Filmmaking Panel Heads to Hilo Palace Theater

An industry panel on community filmmaking will take place at the Hilo Palace Theater as part of the second annual Made in Hawai‘i Film Festival, sponsored by the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and Castle Resorts and Hotels.

An industry panel on community filmmaking will take place at the Hilo Palace Theater. Courtesy photo.

The 90-minute panel is titled “Community-Based Filmmaking: The Importance of Collaboration” and is moderated by Alex Deedy of the O‘ahu-based Hawai‘i Filmmaker’s Collective. During the event, Deedy and two industry panelists will discuss the importance of community support when getting a film project off the ground, how to find core collaborators amongst filmmaking peers, how working together can help build the local film industry among the Hawaiian islands, and more.

Panelists include Vera Zambonelli of Hawai‘i Women in Filmmaking, and Jeff Orig of Orig Media. Both Orig and Zambonelli are prominent players in the Hawai‘i film industry, and have films featured in the festival, including Orig’s short noir drama Upstream, nominated by the festival for a Cinematography award, and Zambonelli’s documentary Reel Wāhine of Hawaiʻi, a series of short docs about the history and accomplishments of Hawai‘i women filmmakers.

The event is ideal for anyone interested in filmmaking, videography or content creation in the state of Hawai‘i.

“Hawai‘i is full of passionate, talented storytellers, and working together as a community is what will get these stories not only across the islands but across the world,” says panel moderator Deedy. “Vera and Jeff are two of hardest working filmmakers I know, and both are at the forefront of building their community. I’m excited for the chance to sit down and pick their brains.”

The panel is held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, 2019, at the Hilo Palace Theater. Tickets run $10 and are included in the festival access pass for $30. Tickets are available for purchase through the Hilo Palace Box office or online.