Hisako Film Lab and Maui Huliau Foundation collaborate on Spring Lab filmmaking program for Maui youth

Hisako Film Lab, founded by Maui-raised filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, is partnering with Maui Huliau Foundation to offer an after-school filmmaking program available to youth in grades 9-12 from all schools. Students will work together over the spring semester to create original short films relating to the environment and sustainability. All equipment will be provided as students plan, write, film, and edit their films, receiving detailed guidance from a team of filmmaking instructors, environmental experts, and film industry professionals.

Prior guest highlights have included Maui-based Justin Marks & Rachel Kondo (creators of Emmy-sweeping series Shogun), O’ahu-based screenwriters Aaron and Jordan Kandell (Moana), Maui filmmaker Stefan Schaefer (Epic Swim Maui), and Hisako founder Destin Daniel Cretton (director of Marvel Studios’ upcoming Spider-Man 4) who was involved throughout the production process.

Motivated high school students eager to elevate their storytelling and production skills in an exciting, project-based setting are encouraged to apply.

Program dates are Jan. 20 to April 17 and will be organized into two cohorts stationed in Central Maui (UHMC campus) and Lahaina (Fuzz Box Productions) as well as various filming locations around the island. Labs will be held two days a week after school for two hour sessions, and the program is free of charge. For more schedule details and to apply, visit Hisako Film Lab’s website: hisakofilmlab.com. Films will be shown at a student film festival in May and entered in film festivals around the country.

Hisako Film Lab co-director Brad Kester said, “It’s the perfect chance to get creative while tackling important issues. There’s tons of room for students to make these films in their own style— whether it’s serious, funny, bizarre, or beyond. I’m so excited to be partnering again with Maui Huliau Foundation to create this opportunity for our youth.”

Hisako Film Lab is a nonprofit founded to educate the next generation of Hawai‘i’s storytellers and filmmakers. It was founded in 2023 by Destin Daniel Cretton, a Maui-raised filmmaker known for directing Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the upcoming Spider-Man 4. Local operations for the film lab on Maui are co-directed by Brad Kester, a filmmaker and CTE credentialed teacher, and Joy Cretton, a costume designer also Maui-raised who has worked on major films and television series including American Born Chinese, and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The program provides hands-on instruction and resources to Maui’s youth, building foundational skills in film production and focusing on storytelling as a way to celebrate what makes each of us unique. The goal is to provide an accepting, fun space where young people can discover and amplify their creative voices through the powerful tools of filmmaking.