Immigrant and Foreign-born Artists and Filmmakers
The New American Perspectives program shines a spotlight on immigrant and foreign-born artists, celebrating the powerful impact that diversity has on contemporary cinema and media in the United States. The program centers the voices of immigrant artists through film screenings, filmmaker Q&As, a master class, and a panel discussion.
We are honored to introduce our 2026 New American Perspectives cohort: Ke Huy Quan (b. Vietnam); Henry Ian Cusick (b. Peru); Liz Sargent (b. South Korea); Alex Tarrant (b. New Zealand); Michelle Zhou (b. China).
New American Perspectives filmmakers Henry Ian Cusick and Alex Tarrant will also participate in HIFF’s Guest Filmmaker Program, which brings artists from around the globe into K-12 classrooms in Hawai’i.
Since 2000, the Vilcek Foundation has supported immigrants and their contributions to the arts and sciences through collaborations with organizations like the Hawai’i International Film Festival. Starting in 2007, the Vilcek Foundation has partnered with HIFF to present the New American Perspectives (NAP) program, which serves as a platform to highlight the voices of immigrant artists. The unique perspectives of these creative, entrepreneurial filmmakers enrich film and bring forth new, inspiring narratives.
The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org.
Ke Huy Quan
NAP FEATURED FILMMAKER
Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan has made one of Hollywood’s most remarkable comebacks. After breaking out as Short Round in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and Data in THE GOONIES, Quan stepped away from acting, working behind the scenes in film production and stunt choreography before returning to the screen decades later.
His acclaimed performance as Waymond in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE earned him the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, and historic SAG Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has since appeared in Disney+’s LOKI and AMERICAN BORN CHINESE, Universal’s LOVE HURTS, Netflix’s THE ELECTRIC STATE, and Disney’s ZOOTOPIA 2 as Gary De’Snake.
Quan will next share his extraordinary journey in his memoir, Never Say Die, arriving September 15, 2026. Tracing his path from childhood refugee to Hollywood star, the book explores resilience, identity, reinvention, and an unforgettable second act.
NEVER SAY DIE: A Book Talk with
Ke Huy Quan
November 1, 12:30 PM | Da Shop, Kaimuki
Join Academy Award®-winning actor Ke Huy Quan at DaShop in Kaimukī for an intimate conversation celebrating his new memoir, “Never Say Die”.
In this moving, candid, and often funny memoir, Quan reflects on his remarkable journey—from childhood stardom and decades away from the spotlight to one of Hollywood’s most inspiring comebacks. A love letter to the movies and people who shaped him, Never Say Die is a story of perseverance, resilience, and holding onto your dreams against the odds.
This special book talk offers a rare opportunity to hear Quan reflect on his extraordinary life, career, and the lessons learned along the way.
Alex Tarrant
Alex Tarrant is an Auckland-born actor of Māori, Samoan, and Niuean descent and a graduate of New Zealand’s national drama school, Te Kura Toi Whakaari O Aotearoa. He is best known internationally for starring as Kai Holman in NCIS: Hawai’i and Valandil in The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, alongside prominent roles across New Zealand and Australian television. Tarrant made his international feature debut in NIGHT RAIDERS, earning a Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His recent work includes the CBS sitcom DMV and the hybrid biopic SGT HAANE (2026), adding to a growing body of work that has established him as one of the Pacific’s most recognizable screen actors.
Liz Sargent
Liz Sargent is a Korean American adoptee whose award-winning filmmaking explores adoption, disability, and family. A writer-director with a background in choreography, she brings a unique visual and emotional sensibility to her storytelling, shaped by her experiences as the middle child of eleven siblings and her intersectional identity. Her debut feature, TAKE ME HOME, premiered in U.S. Competition at the Sundance Film Festival, where she received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. The film later screened internationally in the Perspectives Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Michelle Zhou
Michelle Zhou is a Los Angeles-based writer-director whose work explores intimate relationships and shifting power dynamics. Her short FISH EYE won Best Short Film at the 46th USA FF. She will write and direct an episode of HBO Asia’s anthology series HER OWN CHOICE. Her feature screenplay UNDER THE SNOW was a Sundance Screenwriters Lab semi-finalist.
Her debut feature, BIG LITTLE THINGS, won the Market Potential Award at the 62nd Golden Horse WIP and was selected for Udine’s Focus Asia. The film has been selected for the Orizzonti section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival and will have its world premiere in Venice this September and is also playing at HIFF46.
Henry Ian Cusick
Henry Ian Cusick is a Peruvian actor and director, best known as Desmond Hume in the U.S. series Lost (2004), for which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination. He also starred as Marcus Kane in The 100, Stephen Finch in Scandal, Dr. Jonas Lear in The Passage, and Russ Taylor in MacGyver. Born in Trujillo, Peru, to a Peruvian mother and Scottish father, he is fluent in English and Spanish. His first leading stage roles came at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow — including Dorian Gray opposite Rupert Everett as Hamlet in The Marowitz Hamlet — and his classical work earned a special commendation at the 1995 Ian Charleson Awards. After starring as Jesus in THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (2003), he was cast in Lost. His short film DRESS (2013) won Best Short Film at the Peace on Earth and Hawaii International Film Festival. He stars in LOS VAMPIRES (2026), where he speaks in his native Spanish.
NEW PERSPECTIVES IN FILMMAKING
OCT 26, 6:00 PM | Honolulu Civil Beat
New American Perspectives (NAP), presented by the Vilcek Foundation, celebrates immigrant and foreign-born artists whose voices are shaping contemporary American cinema and media.
Join HIFF46’s NAP cohort—Henry Ian Cusick (born in Peru), Alex Tarrant (born in Aotearoa New Zealand), Liz Sargent (born in South Korea), and Michelle Zhou (born in China)—for a moderated conversation about their careers, creative journeys, and experiences navigating culture, identity, and belonging. Together, they reflect on how immigrant perspectives enrich the creative landscape, challenge conventional narratives, and expand the evolving language of American storytelling.
