Photo Caption: The HIFF team at the 79th Cannes Film Festival (L to R): Aaron Hansen, Melina Coumas, Roma Lerner, Jen May Pastores
No two film festivals are the same. Building on the foundation she developed as a HIFF intern, Roma Lerner—a Hawaiʻi native and Film and Environmental Studies student at Colgate University—set out to experience three distinct festivals: the New York Film Festival (through the Gotham Film Institute), the Copenhagen Documentary Film Festival, and the Cannes Film Festival. Along the way, she gained new perspectives on storytelling, the film industry, and the role festivals play in fostering community. In this post below, Roma reflects on the lessons each experience offered and how they continue to shape her perspective on film festivals—and the work we do at HIFF.
I have been interning with HIFF for a year, and a lot of my experiences with HIFF have encouraged me to become more involved and immersed into the film culture wherever I’m studying and travel. The work I did with HIFF included preparing for their 45th Annual Fall Festival, creating podcast episodes (check out my conversation with writer Bryson Chun), and running the weekly Summer Flix screenings at Prince Waikiki. All of which really set me up for success!
In the Fall of 2025, I had the opportunity to participate in an off-campus study program, where I took classes with and worked for the Gotham Film & Media Institute in Brooklyn, New York. This program was in collaboration with Colgate University and I was able to gain hands on experience in film production, as well as learned lots about the ins and outs of the film industry, including attending the New York Film Festival. Creating a short film with my classmates, and also working for the Gotham Film Awards were highlights of my fall semester.
I was also fortunate to study in Copenhagen, Denmark for a semester abroad. During my time there, I attended the Copenhagen Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX). One of the films I saw was OUR LAND directed by Orban Wallace. This film showcased different issues with land ownership amongst the wealthy in the English countryside, along with those who want to be free to roam the environment surrounding these properties. Following the film, there was a Q&A with the director and it was very interesting to hear how they approached the film in terms of its cinematography, as well as its ethical questions. After having interned for HIFF, my experience at CPH:DOX helped me recognize the many intricacies that go into running a film festival and allowed me to look at these films through a deeper lens, encouraging me to see how films made abroad may differ from, or be similar to, those from the Pacific.
More recently, I also had the privilege of attending the 79th Cannes Film Festival (with Colgate University and The Gotham Film and Media Institute) as an intern with the sales company, Rocket Science. I attended panels and screenings, furthering my exploration of the film industry than ever before and was able to get hands-on experience in a sector of the industry that I was unfamiliar with. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I was given, and I felt even more confident because of my previous work with HIFF’s team, I was able to really understand how the programming of the festival worked, as well learn the methods Rocket Science used to promote their films. I had a wonderful first Cannes and I hope to be back for more films (and baguettes)!
Overall, HIFF gave me a platform to experiment creatively and gain confidence in my knowledge of the film industry and encouraged me to become more involved and immersed into the film culture. Constantly networking and interacting with industry professionals throughout these distinct experiences made me especially grateful for my time with HIFF, which prepared me to navigate these opportunities with confidence.
