2026 HIFILM Industry Conference | HIFF | Hawai'i International Film Festival

The HIFILM Industry Conference returns for its second year at Chaminade University in the Clarence T.C. Ching Conference Center. This groundbreaking event brings together filmmakers, storytellers, and industry professionals from Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and beyond for a weekend of inspiring conversations, industry insights, and meaningful connections.

Join us for two days of engaging panels and topical fireside chats exploring subjects including AI and the future of filmmaking, Indigenous storytelling, genre and horror filmmaking, producing in Hawaiʻi, and more. Connect with fellow creatives through networking opportunities, including our Saturday evening Networking Reception at Talk Kaimuki, proudly sponsored by NBC, as we celebrate and support the vibrant film community in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific.

$ 125 Inclusive of Both Days

Many panels, workshops, networking events, and special gatherings with industry leaders
Networking with Film Industry Peers
Enjoy complimentary food and beverages throughout the conference

LIMITED Availability

All sessions and activities will take place at Chaminade University, October 24 – 25, 2026

FREE Parking, Meals Included

Chaminade University of Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi

THROUGHOUT THE CONFERENCE:

Industry Network Fair:

Resources & Connections for Hawai‘i Creatives

2026 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON

Networking: Opening Night Happy Hour Reception

Opening Night Happy Hour Reception: Mix and mingle with conference attendees, speakers, and local creatives

Opening Remarks: Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF

We are honored to welcome Norman Chen, CEO of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), our presenting sponsor, to deliver the conference’s opening remarks.

Norman Chen is CEO of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) with three decades of experience in entrepreneurship, healthcare, and community leadership across the U.S. and Asia. He co-founded the nonprofit LAAUNCH and helped create the landmark STAATUS Index on attitudes toward Asian Americans. Previously, he founded Asia Renal Care, co-founded DeltaHealth Hospital, and led life-science investments at Fidelity Asia Ventures and 6 Dimensions Capital. A MIT and Stanford MBA graduate, he serves on several nonprofit boards and lives in the Bay Area.

Enjoy Live Music by Singer/Songwriter/Farmer Hanale Bishop as well as Elevated Bites & Beverages Courtesy of Kapa Hale Chef, Keaka Lee

HIFILM Fiscal Sponsorship Spotlight

Filmmakers Kim Ly & Vince Keala Lucero share their upcoming film WISHFUL THINKING—set during the Lahaina fires and inspired by true events. Currently in pre-production, they’ll talk about navigating the fundraising journey with the support of the HIFILM/Fiscal Sponsorship Program

Artist-in-Residence Keynote: Glenn Gainor

Storytelling is at the heart of our identity, shaping our understanding of ourselves and our surroundings. In this keynote speech, Glenn Gainor delves into what it means to empower through stories that have local authenticity and global resonance.

Glenn Gainor, a distinguished leader and innovator with thirty years of experience in the entertainment industry, has made it his life’s work to empower storytelling around the world. He is the CEO of Hollywood Ventures Group, a forward-thinking production and consulting company dedicated to developing premium film and television content, fostering international creative partnerships, and advancing the future of entertainment.

DAY 1
SatURDAY 10/24 9am-7:30pm

Coffee & Breakfast

Jason Chen

Jason Chen began his visual effects career at 17 on AVATAR, working with Weta Digital and Lightstorm Entertainment across virtual production and live-action integration. That groundbreaking experience launched a career collaborating with leading filmmakers and studios, including James Cameron, Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Marvel Studios, Bad Robot, and Lucasfilm. Chen has contributed to projects including JOJO RABBIT, BUMBLEBEE, and THOR: RAGNAROK. He currently serves as CEO and Executive Producer of DESERT ECLIPSE, pioneering AI-driven animation and virtual production workflows across film, gaming, animation, and visual effects.

