Our Team

Alexa St. Martin, LSW is a social worker, therapist, educator, researcher, musician, dancer, and writer. She is a fierce advocate for social justice education, with a particular passion for adolescent sexual health, school-based sexual health education, reproductive rights, and consent. 

Calista Labrador is a student filmmaker born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. This fall, she will be a proud panther at Chapman University Dodge College in California, majoring in Film & TV production with an emphasis in directing. Calista is a former HWF Summer Reel Camp student and had her team’s short film shown at HIFF 'Ōpio Fest. Along with filmmaking, she enjoys reading at the beach, exploring different coffee shops, and expressing herself through a variety of creative outlets

Em Cegielski is an avid storyteller, a multimedia producer, and a social impact advocate. She uses a variety of mediums such as videography, photography, and audio design to tell unconventional stories. Through the power of storytelling, she believes real change can be brought to the world.

Jaime Cortez is a filmmaker born and raised in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. She currently attends Chapman University’s Dodge College, pursuing a B.F.A. in Creative Producing with a minor in Graphic Design. She has experience in various filmmaking roles, from assistant camera to editor, and is currently producing multiple narrative short films this year.  Fascinated with the intersection of filmmaking, art, and storytelling, Jaime is particularly drawn to the narratives of women and POC, aiming to amplify their voices and experiences through her work. She continues exploring her creative outlets in narrative filmmaking, inspiring others along the way as a Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking Mentor.

Kaʻiulani Ferrer is an aspiring young filmmaker born and raised on the island of Oahu. Focusing on cinematography, she fell in love with filmmaking at the age of 7 when she attended HWF camp. She has been honing her skills ever since.

Indigenous filmmaker Malia Adams, born in Kailua and raised in Chile, holds a Creative Media degree from UH Manoa and a Master's in Media and Literary Translation from Pompeu Fabra University. Her short film, I Will Be Your Breath (2021) earned accolades at the Hawaiʻi International Film Fest and Cannes Short Film Festival. A 2023 Wāhine in Film Lab Fellow, she is in pre-production of Pa‘ahana, a deeply personal and culturally significant short film that speaks to the themes of identity, belonging, and healing within the context of Hawaiian culture. Currently, she serves as a Technical News Director, bringing her storytelling expertise to news. Malia works as a freelance videographer, showcasing her versatile skills across various projects. Part of the Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking Production Services Team since 2021.

Martha Nicholas is a filmmaker born and raised in Honolulu. She graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa with a double major in Creative Media and American Studies. Alongside interning for Regional Emmy™ award Reel Wāhine of Hawaiʻi, Nicholas has experience as a cinematographer and assistant editor on ‘Ilima Lady documentary. She is also a previous Wāhine in Film Lab fellow and a filmmaking mentor and instructor for Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking. Nicholas continues to explore multiple avenues within the film industry.

Dr. Vera Zambonelli is an Emmy™ award winning filmmaker, educator, and researcher based in Hawaiʻi. She founded Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking in 2011 to promote gender equity in the film industry, and launched initiatives like the Wāhine in Film Lab and Making Media That Matters, providing support for thousands of women and genderqueer individuals in Hawaiʻi with funding in part from the National Endowment for the Arts, Gerbode Foundation, Advancing Girls Fund at Tides Foundation, and Hawai‘i People’s Fund. Vera co-produces and co-directs Reel Wāhine of Hawaiʻi series and teaches at the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu Academy for Creative Media. She is part of the Indie Media Arts Group Advisory Committee, a member of the Creative Resurgence Collective, and has recently spearheaded the Hawaiʻi Film and Media Arts Coalition.

Vi Schap is a social worker, actress, writer, and aspiring filmmaker. Vi earned her Master of Social Work from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2023. She also received Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Theater, and a minor in Applied Psychology from UC Santa Barbara. Vi has experience working with at-risk youth at Family Court and through an ocean-based mentoring program. Vi's passion for social justice, mental healthcare, and creativity add a unique perspective to her approach on life and the art she creates.