Team

Meet the

CIARA LEINAʻALA LACY
WRITER-DIRECTOR

Ciara is an Emmy-nominated Native Hawaiian filmmaker whose interest lies in crafting films that use strong  characters and investigative journalism to challenge the creative and political status quo. 

  • She has directed content for film and television, managed independent features, as well as coordinated product placement and clearances for various platforms. Her work has screened at festivals around the world such as Sundance and Berlinale as well as shown on networks including Netflix, PBS, ABC, and Al Jazeera. In the digital space, she has created content for notable outlets like the Guardian and the Atlantic Online. Ciara is honored to be the inaugural Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellow and has also benefited from fellowships with the Sundance Institute, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Princess Grace Foundation, Firelight Media's Documentary Lab, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and the Gotham Film & Media Institute. Ciara holds a BA in Psychology from Yale University, is a proud graduate of the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. As a child, Ciara was an expert flower picker and lei sower, a skill she learned from her family’s business selling lei to local retailers in Honolulu.

DANIEL SOUSA
DIRECTOR OF ANIMATION

As a recipient of the Creative Capital Foundation for the film Feral, which went on to win numerous awards at film festivals around the world, and an Academy Awards nomination in 2014.

  • In his work, Sousa uses animation and themes commonly found in mythology and fairy tales to examine  archetypes of human nature, and the inner struggles between our intellects and our unconscious drives.  Rather than following conventional narratives, he approaches filmmaking from a painter’s perspective. He  focuses on states of mind, evoking the fragility of fleeting moments, memories and perceptions. In 2008 he  was the recipient of a production grant from the Creative Capital Foundation for the film Feral, which went  on to win numerous awards at film festivals around the world, and an Academy Awards nomination in  2014. In addition to his independent projects, Sousa has worked as a director and animator with Cartoon Network, Olive Jar Studios, Global Mechanic, and Duck. He is a founding member of Handcrankedfilm, a  film makers' collective, along with Jeff Sias, Bryan Papciak, and Jake Mahaffy. Sousa has taught at several  colleges in the New England area, including RISD, Harvard University, The Museum School, and The Art  Institute of Boston, as well as at the Animation Workshop in Denmark. 

CONCEPCION SAUCEDO-TREJO
PRODUCER

A Mexican-American multi-hyphenate talent with skills as a union production coordinator, union production  accountant, and production supervisor on projects like SNOWDEN, POINT BREAK, and LOST. 

  • Concepcion is a Mexican-American film producer and proud member of the Producers Guild of America  (PGA). She is a multi-hyphenate talent with skills as a union production coordinator, union production  accountant, and production supervisor on national and international projects including notable titles such  as SNOWDEN, POINT BREAK, and LOST. Her leap into producing came from a natural desire to bring  diverse content to big and small screens and utilizing her expertise of studio primetime workflow and  systems to collaborate with talented filmmakers to develop content that creatively celebrate and highlight  humanity, diversity and core values while promoting training and supporting new talent to the competitive  world of filmmaking. Raised on the border between Mexico and the US, she has an empathy for different  cultures, languages and points of view. Her ventures into independent producing have brought to life  successful projects like the period, narrative short film JUVENTUD, which premiered at the 2017 San  Diego Comic-Con and was an official selection of the 2017 Hawaii International Film Festival as well as  managing productions for high profile talents like CARLOS SANTANA’s “She’s Fire” music video . Her first  feature-length film as an independent producer, SECONDHAND HEARTS, broadcast on Showtime in  2019.  

AULIʻI CRAVALHO
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Cravalho is well known for voicing the titular role of Disney’s MOANA opposite Dwayne Johnson.

  • The second film, MOANA 2, was released on Thanksgiving and has broken records, yielding the biggest five-day opening of all time, grossing over $600 million at the box office, and earning a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Motion Picture – Animated.” She also serves as an Executive Producer on the forthcoming live-action MOANA. Currently, Cravalho can be seen making her Broadway debut as Sally Bowles in CABARET. Her other credits include starring in Paramount Pictures’ MEAN GIRLS: THE MUSICAL, Hulu’s CRUSH, Amazon’s THE POWER opposite Toni Collette and John Leguizamo, and NBC’s musical-drama RISE.

LINDA & BOB NICHOLS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

The Nichols have been long-time supporters of the arts in Hawaiʻi. Their involvement with the film community in Hawai’i started with bringing the Sundance Institute.