CUT THE PROCESS, NOT THE CREATIVITY: Desert Eclipse’s Creative-First Approach to AI

Having worked alongside visionary filmmakers including James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Taika Waititi, Jason Chen has built a career at the intersection of technology and visual storytelling. Now, as CEO of Desert Eclipse, a next-generation production studio based on the Fox lot, Chen is bringing together film, animation, gaming, and emerging technology to rethink how stories are made. In this fireside chat, Chen explores how Desert Eclipse is integrating AI and emerging tools into the production pipeline—not to replace creativity, but to empower it. By accelerating visualization, streamlining time-intensive workflows, and reducing production bottlenecks, these technologies can give filmmakers more time and freedom to focus on storytelling. Chen will discuss a creative-first approach to AI that keeps artists firmly in control while making the filmmaking process faster, more efficient, and more filmmaker-forward.

Moderated by Peter Berquist

Jason Chen

Peter Berquist

United Talent Agency (UTA)

Peter Berquist is a Vice President at United Talent Agency (UTA) in the agency’s advisory division. He joined UTA in 2022 and is based in the Los Angeles office. He specializes in corporate strategy and M&A advisory work within the media, entertainment, and advertising industries.

BUILT-IN AUDIENCE: Turning Communities Into Box Office, A Case Study with Producer Brian Yang & DRIFTER

How do you turn a passionate community into a theatrical audience? Using Sung Kang’s DRIFTER (HIFF46’s Centerpiece Gala) as a case study, producer Brian Yang and members of the film’s creative and producing team break down their strategy for building momentum long before opening weekend. From car clubs and drifting culture to grassroots events, social media, influencers, brand partnerships and experiential activations, the team is tapping into a global car community that already lives and breathes the culture represented on screen. The conversation offers a practical roadmap for independent filmmakers to identify, engage and empower their core audiences early, transforming authentic community connection into advocacy, word-of-mouth and, ultimately, box office.

Moderated by Phil Chung

Brian Yang

Brian Yang is a producer whose latest feature, DRIFTER, directed by Sung Kang, is building a passionate global audience well ahead of its release. Drawing on the film’s connection to car culture, Yang has focused on grassroots engagement, building coalitions with drifting, automotive, and enthusiast communities around the world to create an audience-driven movement around the film. His producing credits also include LINSANITY, LATE LIFE, SNAKEHEAD, DEALING WITH DAD, and YANI TSENG: BEYOND THE SMILES. Yang is also known for his recurring role as Charlie Fong on CBS’s Hawaii Five-0.

Phil Chung

Philip W. Chung is a writer and producer. He was the co-founder/co-Artistic Director for the acclaimed Asian American theater, Lodestone Theatre Ensemble, and the creative director at YOMYOMF, founded by director Justin Lin (FAST & FURIOUS franchise). As a producer, he has developed/produced projects for Comcast/NBCUniversal, Legendary Pictures, eOne, IFC Channel, Gunpowder & Sky, Warner Bros, Disney, PBS, and others. His current writing projects include feature screenplays for Netflix and a TV pilot for Untitled Entertainment. He is a consultant for the Aspen Institute where he is helping to develop a film program track for their annual Ideas Festival.

THE AUDIENCE WAS ALWAYS THERE: TINĀ and the Power of Being Seen

Samoan Kiwi filmmaker Miki Magasiva explores TINĀ as a powerful example of Narrative Sovereignty—and what happens when Pacific Islanders see their families, language, humor, grief, and culture authentically reflected on the big screen. Following its world premiere at HIFF, TINĀ shattered expectations, securing the widest New Zealand release ever and becoming the fifth-highest-grossing local film in the country’s history, earning over $6.49 million domestically and $10 million worldwide. Magasiva discusses protecting an authentic Samoan and Pasifika voice while pursuing a creative, à la carte approach to distribution, tailoring strategies to different territories and audiences, including working with Angel Studios for its North American release. The conversation examines how narrative sovereignty, underserved audiences, and unconventional distribution can work together—proving culturally specific films can achieve extraordinary commercial reach without compromising the communities and stories at their core.

