Directed by
Cris Romento
Aloha! I'm Cris, a Native Hawaiian filmmaker who returned back to my childhood home of Honolulu after moving with my ʻohana 30 years ago. Before making DEAR ALOHA, I worked as a freelance Director and Editor in NYC, Saudi Arabia and Europe. Prior to freelancing, I spent 10 years working in news and entertainment television. It's been a long road coming back home. I'm so honored to share this journey of making my film with you, which couldn't have happened without the wonderful team who helped make it.
Our Team
From Hawaiʻi, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle: our team came togehter to film a sweeping narrative about Hawaiian people and our experiences in the Diaspora.
Dear Aloha is a film led by women and brought to life by a BIPOC/LGBTQ team. These stories and experiences behind the camera are what made the film, and I am so honored to be in community with them.
Cinematographer
Shaneika Aguilar is a cinematographer and filmmaker based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Her journey began at 13 with her first film exploring the impact of cell phone use in schools. She expanded her career into the commercial sectors, working with various local and national organizations. Upon earning her BA at the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, she joined NMG Network, where she played a key role in growing their video production capabilities. She earned two Northern California Area Emmy Awards for her documentary work, including Kā Huakaʻi: The Journey to Merrie Monarch. She views her craft not only as a form of storytelling but also as a powerful tool to inspire understanding and healing.
Shaneika Aguilar
Producer/Post-Production Supervisor
Erin Lau (she/her) is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker who has dedicated her life to creating stories that explore empathy, family, and identity. Her work has screened in over 50 film festivals and received support from the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Studios, MTV, NBC, Women in Film, 4th World Media Lab, Film Independent’s Project Involve program and Episodic Directors Intensive. Her most recent credits include directing on the Emmy-winning docuseries REEL WĀHINE OF HAWAIʻI and producing Cris Romento's short DEAR ALOHA and Jalena Keane-Lee's feature, STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS. No matter the medium or role, Erin always strives to create work that honors the past, empowers the present, and creates hope for the future. More about Erin.
Erin Lau
Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a journalist, filmmaker, and film educator splitting their time between Seattle, Washington, and Oaxaca, Mexico. In their recent role as Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, they played a groundbreaking role in making the space accessible for diverse audiences. Their narrative short film, RECKLESS SPIRITS, is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC comedy; the feature film is slated for production in late 2025. Vee is also in post-production on a short documentary about Hunt’s Trading Post near the Navajo and Southern Ute Nations. They have a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship from the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. More about Vee.
Producer (Pacific Northwest)
Vee Hua
Editor
Shirley Thompson is a seasoned documentary producer, writer, director and editor, best known for the documentaries she has edited including Baseball Behind Barbed Wire (2023), Island Cowgirls (2022), Finding Kukan (2016), and It’s Elementary (1995). Her editing has been recognized with three Emmys and a Peabody award. A New Orleans native, she lives in Honolulu, making films and mentoring emerging filmmakers through PBS Hawai‘i & Hawai‘i Women in Filmmaking. She is a proud, long-time member of the New Day Films collective. As a Latina and a daughter of immigrants, she is committed to filmmaking that builds bridges across cultures and communities.
Shirley Thompson
Credits
Gaffer/1st AC:
Nate Miles (he/him)
Sound Mixer:
Daniel Smith (he/him)
Drone Operator:
Sean Kuhon-Paige (he/him)
Production Assistants/Photographers:
Alex Castille (he/him), Lauren Romento (she/her), DJ Schaller (they/them)
Editors:
Shirley Thompson and Cris Romento (she/her)
Assistant Editor:
Aleta Hammerich (she/her)
Sound Mixer/Re-recording Artist:
Micah Garrido (he/him)
© 2024 by Big Aloha Pictures LLC. All rights reserved.