Our Innovative Programs

We offer a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide the necessary skills for content generation in the modern, digital world preparing them for the 500 billion dollar creator economy project in 2030.

Group of people wearing pink shirts standing on stage during a film premiere screening event with blue projection screen

Movie poster for The Wayfinders of Waianae showing two people surfing in the ocean with mountains in the background

Craft Narrative

We teach students to craft dynamic stories, documenting and archiving the histories of their community along the Waiʻanae Coastline and other Pacifika communities.

Production Skills

We will be providing cinema quality filmmaking tools, photography and design elements and using AI tools to help organize and structure their learning experience with a hands-on approach.

Effective Distribution

We guide students on how to share their creations with the world in this ever changing eco system of social media platforms. Guiding them to discover which ones would be good for them to build content for.

Targeted Training

Courses tailored to equip the students with real-world relevant skills. Partnering with international artist throughout the Pacific to provide workshops for our kids.

Digital and AI Literacy

Instilling essential knowledge and competence in the digital realm.

Global Access

Dissolving geographical boundaries with our accessible online platforms.

Menehune Film Academy

We are a Not For Profit organization based on the Waiʻanae Coast, dedicated to empowering at-risk youth through digital media arts, filmmaking, and storytelling. We teach young creators how to craft, produce, and distribute high-quality content—building the next generation of cultural leaders and innovators who preserve Hawaiian stories and oral traditions.

Empowering Youth at Risk

Our Initiative

Committed to creating a media agency focused on teaching at-risk youth along the Waianae Coastline, how to become creators in today's digital world.

Cinematography filmmaking conceptual image in between takes

The Art Of Filmmaking

We want to teach all the different elements of what it takes to make a film, with the end goal of showcasing their work on the big screen & film festivals in the Pacific.

storytelling, Filmmaker, or content creator concept.

Web Series

Our students will learn how to post their short stories online for the community engagement and cultural preservation through their short films.

Positive Social Media

Teaching critical thinking and positive social media practices, our students learn to create good campaigns, stand out, and be positive representations in the digital space.

Our Program

Our students will learn responsible social media management and engagement and how to use the different platforms for their work.

Life Changing

Joining Menehune Film Academy totally changed how I see things. It's not just about learning cool stuff - it's like a whole new world opened up where I'm not just watching videos, I'm making them!

-Koanui Keaualana

Life Changing

This program gave me a reason to want to live again.

-Kuulei Momoa

Our Vlog Channel

Discover the Stories Behind the Scenes and Creative Journey of Our Young Filmmakers

Storytelling Workshop Highlights

Behind-the-scenes of our digital storytelling program

Film Production Insights

Students share their filmmaking experiences

Cultural Storytelling

Our final film screening at HIFF's ʻŌpio Fest World Premiere

Subscribe to Our Channel

Our Blog

Exploring the Intersection of Storytelling, Culture, and Filmmaking

Two young people holding professional cameras in a gymnasium with booths and tables in the background.

Empowering Youth Through Digital Storytelling

Explore how digital media is transforming the way young storytellers share their voices and cultural narratives.

Group of people under a thatched roof examining a camera. One woman adjusts the camera, others observe closely.

Indigenous Filmmaking: Preserving Cultural Heritage

Discover how indigenous youth are using film to preserve and celebrate their cultural stories and traditions. Our Opio working with Aotearoa, NZ filmmakers Taro Patch Creative 2025.

Outdoor interview setup with a man seated facing a camera on a tripod, a woman holding a tablet, and a person with a reflector.

The Power of Collaborative Filmmaking

Learn how teamwork and collaborative storytelling can amplify the voices of young creators and our kupuna histories.

View All Blog Posts

About Menehune Film Academy

Located in Mākaha, Hawaiʻi, Menehune Film Academy empowers at-risk youth by teaching them to create and distribute high-quality digital content.

Close socio-economic divides through digital arts and Hawaiian culture.
Equip students with skills for the digital age.

Supporting us fuels empowerment and education for native youth.

A surfer in dark swimwear riding a bright blue wave against a dark starry night sky with purple nebula clouds

From the Founder

Pākē Salmon

Menehune Film Academy was created from a deep commitment to our community, our culture, and our future. As an award winning filmmaker, waterwoman, and Native Hawaiian storyteller, I've spent my life documenting stories that matter.

This academy exists to give our youth the tools, mentorship, and opportunities to tell their own stories—rooted in ʻike, guided by kūpuna, and shared with the world.

Read My Manifesto

Menehune Film Academy Hawaiʻi Empower Educate Innovate