Miki Magasiva

Miki Magasiva is a Samoan filmmaker born in Lefagaoali‘i and based in Aotearoa. His acclaimed feature TINĀ, which he wrote, directed, and produced, became a landmark for Pacific cinema and one of New Zealand’s most successful local films, grossing over NZ$6.49 million domestically and more than $10 million worldwide. The film opened HIFF in 2024 and earned audience awards at Palm Springs, Perth, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival, as well as the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Film at the Seattle International Film Festival. A longtime HIFF filmmaker, Magasiva’s previous work includes Uso, The Panthers, and WE ARE STILL HERE.

Bryson Chung

Bryson Chun is a Kanaka Maoli screenwriter whose credits include DOOGIE KAMEALOHA MD and the upcoming MOANA 2. He previously served as a consultant on projects for Mattel, Disney, and Ubisoft and is a proud mentor of the Sundance Indigenous Program, the PEAK Writer Fellowship, the NAMA Native Writers Seminar, the Dr. Barbara Seniors Harkins Foundation, the HIFF Education Program, ‘Ohina Labs, and the Institute of American Indian Arts where he received his MFA in Creative Writing. He was a writing fellow for Sundance, CAPE, LA Skins, imagineNATIVE, and ‘Ohina and is repped by Verve Talent and Literary Agency.

LOVE IS THE BUSINESS: Building the ‘Romantical’ Flywheel with Jonah Feingold

Filmmaker Jonah Feingold is betting on the romantic comedy—and building an ecosystem designed to sustain it. After directing independent features that have premiered at major film festivals and been released through traditional theatrical and streaming platforms, Feingold is looking beyond the conventional model with Romanticals, his new rom-com-focused studio and community. This conversation explores his “flywheel”: producing short-form digital content to test ideas, develop characters and IP, grow an engaged audience, and ultimately convert that momentum into feature films and other projects. Rather than making a movie and hoping an audience finds it, Feingold is cultivating the audience first—and inviting them along for the journey. The session examines how independent filmmakers can use creator-economy strategies, community building, and direct audience relationships to develop IP, finance projects, and forge a sustainable path outside Hollywood’s traditional gatekeepers.

Moderated by Quan Phung

Jonah Feingold

Jonah Feingold is a filmmaker and founder of Romantical, Inc., a romantic comedy media company building an ecosystem across theatrical films, digital content, brand partnerships, live events, and community. A USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate, Feingold has directed five features, including DATING & NEW YORK, AT MIDNIGHT, EXmas, and 31 CANDLES. His latest film, BUSBOYS, starring David Spade and Theo Von, debuted at No. 1 at the box office and later became the No. 1 film globally on Hulu. Through Romantical, Feingold is reimagining how romantic comedies are developed, marketed, and connected with audiences.

Quan Phung

Quan Phung is a creative executive, producer, and media strategist with more than 20 years of experience developing premium scripted content and building global media ventures. Formerly SVP of Original Series at Topic Studios/First Look Media and a founding executive at Slingshot Global Media, he has developed and sold projects to Apple TV+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Disney, with credits including American Rust and Invasion. Today, Phung advises studios, production companies, creators, brands, and international organizations on content strategy, audience development, and navigating a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Lunch + Coffee Talk

Informal Roundtable with Producers about Co-Productions. + Community Marketplace

CAPTURING THE ZEITGEIST: Bao Nguyen on Culture, Memory & Cinema

How do you tell the story of an icon when millions of people already think they know it? Director Bao Nguyen has built a documentary career exploring the people and cultural moments that shape popular memory, from Bruce Lee in BE WATER and the making of “We Are the World” in THE GREATEST NIGHT IN POP to THE STRINGER and the global phenomenon of BTS in BTS: THE RETURN. In this career-spanning conversation, Nguyen discusses gaining access to high-profile subjects, working with archives, interviewing cultural icons, navigating music and intellectual property, and finding an intimate human story inside massive global phenomena. The masterclass explores how documentary filmmakers balance authorship, access, responsibility and entertainment while making nonfiction for an increasingly global audience.

