Our Team
Elizabeth Rian | Executive Producer, Writer, Actor
Elizabeth is an actor and writer based out of Honolulu, Hawaii. She received a BFA in Theatre Performance from Chapman University and worked professionally in Los Angeles for over ten years. Her network credits include Jane the Virgin (CBS), Magnum P.I (NBC) and a Hallmark film. Elizabeth has appeared in multiple national commercials, AEA stage plays and Indie features, including the 2021 Sundance favorite, Jamojaya, directed by Justin Chon. She is passionate about contributing to local filmmaking in Honolulu.
Jana Kealohaokeakua Park | Executive Producer, Director
Jana is a Korean/European filmmaker who was born on O’ahu and grew up on Moloka’i. She has produced multiple short and feature films that have screened across the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and Internationally. She was the UPM & Associate Producer of the BL (Boy Love) feature film My Partner, which won the Grand Jury Award at the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, the Audience Favorite Award at the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival, and stars characters speaking ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Tagalog, and English. She Directed and Produced “The Baby Luʻau,” a short film that screened as an Official Selection at ten international festivals, including Toyko’s largest LGBTQ film festival, and was nominated for best narrative short at the Long Beach International Film Festival.
Taylor Gruver | Producer, Assistant Director, Editor
Taylor is a freelance filmmaker with experience in multiple areas of filmmaking including sound design, editing, writing, directing, and producing. After serving in the United States Coast Guard from 2009 to 2016, Taylor attended film school at City College of San Francisco. She received an Associates in Cinema Production and began working as a sound effects editor and assistant editor in the Bay Area. Her directorial debut short film Highway 1 won multiple awards in festivals across the country. Taylor currently lives on Oahu and works across all aspects of production and post-production for commercials, television and feature films.
Brandon Ikaika Bernaldes | Producer
As a Native Hawaiian born & raised in California, Brandon moved to Hawaiʻi to establish a deeper connection with his Hawaiian roots. Brandon received a B.A. in Digital Cinema from the School of Cinematic Arts at UH Mānoa, where he first worked as a Producer on Leslie Dam’s queer love story Love in Silence, earning him the award for “Best Producer.” Brandon has since gone on to work in various production roles on Film/Television projects including: Doogie Kamealoha: Season 2, Chief of War, Lilo & Stitch, Molokai Bound, & Moana. He has also recently gained experience in commercial work for Rescue: HI-Surf, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaiian Airlines, Disney Aulani, & Texaco. He has previously worked as a background actor for projects such as: Hawaii 5-0, NCIS: Hawaiʻi, The Wrong Missy, & Next Goal Wins.
Ku’ulei (Lexi) Ka’ili | Producer
Ku’ulei is a Native Hawaiian Director and Impact Producer who blends her background in nonprofit development, traditional voyaging and documentary film to share stories about identity and culture. She was the Executive Producer for the award-winning feature documentary film Dream Chasers: The Fit to Recover Story, highlighting recovery health and wellness, and her short films have been featured by Forbes, Patagonia, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ku’ulei was also an editor for Kimi Werner’s YouTube channel from 2020-2021 featuring stories about food, family and foraging.
Cheryl Noelani Ho | Director Intern
Cheryl is a Native Hawaiian actor, mother, and former Mrs. Hawaii. She began her acting career as a teen on the network TV show Beyond the Break. Since then, Cheryl has helped create multiple 48-hour and 72-hour films through Hawai’i Filmmakers Collective and starred in the award winning music video “Who’s that Girl” by Josh Tatofi. She continues her studies at ZA Studio as she advances her acting and directing career.