Member Panels & Events
UPCOMING HIFILM EVENTS
The Rise of the Vertical Drama: The Dirty Little Secret of Indie Film or What Pays The Bills
In the wake of COVID and industry-wide strikes, a new wave of storytelling has gained momentum: vertical dramas. These fast-paced, mobile-first productions—shot vertically for platforms like ReelShort, DramaBox, and ShortMax—originated in East Asia and have grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. Now they’re taking off in the West as traditional productions slow down and creators look for new income streams.
Once seen as a stopgap or side hustle, vertical dramas are proving to be a fast, low-cost, and highly engaging way to reach global audiences. For filmmakers in Hawaiʻi, this panel explores how we might learn from this shift—whether by attracting vertical drama shoots to the islands or creating our own place-based stories in this format. We’ll dive into production models, monetization strategies, and the unique creative opportunities this trend presents.
Vertical is no longer a trend—it’s a new frontier.
All HIFILM members are invited to attend this virtual event moderated by HIFF Artistic Director, Anderson Le and featuring the following panelists:
Wednesday, September 24th, 2025
4-6pm Hawai‘i Standard Time
Panelists
Shu Zhu
Shu Zhu is a Chinese Canadian director working across narrative film, animation, and immersive media. His work explores themes of psychological transformation and environmental collapse through a genre-forward lens and has been showcased at Venice, Busan, Telluride, and many other international festivals and art institutions worldwide. In 2023, Shu was among the first wave of directors working in the emerging medium of vertical short drama in North America. He has since directed 15 series across major platforms and garnered over 200 million views.
Andrew Ooi
CEO, Founder // Echelon Talent Management
Andrew Ooi started Echelon Talent Management in 1994. He has managed some of the top Asian actors in film and television, including, 2 time Golden Horse winner and International Emmy Award nominee Yeo Yann Yann (WET SEASON, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE), China’s “Living Treasure” and 3 time Golden Horse winner Lisa Lu (JOY LUCK CLUB, CRAZY RICH ASIANS) who just received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; Tzi Ma (THE FAREWELL, MULAN), Byron Mann (THE BIG SHORT, WU ASSASSINS), Ludi Lin (MORTAL KOMBAT, POWER RANGERS), Chin Han (THE DARK KNIGHT, MORTAL KOMBAT), K-POP stars Henry Lau and Nichkhun etc. In 2021, with his support, Youn Yuh Jung won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress For her role in MINARI.
Michael Krell
Manager // 3 Arts Entertainment
Michael Krell, based in Los Angeles, is a Manager at 3 Arts Entertainment, a leading management and production company with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City and Atlanta. 3 Arts produces the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning HACKS and has also backed numerous hit Netflix projects, from BLUE EYE SAMURAI to RUNNING POINT and NOBODY WANTS THIS, while managing a high-profile client roster. The company has a substantial legacy in comedy, having previously backed projects like THE OFFICE, PARKS & RECREATION, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, THE MINDY PROJECT and the Oscar-winning AMERICAN FICTION. Krell brings experience from previous roles at ICM Partners, NBCUniversal, Inc. and Resolution.
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