  • She has directed content for film and television, managed independent features, as well as coordinated product placement and clearances for various platforms. Her work has screened at festivals around the world such as Sundance and Berlinale as well as shown on networks including Netflix, PBS, ABC, and Al Jazeera. In the digital space, she has created content for notable outlets like the Guardian and the Atlantic Online. Ciara is honored to be the inaugural Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellow and has also benefited from fellowships with the Sundance Institute, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Princess Grace Foundation, Firelight Media's Documentary Lab, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and the Gotham Film & Media Institute. Ciara holds a BA in Psychology from Yale University, is a proud graduate of the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. As a child, Ciara was an expert flower picker and lei sower, a skill she learned from her family’s business selling lei to local retailers in Honolulu.

DEAN HAMER
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

An Emmy Award winning filmmaker, New York Times Book of the Year author, and NIH scientist emeritus with a history in communicating complex ideas.

  • She has directed content for film and television, managed independent features, as well as coordinated product placement and clearances for various platforms. Her work has screened at festivals around the world such as Sundance and Berlinale as well as shown on networks including Netflix, PBS, ABC, and Al Jazeera. In the digital space, she has created content for notable outlets like the Guardian and the Atlantic Online. Ciara is honored to be the inaugural Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellow and has also benefited from fellowships with the Sundance Institute, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Princess Grace Foundation, Firelight Media's Documentary Lab, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and the Gotham Film & Media Institute. Ciara holds a BA in Psychology from Yale University, is a proud graduate of the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. As a child, Ciara was an expert flower picker and lei sower, a skill she learned from her family’s business selling lei to local retailers in Honolulu.

TERRY LEONARD
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Terry has produced over 40 feature films in his 20-year career, including the 2023 Oscar nominated MARCELL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON (Best Animated Feature)

  • His movies have  screened or won awards at Sundance, Tribeca, Berlin, Slamdance, Woodstock, Hamptons, The Los  Angeles Film Festival, South by Southwest and countless regional festivals as well as accolades from the  Directors Guild of America and the Independent Spirit Awards. Terry is an active member of the Producers  Guild of America and the Directors Guild, speaking on panels and mentoring up-and- coming filmmakers.  Terry holds a BFA in film from Emerson College and splits his time between New York City and Los  Angeles.  

JONATHAN ZALBEN
COMPOSER

Jonathan creates compelling soundtracks for picture drawing on his decades-long experience in music, film, television, and media art.

  • Jonathan creates compelling soundtracks for picture drawing on his decades-long experience in music,  film, television, and media art. He studied violin and music composition at Juilliard Pre-College, Yale, and  NYU. Zalben's media art has been viewed at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, MASS MoCa, Boston  Public Library, Sony Wonder Technology Lab in New York City, and art galleries around the world. He won  an award for his media art collaboration, Compound Pilot, at SXSW. In 2023 he was nominated for a Guild of Music Supervisors Award for "Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes" directed by Peter Schnall for PBS.  Zalben also music supervised "Shut Up and Paint" directed by Titus Kaphar and Alex Mallis which aired on  PBS and was shortlisted for the 2023 Oscars in the Best Short Doc category, and he also music edited  the MGM film "TILL" directed by Chinonye Chukwu, which was shortlisted in the Best Original Song  category. He recently wrapped music editing the MGM Amazon film "Roadhouse" directed by Doug Liman  and starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Film/TV credits include the Emmy-award winning series, "Axios on HBO" directed by Matthew O'Neill and Perri Peltz, the Oscar-nominated film Redemption (HBO) directed by Jon  Alpert and Matthew O'Neill, Alone (NY Times Op-Doc) directed by Garrett Bradley, which won the  Sundance Jury Award and was shortlisted for an Oscar, There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane (HBO)  directed by Liz Garbus, On Pointe (Disney+) directed by Larissa Bills, Just Before I Go (Starz) directed by  Courteney Cox, and No Way Jose (Sony Pictures) directed by Adam Goldberg. Zalben is the founder and  owner of First Frame Music, a company for music supervision, licensing, and score, which has a diverse  roster of artists and a catalog of over 3,000 musical works. In addition, Zalben teaches music for picture  and is the Director of Media Scoring at CUNY Brooklyn College's Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at  Steiner Studios. You can read more about him here: www.jonathanzalben.com 

TIMOTHY KORN
SOUND DESIGNER

Tim Korn is a highly experienced audio engineer with 20 years of work experience. He specializes in sound  design, spatial audio and mixing. 

  • Based in Brooklyn, Tim is passionate about rusty sounds and plants,  and his passion lies in finding random objects that can be twisted and contoured into interesting sound  design. He has been a partner and the supervising sound editor at Dungeon Beach for 12 years, giving  him a deep understanding of aspects of post. Tim strives to keep learning and growing as a creative and  technical engineer.