Moderated by Phil Chun

Bao Nguyen

Bao Nguyen is an award-winning Vietnamese American filmmaker and founding partner of EAST Films. He directed the acclaimed documentaries BE WATER, THE GREATEST NIGHT IN POP, and most recently Netflix’s BTS: THE RETURN. His film THE STRINGER premiered at Sundance and earned four Emmy nominations. As a producer, his credits include THE DREAM IS A SNAIL, the first Vietnamese short selected in competition at Cannes. Nguyen is a member of BAFTA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was named to Gold House’s A100 List.

Phil Chun

INDIGENOUS STORIES, INDIGENOUS FUTURES: Inside the Sundance Indigenous Program

The Sundance Institute Indigenous Program champions Indigenous storytellers through labs, fellowships, mentorship, creative development, and year-round support designed to advance Native artists and their projects. This panel explores how Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander filmmakers can access these opportunities and bring culturally rooted stories to a global stage.

Kānaka Maoli and Hawai‘i-based Sundance alumni will share firsthand experiences, offering practical insight into the application process, mentorship, community, and career pathways the program provides. The conversation will examine how Sundance can help NHPI creatives develop their voices, build industry relationships, and advance their work while maintaining cultural specificity and narrative sovereignty.

Moderated by Adam Piron

Bryson Chun

Adam Piron

Adam Piron is a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and a Kanienʼkehá (Mohawk) descendant. He is Director of the Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program and a short film programmer for the Sundance Film Festival. Piron is also co-founder of COUSIN, a collective supporting Indigenous artists pushing the boundaries of moving image, and previously served as Film Curator at LACMA. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Seen and has contributed to numerous arts and film advisory panels.

WAYFINDING NEW WORLDS: Dana Ledoux Miller on Culture, Creativity & the Future

Dana Ledoux Miller returns to HIFF to reflect on a career that has taken her from student filmmaking at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa—and through the HIFF ecosystem—to some of the world’s biggest screens. Miller traces her path from Aaron Sorkin’s THE NEWSROOM to showrunning Netflix’s THAI CAVE RESCUE, before entering the Disney universe with MOANA 2 and the live-action MOANA. She’ll also discuss co-writing Disney Animation’s upcoming HEXED, a major original-IP bet positioned to introduce audiences to the studio’s next breakout character and potential box-office franchise. Miller explores adapting between television, live action, and animation; bringing her Samoan heritage to global storytelling; and co-founding PEAK (Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti), an organization dedicated to expanding opportunities, access, and representation for Pasifika creatives in entertainment. It’s a homecoming conversation about cultural authenticity, creative leadership, and opening doors for the next generation.

Marie Jamora

Born and raised in Manila, Marie Jamora was the Producer/Director on the UNT. AVA DUVERNAY PROJECT for Starz. Marie recently directed an episode of the MATLOCK reboot starring Academy Award and Emmy winner Kathy Bates, as well as GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES for Paramount+. Her short film, FLIP THE RECORD, won the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at Urbanworld and was shortlisted for the 90th Academy Awards. Her other short film HARANA was made at AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women and won the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Narrative Short at the Sarasota Film Festival. Her first feature, WHAT ISN’T THERE (ANG NAWAWALA), premiered at Slamdance is considered a cult classic coming of age film in the Philippines. Her TV directing credits include QUEEN SUGAR (OWN), THE CLEANING LADY (FOX), ALL RISE (OWN), THE RESIDENT (FOX), and both seasons of FIRE COUNTRY (CBS).

Erin Lau

Native Hawaiian filmmaker Erin Lau has dedicated her life to creating stories for her community, exploring empathy, redemption, and legacy. She has grown through opportunities with the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Studios, Film Independent, Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative, and more. Her films have screened in over 50 festivals across the world and have been featured on the Criterion Channel, Netflix, and PBS. Notable directing works include THE MOON AND THE NIGHT, ALL I EVER WANTED, and INHERITANCE. Erin also directed for FOX’s RESCUE: HI-SURF and contributed to multiple award winning documentaries including STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

