DIRECTOR

Cris Romento

Cris Romento is a Native Hawaiian–Mexican filmmaker whose work explores healing through storytelling, cultural resilience, and Indigenous joy. After her family was “priced out of paradise” and relocated to Washington State, Cris returned to Oʻahu three decades later to direct DEAR ALOHA, an award-winning documentary about the displacement of Hawaiians, now streaming on PBS. Its sold-out, trauma-informed screenings provided vital mental health resources to Pacific Islander communities in the US. For this work, she received the Seattle International Film Festival’s Courageous Filmmaking Grant and Firelight Media's Impact Campaign Fellowship. 

Through creative and community partnerships with PBS, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Pacific Islanders in Communications, and regional AAPI organizations, her work has reached audiences worldwide and across Pasifika. She is currently developing new films about Hawaiian Diaspora, continuing media projects that advocate for social justice, and building a website dedicated to diaspora storytelling. 

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Teresa Carante

Teresa Carante is an Emmy Award–winning documentary cinematographer specialising in wildlife, ocean and environmental storytelling. She has filmed across five continents, working in remote and high-risk environments to tell powerful, character-driven stories about the natural world. She has served as topside Director of Photography and Field Producer for leading conservation organisations including National Geographic Society’s Pristine Seas and Neptune Pirates / The Paul Watson Foundation, contributing to multiple international expeditions across the North Atlantic, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tuvalu (2023–2025). In 2022, her short film ‘The Awakening of the Vietnamese Elephant’ received multiple festival awards and an Honorable Mention at the Jackson Wild Media Awards. Teresa was then accepted into the ASC Vision Mentorship Program (2023–2024) and became one of five recipients of the AbelCine, ARRI and ASC Fresh Perspectives in Cinematography Grant, supporting her latest underwater short film ‘Police Dive’. Soon after ‘Police Dive’ premiered at the Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival in Washington, DC and won a Capital Emmy Award for best cinematography in 2025. Her directorial debut, ‘Mother Crocodile’ (52’), was supported by ABC and the Documentary Australia Foundation, and her series ‘Through Their Eyes’ screened on Qantas inflight entertainment and is now available on DocPlay. Teresa holds a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology and works internationally as a freelance documentary cinematographer. She is currently based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. 

MEDIA ADVISOR

Billy V

William "Billy V" Van Osdol is a veteran radio broadcast personality, television reporter and personality, entertainer, emcee, and actor in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has been at the forefront of numerous events in the Hawaii entertainment, hospitality, and sports industries, and most notably at many of Hawaii's biggest events including the Na Hōkū Hanohano Awards and the Merrie Monarch Festival. In September 2007, News Director Chris Archer asked Billy V to join the morning television news broadcast Sunrise on Hawaii News Now, as a spotlight entertainment reporter from the Hawaiian 105 KINE studios while still doing the morning radio show. Periodically, he would fill in for breaking news, traffic, and weather segments. He was asked to join the Hawaii News Now-Sunrise team full-time in January 2015 after a meeting with then Hawaii News Now General Manager Rick Blagiardi. His role at the TV station lead to anchoring prominent Hawaii broadcasts including the Queen Liliuokalani Hula Competition, the Merrie Monarch Festival and the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. Billy V was asked in February 2023 to co-anchor the newly started Hawaii News Now Sunrise weekends, where he also does traffic and weather reporting. This would be the first Sunrise weekend show for Hawaii News Now. 

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Kamaka Pili

Born and raised on Oʻahu in the Hawaiian islands, Kamaka was brought up in a multi-cultural environment however it is Native Hawaiian culture and values that pulled on his spirit the strongest. Being of Native Hawaiian and of other Polynesian decent, Kamaka believes it is his kuleana (responsibility; privilege) to perpetuate his cultural traditions in this modern, fast-paced world of business, politics and development. Here in Hawai'i, the world recognizes the beauty of our islands, however the lack of awareness, recognition and respect towards the history, culture and traditions of the Hawaiian people are also recognized. This is an issue with many indigenous people around the world, and through all the projects he comes across, Kamaka tries to share stories and educate about Hawaiʻi, our culture, our kūpuna (ancestors) and their voices. From hula (dance) to lomilomi (massage) to lāʻau lapaʻau (natural medicine) to ulana (weaving) to kūkū kapa (barkcloth pounding) to oli (chant) to heʻenalu (surfing) and beyond, Kamaka has the passion to grow his knowledge of Hawaiʻi's past and learn where he comes from. With his experience and networks in not just the Hawaiian community but also both the hospitality and retail industries, Kamaka is ʻeleu (energetic; eager) in finding ways to build bridges between Hawaiian culture with the world. You will see Kamaka on Hawaiʻi's television as he is the weekend weatherman and a reporter with KHON2 News. You may see him dancing hula with Hawaiian Airlines. Or see him at craft fairs as the artist of Naʻau Walaʻau Designs. These are just some of the ways he can do to "Share Aloha with the World." 

PHOTOGRAPHER

Kuni Nakai

Kuni Nakai has lived in Honolulu, Hawaii since 1995. He has always been interested in the nature, culture and people of Hawaii but currently has been especially passionate about photographing "Hula". His works are regularly featured in many Hula publications including Japan's "Hula Le'a". He has also photographed artwork for advertisements, CD covers and shoots at many Hula events including the Merry Monarch Festival. 

1995年よりハワイ・ホノルル在住。ハワイの自然や文化、人々に興味を持ち、雑誌「フ ラレア」の撮影でフラと出会い、フラが踊りで表現する感情や自然、歴史を写真で表現 したいと強く感じ、フラを題材に作品を撮り続けている。雑誌、広告、CDジャケット の撮影を始め、多くのフライベントでも写真を撮っている。    

PHOTOGRAPHER

Joseph Auhana Char

Born and raised in Honolulu, HI., Joseph is a freelance photographer specializing in Hawaiian culture an the arts. His background in photography expands as a serious hobby for the last thirty years with a quality of understanding the movements and attitudes in the Art of Hawaiian Dance - Hula. Joseph has an “eye” for high professional grade imagery and captures the elegance and nuances of native intelligence in the arts. 

MEDIA TECH ASSISTANT

Leion Van Osdol

Leion Van Osdol is a filmmaker and music producer from Hālau Kahulaliwai under Kumu Blaine Kia. After graduating from NYU’s film school, he currently works at Saturday Night Live, directed Native Hawaiian docuseries on K5, and continues to create music and visual media. 

MEDIA TECH ASSISTANT

Kīkau Kia

Born and raised in Kailua, Oʻahu, Kīkaukahananui Kia is the creative director for KIA Enterprises, and the vice president and cultural/entertainment advisor for Kiamau LLC. Growing up surrounded by Hawaiian music, culture, and hula, he works to perpetuate Hawaiian culture and history through music, film, entertainment, and education. 

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

(Kaleo)okalani "Boi" Kia