The 2025 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.
In Richard Brody’s essay “In Defense of the Traditional Review” for The New Yorker, he delivers a compelling call to action for the preservation of written film criticism in an age increasingly dominated by short-form content, video essays, vlogs, and social media posts. Brody argues that the traditional written review remains essential—not only as a historical and intellectual record of cinematic response, but also as the foundation upon which all contemporary forms of criticism are built.
The 2025 HOCCI supports Hawai‘i-based AANHPI critics to be a part of HIFF45 press cohort to cover films, panels, or filmmakers at this year’s fall festival. This year, for its fourth iteration, we are excited to announce that HOCCI sessions will be revamped as a film screening series, with a focus on engaging audiences in thoughtful conversations around film. Internationally attending guest critics will each host a screening followed by an in-depth discussion with the audience, offering insights into the film’s themes, context, and cinematic craft. Each critic will also write an accompanying essay, to be published online, further expanding on their perspective and analysis. This series invites viewers to explore cinema through a critical and culturally engaged lens.
Meet this year’s HOCCI Cohort:
Connor Arakaki is a Native Hawaiian journalist and screenwriter studying at Yale University, where she previously served as the editor in chief of the Yale Herald. You can find her words in The Nation, DIAGRAM, The New Journal, Hawai‘i News Now, and elsewhere. She is committed to accountability-driven writing that platforms Indigenous voices and those often underrepresented in traditional media and criticism. She is currently working on a screenplay titled DISORIENTATION, which traces the lives of two Native Hawaiian students as they unravel the founding history of their university during the first week of classes.
Curtis Wilmington III is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker finishing his final semester in the Video Production program at Leeward Community College. He’s passionate about every aspect of filmmaking and has hands-on experience directing, producing, editing, and working as an AD and PA. Curtis also worked as a VFX Intern on Disney’s LILO & STITCH (2025) during the on-set production in Oahu, giving him insight into large-scale studio operations. In his free time, he pursues photography and content creation to keep developing his visual storytelling skills. He’s excited to join the HOCCI 2025 cohort to deepen his understanding of film criticism, believing that continuous learning across all facets of filmmaking is essential for growth.
Born and raised on the island of O’ahu, D’Elle Martin is a Master’s student in Landscape Architecture and Architecture. Recently graduating from UH Mānoa with a Bachelor’s of Environmental Design, she has studied in Nagaoka, Japan, launched rockets in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, and sailed around Aotearoa, New Zealand on a tall ship research vessel. D’Elle is an investigator, artist, creator, and musician. She loves the subtleties of film and enjoys the impact of silence.
Kylee Maxwell is a senior at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa pursuing her BFA in Digital Cinema. Kylee has worked as a cinematographer on several short films in addition to working as a videographer on an independent TV pilot and feature film with Orig Entertainment. With aspirations to pursue a career as a director of photography, she aims to showcase the different facets of humanity through the lens. She is passionate about pushing the boundaries of film, often by creating stories exploring social and environmental issues. Her goal is to uplift marginalized voices through her past, present, and future projects. Kylee wishes to make a meaningful impact in the community and inspire others through her films.
Lena Mealaʻaloha Stevens-Ng is an Afro-Indigenous, Native Hawaiian born and raised on Oʻahu. After graduating from Vassar College with a double-major in media studies and film, she began working full-time as a marketing coordinator and has traveled the continent expanding her professional skills. As an aspiring filmmaker with an affinity for experimental documentaries, she recently began working as a production assistant in hopes of one day creating short films that explore the vast perspectives and nuances of Indigenous life.
Abdul-Rahman Sakr is an Arab American screenwriter and filmmaker based in O’ahu. Starting his career performing stand up comedy in Jordan, Sakr went on to study improv at The Second City and earned a Masters in Filmmaking from London Film School. He has been selected as a fellow at notable screenwriting labs including The Writer’s Guild Foundation, Royal Film Commission and Doha Film Institute. He is currently developing his debut feature. His stories center around outcasts and rebels trying to find a place they can call home.
Stay tuned for this year’s HOCCI pieces!
The HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai’i through mentorship and paid career opportunities for Hawai’i-based AANHPI critics. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden diversity in film criticism across the Pacific and use influencer branding strategies to spark career opportunities. The 2024 HOCCI is supported by Critical Minded, a grant-making and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.
