Meet Hawaiʻi award-winning student filmmakers who swept HIFF, ʻŌlelo YXC awards this year
Before his 18th birthday, Virgil Tan, award-winning local student filmmaker, had already been featured at international festivals, taken home the top prize at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival's ʻŌpio Film Festival and earned a place at Chapman University's prestigious Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
HIFF Opio Fest: The Future of Film
His short film New Start didn't just make waves. It won Best Short Film at HIFF's student showcase.
'I'm very grateful for my crew and my parents for helping me out throughout this journey,' Tan said. 'I got a bunch of positive feedback for my new film, New Start, so I'm pretty happy with that.'
Tan's journey is striking. He was born in China, acted in a film with Jet Li before he could read and moved to Hawaiʻi when he was six. By high school, he was behind the camera, self-teaching through nightly movie marathons and online classes.
'I kind of like being behind the camera more than in front of the camera,' Tan said. 'Every shot means something to me.'
His perspective is deeply personal as it's a way to communicate beyond language barriers. As a first-generation immigrant, he never felt fluent in Chinese or English; so, film became his language.
'It's my way of talking,' he said. 'It's like my language almost.'
On the other end of Oʻahu, at Waipahu Elementary School, a different but equally powerful movement is underway. A group of young students — all in grades five and six — made a huge splash after winning the most awards of any school at the 2024 ʻŌlelo Youth Xchange Student Video Competition.
Cendisse Alvarez, award-winning local student filmmaker from Waipahu Elementary School, wanted to make sure viewers didn't overlook the beauty around them.'I wanted to show people the importance of the monkey pod trees,' Alvarez said. 'They aren't just ordinary trees.'
Her message was one of several that caught judges' attention. The students' videos tackled themes like healthy eating, environmental responsibility, disaster preparedness and kindness. All topics close to home and critical for Hawaiʻi's future.
Timothy Ragasa, an award-winning local student filmmaker, focused on nutrition. 'Eating fruits and veggies is better because they provide vitamin C and many things that are healthy for your body,' Ragasa said.
Ryzelle Valencia, also an award-winning local student filmmaker, took on pollution. 'I saw people shooting the community, such as littering or just not recycling,' Valencia said. 'And I think that the video could inspire others to start treating it better.'
Brooklyn Hiyakumoto, an award-winning local student filmmaker, wanted to highlight how much more people could do if they simply helped. 'I wanted to inspire how much better we educate with helping,' Hiyakumoto said.
For many of the Waipahu students, the project was their first experience behind a camera. But the impact of that first step was huge.
Naomi Agno, an award-winning local student filmmaker, saw a problem and turned it into action. 'There was a lot of litter and trash around the school and this environment,' Agno said. 'So, I decided to make a video about cleaning the community and making this place a better area.'
Nakki Maejan, award-winning local student filmmaker, brought a sense of continuity and dedication. 'I wanted to express my creativity,' Maejan said. 'And I wanted to take a step up and do the same topic that [my friends] did so that I could win for them.'
These young storytellers have no illusions about the future. Some want to pursue film professionally. Others don't. But all of them saw the value in learning to tell their story.
Check out more news from around Hawaii
'I don't plan on pursuing filmmaking,' said Donya Mae Hernandes, award-winning local student filmmaker. 'I do like it. And like Ryzelle said, I would do it as a hobby.'
Valencia echoed that. 'Although it is fun, I'm pretty sure I don't want to do filmmaking in the future.'
For others like Maejan, the spark has just begun. 'I choose to continue filmmaking,' she said. 'After finally winning an award this year, I want to show my other creativity.'
Tan, on the other hand, is now preparing for college in California. His films are layered with meaning, shaped by identity, place and purpose, much like his Waipahu counterparts.
'I think through film, it's my way of talking,' Tan said. 'It fulfills my purpose. I feel like that is my purpose as being on this Earth.'
Tan understands that filmmaking isn't always seen as a viable path, especially for Asian youth and first-gen students like himself. He's had to push through doubt, discipline, and cultural expectations.
'At the beginning, they kind of told me to not touch art,' Tan said of his parents, who were acrobats before immigrating to the U.S. 'But they saw that I had a passion for the arts. So, they had no choice but to support me.'
He's drawn to films that explore inner conflict and emotion. Palm Tree, one of his early projects, explored psychological tension and personal struggle. His latest film, New Start, was inspired by the film Blue Valentine.
Now, with college on the horizon, Tan's preparing to immerse himself fully in the art form.
'I'm definitely going to make a lot of films during college,' he said. 'That is the environment. Obviously, the environment there is creative. I will make films.'
The students from Waipahu are also thinking about where they'll go next and whether they'll stay in Hawaiʻi or explore beyond.
Big changes could be coming for Hawaii's film industry — and they aren't good
'Hawaiʻi involves many opportunities,' Alvarez said. 'But I think that other places does, too. I would like to also travel the world and show my creativity there.'
Maejan wants to continue filmmaking elsewhere. 'I should go somewhere else if I want to continue,' she said. 'Because I want to continue adding up to my creativity and inspiring more people.'
For Tan, the long hours of watching films, studying scripts and editing shots weren't just about skill-building. They were about finding a voice.
'Arts is a great way of not really directly fighting racism,' Tan said. 'But it is an indirect way of kind of passively fighting back.'
From elementary school classrooms in Waipahu to red carpets at international festivals, Hawaiʻi's next generation of filmmakers is ready. Whether they choose to make films professionally or not, their voices already matter; and their advice for others is clear.
'Just push your limits and do it,' Alvarez said. 'You only live once.'
'Try new things and discover new things,' Ragasa said.
'Even if you are nervous… just do it,' Valencia said. 'Now it's like family.'
Tan knows exactly what filmmaking has meant to him.
'I feel like film really fulfills my purpose,' he said. 'That is my purpose as being on this Earth.'
So, whether you're visiting Hawaiʻi, living here, or just tuning in — listen. These young voices are telling stories worth hearing.
Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON's morning podcast, every morning at 8
You can watch the full interview with Tan and the Waipahu students in the video above.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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