Reel Wāhine of Hawaiʻi - Leanne K. Ferrer
The Reel Wāhine of Hawai'i short film series chronicles talented and pioneering women filmmakers who tell Hawaii stories uniquely through a camera lens. Leanne K. Ferrer was a visionary leader who was passionate about promoting Pacific Islander stories and public media.
- Filmmaker(s)
- Vera Zambonelli
- Category
- Short Film
- Subject Matter
- Women, Biography
- Featured In
- Pacific Pulse
- Region
- Hawai'i
- Length
- 9 Minutes
- Year
- 2024
- Website
- https://www.reelwahineofhawaii.org/
-
Leanne K. Ferrer was a visionary leader who was passionate about promoting Pacific Islander stories and public media. She was the Executive Director at Pacific Islanders in Communications and co-created the Pacific Heartbeat television series on PBS while overseeing numerous other productions. Leanne understood the significance of connecting media creators to network and share their knowledge, which led her to establish the PIC Media Makers Summit, the Hawaiian Handbook for Media Protocol, and the Hawaiian Media Makers Database to support a thriving creative community. Leanne's previous experience at Disney Films and PBS Hawai'i, as well as her role as the previous Board President for Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking, founding member, and advisory board member of the Hawaiian Media Makers and the Hawaiʻi Film Foundation at Nuʻumealani, made her an invaluable asset to the film community.
Dr. Vera Zambonelli - Writer/Director/Editor
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. 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 a member of the Creative Resurgence Collective, committed to fostering a thriving future for Hawaiʻi.
Ka‘iulani Ferrer
Kaʻiulani Ferrer is a senior at Sacred Heart Academy. Kaʻiulani, actively involved with several activities at her school, took her first filmmaking class when only 7 with Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking and has been honing her filmmaking skills since.
Shaneika Aguilar - Camera and audio
Born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, cinematographer Shaneika Aguilar has always been fascinated with cameras and the ability to capture and materialize a moment in time. She is best known for her work on independent films as well as branded content.
Martha Nicholas - Production Assistant
Martha Nicholas is a filmmaker who was 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 for The ‘Ilima Lady documentary. She is also a previous Wāhine in Film Lab fellow and a filmmaking mentor for Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking. Nicholas continues to explore multiple avenues within the film industry.
Ava Nakagawa - Intern/Production Assistant
Ava is a senior in high school who participates in a handful of clubs. She enjoys reading, listening to music, and watching anime to unwind after a long day in school. After recently figuring out she wanted to major in film in college and make films as a career, she has been searching for opportunities to make short films and help out in any way!
Social Media
Instagram: @hiwomeninfilmmaking
Facebook: @Hawai‘i Women in Filmmaking
