- Writing
- Podcasts
- Video Essays
- Vlogs
- Social Media
The 2026 HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program, powered by Critical Minded, supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai‘i through mentorship and paid career opportunities. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden and strengthen film criticism culture in Hawaiʻi across a new media multi-disciplinary approach–via online (blog, magazine) review writing, but also via more prominent mediums such as vlogs, web video commentary content creation, podcast recordings and social media platforms.
Cohort participants will acquire skills around learning the nuts and bolts of filmmaking via film language, how to report on films and television from a unique point of view by becoming one’s own media outlet, and how to sustainably create content online remotely (i.e. not based in LA or NY). Cohort participants will also be given a special press pass to HIFF46 to view and review films, support with promoting and publishing their film reviews, and individualized one-on-one mentor support throughout HIFF46. Each mentee will receive payment for their produced work, per Critical Minded’s mission statement as a grantmaking and learning initative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.
2026 HOCCI Mentors
Mia Lee Vicino is a film journalist based in Los Angeles. After working as a columnist and critic for Willamette Week in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, she moved to LA, where she was the West Coast Editor of Letterboxd for four years. Here, she conducted print and video interviews with filmmakers and actors, edited their online magazine Journal, hosted their podcasts, and helped pioneer their Four Faves series. Currently, she continues to contribute to Letterboxd in a freelance capacity, moderates Q&As for Film Independent and others, writes Blu-ray booklet essays, and serves on festival juries such as Palm Springs International ShortFest. Her four favorite films are Opening Night (1977), Mikey and Nicky (1976), eXistenZ (1999), and Down with Love (2003).
Melbourne-based Duncan Caillard, PhD is a film researcher and critic based in Naarm (Melbourne), where he lectures in Global Creative Industries at the University of Melbourne. He holds a PhD in Screen and Cultural Studies, and previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Auckland University of Technology. His research focuses on independent and artist filmmaking in the Asia-Pacific, with interests in Southeast Asian and Pacific Island screen industries, and is currently working on a history of independent filmmaking in Hawaiʻi. He is the author of Apichatpong Weerasethakul: Contemplation and Resistance (Edinburgh University Press, 2025) and serves as Vice President of Senses of Cinema, where his writing regularly appears alongside contributions to international film and cultural studies journals.
Jesse Hawthorne Ficks is the film history coordinator at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and is the film festival critic for the San Francisco Bay Guardian (aka 48hills). Jesse is also part of the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle and hosts “MOViES FOR MANiACS,” a film series celebrating underrated and overlooked cinema, in a neo-sincere manner.
Emerson Goo is a Honolulu-born writer, film critic, planner, and landscape designer whose work spans film, art, architecture, and design. His writing has appeared in FILM COMMENT, CINEMA SCOPE, DESIGN MUSEUM EVERYWHERE, and the NEW YORK REVIEW OF ARCHITECTURE. He has worked independently with the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival and Honolulu Museum of Art and is a member of the Hawaiʻi Film Critics Society. A graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Goo joined PBR HAWAII in 2023. As a deaf professional, he is a strong advocate for disability inclusion and universal design across the built environment and creative industries.
Mark Peregrino, known as Mick Pilgrim (@mickpilgrim), is a Manila-based Filipino film content creator and critic focusing on Queer and Southeast Asian cinema. Formerly based in Singapore and previously with Nickelodeon Asia, he champions bold, diverse voices through film criticism, festival coverage, and conversations with filmmakers across the region.
Jason Sanders is a film researcher, writer, and archivist who has been with the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) since 1997. Currently BAMPFA’s Film Research Specialist and Film Notes Writer, he contributes to the institution’s film programs, research, and archival initiatives, with a focus on international, repertory, and independent cinema. A former contributing writer for FILMMAKER Magazine, Sanders also participates in the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Periodicals Indexing Project and has collaborated on international film preservation and archival initiatives, including work with Cambodia’s Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center.
