Meet the HWF Team

Vera Zambonelli
Executive Director
Vera Zambonelli is an academic, artist, and activist. Vera earned her Ph.D. in Urban Planning at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, a Masters in Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, and Laurea in Japanese Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Engaged scholarship informs her research interests, which include issues of diversity, social justice and inclusion, community building, and feminist filmmaking. In 2011, Vera founded Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking (HWF) with the mission of using filmmaking to amplify women and girls' voices and share their own compelling stories. She has been teaching at the Department of Women's Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the Academy for Creative Media at West Oʻahu since 2016. Vera has co-produced and directed Season 1 and Season 2 of Reel Wāhine of Hawaiʻi, a film series that redresses gender inequity in the film industry by documenting the real-life stories of Hawai‘i women filmmakers through a female gaze.
Instructors and mentors

Paula Albaneze
Animation Mentor
Animation Camp 2013

Caitlin Alvior
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2016, 2017
Summer Reel Camp 2018

Kristle Backe
Filmmaker Mentor & Instructor
Reel Camp for Girls Spring 2019
Making Media That Matters Fall 2018

Fe Bailey
Filmmaker Mentor
Reel Camp for Girls 2013

Kimberly Bassford
Filmmaking Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2012

Marlene Booth
Filmmaking Instructor
Basic Reel Camp 2012

Oriana Bordland
Filmmaking Instructor
Basic Reel Camp 2012

Ileana Buffestein
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2015

Megan Pumehana Cabral
Social Worker, Mentor, Outreach
Making Media That Matters 2018

Katie Caldwell
Social worker, blogger, program support
Making Media That Matters 2016, 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Fall 2019

Anya Carrol
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017

Iris Aisis Chen
Filmmaker mentor and documentarian
Reel Camp for Girls, 2012, 2013, 2014
Making Media That Matters 2014

Mayling Chung
Mentor
Mentor Making Media That Matters 2014

Xochi Cornejo
Mentor & Instructor
Animation Camp Summer 2017, 2018, 2019

Kaliko Correa
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2012

Kala Crowell
Filmmaker Mentor
Reel Camp for Girls 2012, 2013

Gemma Cubero del Barrio
Filmmaking Instructor
Oceania Voices 2018
Making Media That Matters 2014
Basic Reel Camp 2013, 2014

Malia Derden
Mentor and documentarian
Making Media That Matters 2014, 2016, 2017
Reel Camps for Girls 2017

Madaline DeShazo
Making Media That Matters Content Development and Mentor
Making Media That Matters 2014, 2016

Maile Duffy
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2015, 2016

Makena Duffy
Media Literacy & Content Support
Making Media That Matters 2015

Sarah Duval
Filmmaker Mentor
Advanced Reel Camp 2017
Basic Reel Camp 2017

Eva Enriquez
Mentor
Making Media That Matters 2014

Gabby Fa’ai’uaso
Filmmaker Mentor and Instructor
Making Media That Matters 2014, 2015
Basic Reel Camp 2012, 2013, 2014

Lisette Marie Flanary
Filmmaking Instructor
Making Media That Matters 2016, 2017
Basic Reel Camp 2012

Isabel Guzman
Filmmaker mentor
Making Media That Matters 2014

Noa Helela
Story Development Mentor
Making Media That Matters 2016, 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018

Marie Eriel Hobro
Documentarian and instructor
Summer Reel Camps for Girls 2018
Making Media That Matters Fall 2018

Lahela Howell
Blogger
Making Media That Matters 2015

Leah Kihara
Filmmaking Instructor
Advanced Reel Camp 2016
Basic Reel Camp 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017

Andromeda King
Filmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017

Arrion Kong
Filmmaker Mentor
Advanced Camp 2016
Basic Reel Camp 2015

Sweetie Kuehu
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2013

Renee Kuwamoto
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2013, 2014, 2017

Ella Lacanienta
Animation Mentor
2D & Stop Motion 2016

Ciara Lacy
Filmmaking Instructor
Making Media That Matters 2015

Holly Larson
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2013

Erin Lau
Filmmaker Mentor
Reel Camp for Girls 2013

Kayla Manz
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Participant
Advanced Reel Camp 2016
Basic Reel Camp 2016

Laura Margulies
Animation Instructor
2D Animation Camp 2016, 2017
Stop Motion Animation Camp 2016
Animation Camp 2013, 2014

Samantha Meno