Aloha from Hawaii!
The subject matter was inspired by what we could see walking between the developing neighborhood of Kaka'ako and Ala Moana beach park. Naturally I teamed up with my friend Sheela Sharma who has such a wonderful personality and warmth of spirit that just make her a great travel companion. This was literally her first time in front of my camera.
Up until now my experience has been local film festivals and shorts. I studied drawing and painting and obtained a BFA in 2005 but film has always been a passion I just didn't take seriously until recently. I've been lucky enough to have found work as a freelance videographer, shooting weddings and mostly event work. The experience as a wedding videographer has definitely sharpened my skills and experience in documentary filmmaking.
A dream for me is to direct a theatrical feature but documentary has become one of my favorite creative challenges. In the end it's still storytelling and I love connecting the dots.
I value every experience I have had behind the camera as a learning experience so this scholarship would be no exception. Simply put, for me it combines two passions of mine: travel and film.
Cheers!
-Vincent
