Hawaii tourism officials are looking to harness the power of film to put a spotlight on Hawaii as a visitor destination, while creating a more authentic understanding of the islands and providing employment for local residents.
The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority are increasing support for the industry, which has been hard hit by the departure of major productions and the absence of new ones.
CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0” shut down in 2020, and “NCIS: Hawai‘i” and the reboot of “Magnum P.I.” both aired their last episodes on the network in 2024, while “Rescue: HI-Surf” was canceled by Fox in May.
Gov. Josh Green and DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka recently allocated $500,000 in HTA funding for the film industry and directed the new HTA advisory board to create a Film Production Tourism Standing Committee.
The committee, made up of select HTA advisory board members, is expected to guide initiatives that promote Hawaii through film, television and integrated marketing while supporting economic development and authentic representation of the state.
The state agencies’ recent focus on film also was a key part of the Hawai‘i Tourism Conference held Sept. 22-23 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center and drew more than 600 attendees, who represented a cross section of Hawaii’s visitor industry and community members, nonprofits and cultural practitioners.
Hawaii film industry veteran Brian Keaulana, state Sen. Lynn DeCoite (D, East Maui-Upcountry Maui-Molokai-Lanai-Kahoolawe) and film industry professionals Kourtney Kang and Matt Kester provided insight during a well-attended panel on “Harnessing the Power of Film to Elevate the Destination.”
Keaulana said during the panel discussion that the Aug. 1 world premiere of the Apple TV+ miniseries “Chief of War” was a missed opportunity for Hawaii to fully benefit from its cultural advantages and expertise.
The nine-episode historical drama, about the battles leading to unification of the isles in the final years of the 18th century, was created, written and produced by Hawaiians. It starred Hawaiian actors Jason Momoa and Moses Goods, and featured several other Hawaiians in prominent supporting roles.
Its total production cost of $340 million made “Chief of War” one of the most expensive series ever produced for Apple TV+; however, for financial reasons it filmed only one month in Hawaii and six months in New Zealand.
“The Maoris and the people over there, the Indigenous people, all asked us, ‘Why are you coming here?’” Keaulana said. “We had to tell them, ‘The only reason is we can’t (afford to) finish the film (in Hawaii) and we need to finish the film to showcase what we can do.’”
DeCoite was a leader this year in the push to enact Senate Bill 732, which proposed increasing the annual payout cap for film and TV production tax credits to $60 million. Other provisions later added to the bill included nixing the $17 million cap per production, waiving county permit fees for certain film activity, providing an extra 5% tax credit for qualified productions employing at least 80% local workers and phasing out production credits over five years.
Different versions of SB 732 passed the full House and Senate but stalled April 25 in a conference committee of House and Senate members who could not agree on a compromise.
The local film industry got a reprieve when Green vetoed House Bill 796, which would have imposed an automatic five-year sunset on every tax credit established or renewed after the end of this year, or phase out such credits over three years. Green’s veto protected the film tax incentive through Dec. 31, 2032.
“Gov. Green has always been on board with the film industry,” DeCoite said. “He sees the value within the industry itself, the outreach of everything else. It’s educating the (legislative) body that basically still has the mindset that this is a rich industry. It’s not, and if this state does not invest, does not look at tax incentives, does not continue to have these conversations and educate themselves, we’re going to look at having it never to return.”
Mericia Palma Elmore, executive director of industry union SAG-AFTRA Hawaii and chair of HTA’s Film Production Tourism Standing Committee, also attended the conference panel discussion. She said Hawaii’s film and television industry is not just about entertainment, it’s also essential to driving the state’s economy, including tourism.
“All the production that happens here, it creates jobs for our members, actors, stunt people, background performers, but it is also a global advertisement for Hawaii — and not just the beauty of Hawaii, but now, if you look at most recent offerings, the history and culture of Hawaii,” she said.
Elmore cited a 2022 DBEDT report that found that film and TV productions contributed $1.2 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, paid over $543 million in wages and generated $121.6 million in state tax revenue. Additionally, she said the report noted that 4.5 million visitor days were directly tied to productions filmed in Hawaii.
“Hawaii must remain competitive as best we can globally, and incentives are a part of it,” Elmore said. “I think that sometimes people can see it as a handout, but they should see it in terms of investment.”
She added that Hawaii needs to invest in the film industry in the same way it invests in tourism.
“The governor sees it — you can look at his record on this and just really his openness to our community and to the creative community in Hawaii,” Elmore said. “I am so glad that people are really starting to see it now.”
Source: The Garden Island