Staff Editor, Asia
Daniel Dae Kim in Washington DC (Forum on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders)
EXCLUSIVE: Actor and producer Daniel Dae Kim has been tapped as executive producer of Makawalu, a feature film initiated by the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) and entirely created and co-directed by eight Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) filmmakers.
The project, the largest budget indie feature film made entirely by Kanaka Maoli talent, is fully funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC). Over 90% of the project’s funding comes from organizations investing in change based outside of Hawaii.
Currently in pre-production, the film is set to begin shooting in spring 2025 for an early 2026 release. The eight filmmakers are Justyn Ah Chong, Taylour Chang, Ty Sanga, Ciara Lacy, Āina Paikai, Erin Lau, Scott W. Kekama Amona, and Katherine Wong.