Stevie Wong is an award-winning international entertainment journalist whose work has appeared with SKY NEWS, STAR MOVIES ASIA, DEADLINE, and HBO ASIA. A recipient of the ICG Publicists Guild’s International Media Award, he is a member of BAFTA, the Critics Choice Association, and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. He is also the founder of ASIAN A.V. CLUB, which celebrates Asian creatives working across film and television.
Meet the 2026 HOCCI Participants
Testimonials
“HOCCI was such a meaningful experience for me. It gave me the space to grow as both a creator and a critic, connect with others who are passionate about film and storytelling, and learn through various workshops, each offering different approaches and perspectives. These experiences helped me grow creatively, and I am grateful for the mentorship, community, and opportunities HOCCI opened up.”
“HOCCI gave me behind-the-scenes insight into the festival world, sharpened my film critic skills, and connected me with awesome people - truly unforgettable!"
“HOCCI is an incredible program that gives TREMENDOUS value. The lessons learned, films watched, and friends made are just the tip of the iceberg. The experience is one of a kind and the memories are truly unforgettable.”
Past HOCCI Mentors
Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou, Vancouver-based creators of the wildly popular YouTube video essay series EVERY FRAME A PAINTING.
Dino-Ray Ramos is an award-winning journalist who served as editor at Deadline Hollywood and founder of the media platform DIASPORA, spotlighting voices making systemic change in film, TV and pop culture.
Jen Yamato is a freelance journalist and film critic who has written about Hollywood blockbusters, independent films, and international film festivals.
Emerson Goo is a Deaf writer, film programmer, and planner/landscape designer from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
David Chen is a video essayist, content creator, and podcaster known for his podcasts Decoding TV & The Filmcast.
Patrick Willems is a video essayist, filmmaker, and YouTuber known for his engaging and insightful video essays on film and pop culture.
Amanda the Jedi is a Canadian YouTube creator and film commentator known for her witty, insightful reviews of movies, television, and pop culture, blending sharp criticism with humor and personality.
The HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE is supported by Critical Minded, a grantmaking and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.
David Chen is the host and producer of podcasts such as The Filmcast, The Tobolowsky Files, and A Cast of Kings. Episodes of his shows are downloaded over 100,000 times each week. Previously, David has worked as a marketer at Amazon and Microsoft and as a Research Associate at Harvard Business School.
David is also a video essayist and filmmaker. His video work has been featured or mentioned in online publications such as Rolling Stone, Buzzfeed, Slate, Vulture, Indiewire, Laughing Squid, Bustle, Cosmopolitan, Metro.co.uk, Vimeo Staff Picks, Allocine, and Digg. In 2014, he directed a film, The Primary Instinct. In 2015, he released a looping cello EP. David currently lives in Seattle, WA.
Patrick Willems is a filmmaker and video essayist based in New York. Patrick rose to prominence following the viral success of his short film “What if Wes Anderson Directed X-Men.” Since then, his channel has grown to focus on film commentary and analysis in videos that blend non-fiction essays with cinematic narrative storytelling. In 2022 he released his first feature film, NIGHT OF THE COCONUT.
Taylor Ramos & Tony Zhou are a Vancouver-based filmmaking duo. She draws, he edits, and they write and direct together. They are the co-creators of the YouTube video essay series Every Frame a Painting and served as writer/director/producers on the David Fincher-produced Netflix series VOIR. Their collaborative work has also been featured on FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection.
Taylor has worked as a 2D animator for television for almost a decade. Her credits include Hilda, The Last Kids on Earth, Dogs in Space, Pinecone and Pony, and The Legend of the Three Caballeros.
Tony has worked as an editor in features, commercials and animation since 2007. His credits include The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, The Friendship Game, Dragons: Rescue Riders and the upcoming series Megamind’s Guide to Defending Your City.
Kirsten Stevens & Duncan Caillard are Melbourne-based researchers and film programmers. Kirsten’s research on film festivals and the Australian film industry includes a forthcoming book exploring the impact of streaming services on national feature film industries. Duncan’s research focuses on contemporary Asian-Pacific screen culture, and he is the current Vice-President of the digital film journal Senses of Cinema.