DAY 2
SUNDAY 10/26 10am-4pm

Panel | THE WORKING ACTOR -- Holt McCallany, Henry Ian Cusick, Alex Tarrant & Amy Hill on Building a Career That Lasts

There is no single path to becoming a working actor, and getting the breakout role is only the beginning. Actors Holt McCallany, Henry Ian Cusick, Alex Tarrant and Amy Hill come together for a candid conversation about the life of the journeyman actor and what it takes to build a career across decades. From auditions, rejection and typecasting to supporting roles, television, studio films, independent productions–including student films–and career reinvention, the actors share the choices and persistence behind careers audiences often only see from the outside. For Hawai‘i actors and emerging performers, the conversation offers a practical look at navigating the industry, building relationships, staying ready and, most importantly, continuing to work.

Moderated by Philip W. Chung

Holt McCallany

Holt McCallany is an acclaimed actor whose career spans more than 30 years, working with directors including David Fincher, Guillermo del Toro, Clint Eastwood, Guy Ritchie, Michael Mann, and Brian De Palma. He is best known for starring as FBI agent Bill Tench in Netflix’s MINDHUNTER, with memorable roles in FIGHT CLUB, THREE KINGS, THE IRON CLAW, and LIGHTS OUT. His recent credits include MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING, THE AMATEUR, THE WATERFRONT, and THE LINCOLN LAWYER. Classically trained in France and at Oxford, McCallany began his career in theater before establishing a prolific career across film and television.

Henry Ian Cusick

Henry Ian Cusick is a Peruvian actor and director best known as Desmond Hume on Lost, which earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination. His television credits include The 100, Scandal, The Passage, and MacGyver. Born in Peru to a Peruvian mother and Scottish father, Cusick began his career in classical theatre before transitioning to film and television. His award-winning short DRESS screened at HIFF, and he most recently stars in LOS VAMPIRES (2026), performing in his native Spanish. Based in Hawai‘i, Cusick also serves as President of SAG-AFTRA Hawai‘i.

Amy Hill

Alex Tarrant

Alex Tarrant is an Auckland-born actor of Māori, Samoan, and Niuean descent, best known for NCIS: Hawai‘i and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. His international feature debut in NIGHT RAIDERS earned him a Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award nomination. His recent work includes the CBS sitcom DMV and the hybrid biopic SGT HAANE (2026), further establishing him as a prominent Pacific screen actor.

Mini Panel: HIFILM Producers Lab

Meet the filmmakers of the 2026 HIFILM Producers Lab, an immersive program supporting Hawai‘i-based producers with the creative, logistical, and strategic tools to move short films from concept to completion. Lab participants reflect on their experiences developing projects through mentorship, workshops, pitching, budgeting, financing, festival strategy, and building a more sustainable filmmaking community in Hawai‘i.

FROM MAUI TO THE MULTIVERSE: A Conversation with Destin Daniel Cretton

From making no-budget films to directing some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises, Maui-born and raised filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton Following SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY’s record-smashing box office success, Cretton reflects on a remarkable journey from the deeply personal indies I AM NOT A HIPSTER and SHORT TERM 12 to the MCU with SHANG-CHI, WONDER MAN, and SPIDER-MAN. Beyond the blockbusters, he’ll discuss staying connected to the values and creative instincts shaped by his Hawai‘i roots and giving back through Hisako Labs, supporting emerging storytellers from the islands. From producing films like LUCKY LU and championing new filmmaking voices to what lies ahead, this intimate conversation explores creative evolution, mentorship, and how a local filmmaker can help open doors for the next generation.

Moderated by Anderson Le

PANEL | 808 STATE OF PRODUCTION: Making Act 185 Work for Local Films

How can Hawai‘i’s expanded film incentive become a practical tool for Hawai‘i filmmakers making Hawai‘i films? This nuts-and-bolts session breaks down Act 185 through real-world case studies spanning short films to independent features, including THE TOURIST’S CURSE, currently in post-production. Producers and industry experts examine qualifying expenses, budgeting, financing, cash flow, documentation, and the additional 5% local-hire credit. Drawing from actual productions, the panel explores how filmmakers can leverage the incentive to stretch limited resources while investing in Hawai‘i crews, locations, equipment, payroll, and post-production. More than an Incentives 101, this session follows the process from credit to camera, asking how Act 185 can help local productions reach the finish line—and ultimately strengthen a sustainable independent filmmaking ecosystem that keeps talent, jobs, and investment in Hawai‘i.

