DRAMATIC SHORT FILMS

The Pit Where We Were Born

This powerful, celebrated short film explores the ways in which addiction, incarceration, and control can cripple our ability to heal family traumas. The Pit Where We Were Born won the Audience Choice Award at the 2019 Hawai‘i International Film Festival, screened on Hawaiian Airlines’ inflight service, and is included in The Criterion Channel’s permanent Hawai‘i short film program.

Two additional short films exploring similar themes - The River Runs Black and Fear In Dust - are currently under development.

Watch the film here.

PSA Series

Relationship and interpersonal violence prevention from pre-teen to young adult

This series of short films was commissioned to provide Hawai‘i-based context and character depiction for training youth on dating violence and relationships. The first short, 2 Kinds of Love, was recognized for its realistic depiction of dating violence among young adults, and the two subsequent films focused on educating teens about those same issues. Woke (focused on middle school students) and Face 2 Face (aimed at a high school audience) incorporated an array of youth-specific pathways, including the widespread use of social media and digital communication platforms that impact youth mental health and influence bystander behaviors. All films in the series speak to the heart of where youth learn about and encounter abusive behaviors, and are part of a curriculum to help educate students to recognize and respond to them appropriately.