Award-Winning Filmmaker to Teach Digital Storytelling at UH Maui College

Reece Pottorff and Brian Kohne during the filming of Kuleana on Maui. Motion Pictures produced in Hawai’i, about Hawai’i, by residents of Hawai’i. Photo courtesy Kuleana/Jack Grace.

Award-winning Maui director, writer and producer Brian Kohne will teach digital storytelling at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College in the spring of 2018.

The course, ICS 190V2: Storytelling, is part of the UHMC creative media program and will introduce students to the core principles, methodologies and creation of digital storytelling in various forms.

Kohne’s latest work, Kuleana, premiered at the Maui Film Festival, featuring an all-Hawaiʻi cast and crew.  He also produced The Barefoot Natives and wrote and directed the 2011 independent island comedy, Get A Job.

Kuleana has already garnered several Audience Choice awards from various film festivals on Maui, Oklahoma, San Antonio and Santa Cruz.

The creative media program offers a two-year associate in science degree in digital storytelling, computer graphics or web design at UH Maui College, with a transfer opportunity to a two-year bachelor’s degree in creative media at UH West O‘ahu.

The deadline to apply for the spring 2018 semester is Dec. 15, 2017.

“I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned on a journey which began at Baldwin High on Maui where I made my first Super-8 movie in 1981,” Kohne said. “We’ll be joined in class by a number of professional storytellers, and together will explore a colorful array of media and methodologies which empower our creation and presentation of digital media products.”

As a graduate of San Jose State University with degrees in art and radio, TV, video and film, Kohne’s diverse professional experience includes sales and marketing, corporate video production, sports broadcasting and interactive television software development.

UH Maui College’s Creative Media Program Coordinator Daniel Kruse said Kohne’s addition will further inspire students who want to be in the creative media industry.

“A lot of people are unaware of this new creative media program at the college. Students will be able to start building their portfolios, reels and contacts in the industry while taking these courses,” Kruse said. “Technology changes daily and access to media-related tools are available to almost everyone, and they are being used more frequently in a widening number of fields. A career in this industry is exciting, challenging and highly stimulating.”