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
Filmmaker Mentor
Making Media That Matters 2014
Elliana Moore
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Making Media That Matters 2016, 2017
Kaua Zabala-Moore
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2016
Ginger Morris
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Summer Reel Camps for Girls 2018, 2019
Making Media That Matters Fall 2018
Valerie Narte
Documentarian & instructor
MMTM and Reel Camps 2014-2018
Dani Ortiz-Padilla
Outreach, mentor, program support
Reel Camps for Girls 2017
Making Media That Matters 2017
Oceania Voices 2018
Angelique Pineda
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Michelle Jericho Poppler
Instructor & Mentor
Animation Camp 2019
Monk Seal Spotlight Animation Camp 2018
2D Animation Camp 2017
Alice Potter
Communications Intern and Blogger
Making Media That Matters Spring 2018
Crystal Ross
Social Work Intern
Making Media That Matters Spring 2018
Jordyn Saito
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Samantha Sakamoto
Filmmaker Mentor
Making Media That Matters 2014, 2016, 2017
Advanced Reel Camp 2016, 2017
Basic Reel Camp 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017
Carter Schneider
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Making Media That Matters 2016, 2017
Mae Sebastian
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Summer Reel Camp for Girls 2018
Serena Ngaio Simmons
Story Development Mentor
Making Media That Matters 2016, 2017, 2018
Kayla Stanley
Filmmaker Mentor
Reel Camp for Girls 2017
Laurie Sumiye
Instructor
Making Media That Matters 2018
Monk Seal Spotlight Animation Camp 2018
Basic Reel Camp 2016, 2017
2D Animation Camp 2016, 2017
Cheryl Valdez
Filmmaker Mentor
Making Media That Matters 2018
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Talissa Wright
Filmmaker Mentor
Basic Reel Camp 2017
Mentor Making Media That Matters 2016