Student filmmakers from Hawaiʻi and Alaska were recently honored as part of a local youth initiative.
This is the fifth year the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival has partnered with the Daniel K. Inouye Institute and the Ted Stevens Foundation.
The future filmmakers program seeks to empower students and introduces them to the film industry.
Sixty-eight students submitted films around this year’s theme, focused on history and culture. Twenty students were selected and flew to Oʻahu to participate in film screenings and an awards ceremony last month.
“We host summer workshops for those students to learn more about filmmaking and themes and meet each other and increase their networks," said Beckie Stocchetti, executive director of the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. "It’s a really fun program. The students get hands-on experience. They get to see their films projected on the big screen. And then they have a product that they’ve made.”
The youth program honors the friendship of U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Ted Stevens, who were from different political parties. Stocchetti said they hope the importance of working with people from all backgrounds resonates with participants.
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