Panelist: Gerard Elmore, Annie Cusick, David Keliiholokai

Gerard Elmore

Gerard Elmore is an EMMY® Award-winning producer, director, editor, and cinematographer based in Kāneʻohe. He serves as Vice President of Film at NMG Network and Executive Director of ʻOhina, supporting Hawaiʻi-based filmmakers. A 2022 Sundance Institute Producer Intensive Fellow, his credits include KA HUAKAʻI: THE JOURNEY TO MERRIE MONARCH, KĀLEWA, OTHER PEOPLE, KŪKINI, and THE ARRANGEMENTS. He is currently producing and serving as cinematographer on the upcoming Hawaiʻi feature THE TOURIST CURSE. Elmore also teaches at UH Mānoa’s School of Cinematic Arts and UH West Oʻahu’s Academy for Creative Media.

Annie Cusick

Annie Cusick Wood is a Scottish-born director, theatre creator, and producer with nearly three decades of experience across the UK, Hawai‘i, and internationally. Formerly Artistic Director of London’s Polka Theatre, her acclaimed productions have toured throughout Europe, Asia, the U.S., and Canada. Since moving to Hawai‘i in 2006, she has created numerous works with Honolulu Theatre for Youth and has expanded into film production. She is currently producing the upcoming Hawai‘i feature film THE TOURIST CURSE.

David Keliiholokai

Lunch + Coffee Talk

Networking and further conversations with the morning’s panelists.

PANEL | FEAR HAS NO BORDERS — Why Specific Stories Make Universal Horror

The most powerful horror can be deeply local and completely universal. Tara Ansley of FANGORIA Studios and Holly Goline, SVP, Universal Monsters, explore how culturally specific folklore, mythology, and lived experience can become an advantage in the global genre marketplace. Using FANGORIA Studios’ SITORA as a case study, Ansley examines how the Malaysian creature feature draws from the mythology of the weretiger while tapping into universal themes of fear, transformation, and community. Together, Ansley and Goline discuss why authenticity matters, what makes culturally rooted horror resonate beyond its place of origin, and how independent filmmakers can embrace specificity rather than dilute it. How can filmmakers turn the stories, fears, and traditions they know best into horror that connects with audiences around the world?

Tara Ansley

Tara Ansley is Co-Owner of FANGORIA, STARLOG, and GOREZONE, and founder of Wanderwell Entertainment. Since acquiring FANGORIA in 2020, she has helped transform the iconic brand into a multi-platform media company and film studio developing genre films for global audiences. A Sundance Institute alum, Ansley has produced films premiering at Sundance, SXSW, and festivals worldwide. She is also a longtime advocate for greater education and access in the entertainment industry, mentoring emerging filmmakers and supporting the next generation of storytellers.

Armen Aghaeian

Abhi Goel

THE BUSINESS OF FEAR: Walter Hamada on Horror, IP & the Big Screen

From New Line Cinema to DC Studios and now Paramount Pictures, Walter Hamada has built a career around franchise filmmaking, genre storytelling, and theatrical entertainment. In this fireside chat, Hamada reflects on his Hollywood journey, from helping shepherd modern horror phenomena including THE CONJURING and IT at New Line to overseeing DC’s film slate. Now, as head of 18Hz Productions at Paramount Pictures, Hamada has returned his focus to horror, with this year’s PRIMATE and PASSENGER part of a slate built around the genre’s potential to generate sustainable IP, passionate audiences, and reliable theatrical returns. He’ll discuss why horror continues to thrive on the big screen, what makes a concept franchise-ready, and how filmmakers can strategically develop original genre IP for an evolving theatrical marketplace.