All my life I have known one thing to be true – I love movies! For me, watching movies is not just entertainment –it is therapeutic to see a story unfold on the screen.

In the summer of 2017 I attended the Young Actors Theater Camp (YATC) and pitched a short film idea – set in a post-apocalyptic time-period where children are the only survivors and must rebuild society, making adult decisions. The Camp directors loved it and offered to produce it during the YATC winter film camp. In December 2017 the film was made; in February 2018 the film premiered at a local theater; and in May 2018 I was headed to the Cannes Film Festival. My short film – The Risen – was nominated for the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Award.

Now I am finishing up my Bachelor’s degree in Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy (NYFA) and will graduate in August 2023. In my time at NYFA I have continued to grow as a creator. Last year, I directed a music video which payed homage to my uncle’s band “The Waialae Brothers” in which my cousins performed original hula choreography to the song “Beautiful Kauai”. My experiences working on over thirty projects in my time at NYFA has taught me how to adapt in fast-pace environments and collaborate to the most efficient degree I am able. I have crewed under the positions of 1st assistant director, script supervisor, and art director. My time at NYFA has challenged me to become the best filmmaker I can be and I hope to continue putting my skills on set to use after graduation.