Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti Announces Producer and Executive Fellowship Class
Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK) has announced its second cohort for the 2026 PEAK Producer and Executive Fellowship.
The fellowship includes Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, Lowen Kainoa Rudolfo, Donato Fatuesi, Kayla Caldeira and Anette Arinix Amazing Aga.
Funded by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), the fellowship offers producers and development executives one-on-one time with high-level industry creatives and executives to help hone their skills in the art of communication, networking, leadership and project development. It is designed to help the fellows build on the skills they’ve already shown as independent or freelance producers, by giving them access to the traditional ins and outs of the studio system development process. Created by Averie Joy Maikalima O Makua Huffine, PEAK interim executive director and producer at Humble Sandwich Productions, this is the only development program in Hollywood created by a Pasifika producer.
TAAF CEO Norman Chen said, “When we invest in the stories that move us and champion the creators who tell them, we give voice to our histories and lived experiences, and improve our sense of belonging. That’s why TAAF proudly funded the inaugural class of the PEAK Producer & Executive Fellowship, and we’re thrilled once again to support PEAK as it strengthens its efforts to train the next generation of talented Pacific Islander producers.”
Dana Ledoux Miller, PEAK board chair and “Moana 2” director and co-writer, said, “I couldn’t be prouder to welcome the cohort for PEAK’s 2nd producer’s fellowship this year.” Miller added, “We received an overwhelming number of applications this year, a testament to the hunger within our community for opportunities like this program. Thanks to partners like TAAF, and the dedication of the program’s founder and director, Averie, we are able to create a space for mentorship, education and community for Pasifika producers that doesn’t exist anywhere else in Hollywood. By opening up gates that have previously been kept closed for the Pasifika community, a new wave of storytelling is possible.”
The fellowship saw a 150% increase in its applications this year, which reflects PEAK’s overall growth and reach with the support of organizations like TAAF. This fellowship is part of TAAF’s commitment to Narrative Change.
Later this year, PEAK will expand its initiatives to include the third year of the PEAK Writers Fellowship; PEAK Reads, featuring Pasifika authors and their IP; PEAK Catch-Ups, featuring Pasifika creatives and talent in current series and features; community screenings in Southern California; and upcoming industry partnerships across entertainment.
Celia Kaleialoha Kenney
Kenny is a producer, storyteller, and entertainer from Honolulu committed to helping untold stories reach audiences in innovative ways. As a Producer at Plate Spinner Productions, she works across media with a focus on independent feature film development. Celia executive produced the Vimeo Staff Pick short “Hustle Mode” that debuted at New Next Fest in 2024 and is a coexecutive producer on Elizabeth Chatelain’s upcoming debut independent feature “Loved One.” Her producing career began in commercial theater where she was a part of the team that brought David Byrne’s “Here Lies Love” to Broadway and associate produced Lameece Issaq’s “A Good Day to Me Not to You” (Off-Broadway) and the new musical stage adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time”.
Lowen “Kainoa” Rudolfo
Rudolfo is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker, community architect, entrepreneur, and Rockwood Leadership Institute Fellow. His career is defined by a commitment to amplifying Pacific voices, most notably as the writer, director, and producer of “Ancestral Ink”. The documentary was broadcast nationally on PBS as part of the acclaimed series Pacific Heartbeat and screened atinternational festivals including HIFF and FIFO. He also served as Creative Producer on “Ala Moana Boys”, a narrative short film celebrated for shifting the historical lens to center the perspective of local youth facing systemic injustice. His passion for cinema is driven by a need to center the Hawaiian perspective, reclaiming narratives and dismantling long-standing stereotypes. He previously managed the productionpipeline at Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), shepherding Pasifika stories from development todistribution. As co-founder of the Hawaiʻi Filmmakers Collective, he has spent 14 years serving the local industry, facilitating the production of over 395 independent films and organizing 1,000+ hours ofeducational workshops.
Donato Fatuesi
Fatuesi is a producer, storyteller, and creative strategist working across film, television, and digital media, with a focus on centering Queer and Trans Pacific Islander voices. She is the co-founder of Cusp of Rebirth Productions and a producer and host of Island Fever Podcast, a Pasifikaled podcast and community platform exploring sex, relationships, and cultural identity, fiscally sponsored by Utopia Washington. Her producing credits include Associate Producer on Lego Harry Potter & TheTransgender Witch and Producer on the short films “Face Me and Boat Day” ; she is currently serving as an Associate Producer on “Love Bomb”, which is in development.
Kayla Caldeira
Caldeira is an Asian-Hawaiian filmmaker and photographer born and raised in Hawai‘i and currently residing in LA. She is passionate about telling stories that challenge beliefs, encourage empathy, and highlight the intersection between humanity and the natural world.
Throughout her career she’s worked on projects like “The Cabin Chronicles” for The Magnolia Network and “A Portal To The Past” for The Washington Post Creative Group. She’s also had a hand in commercial projects for clients such as Nike, Snapchat, and Kiewit. A key aspect to the stories Caldeira produces is the element of joy, especially for marginalized and underrepresented communities.
Anette Arinix Amazing Aga
Aga is a Samoan-Pasifika producer, writer, entertainer, and creative director from Hawaiʻi whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, comedy, and community impact. She is the creator and executive director of Polynesian AF, a Pasifika-centered comedy platform developing live performance andnarrative projects rooted in lived experience. Her awardwinning short script “Kama’āina, Not Kanaka” is currently in post-production and is produced in partnership with ʻOhina Labs and Pacific Islanders in Communications. The project reflects Anette’s commitment to stories that explore identity, belonging, and cultural nuance in Hawaiʻi.
The fellowship includes Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, Lowen Kainoa Rudolfo, Donato Fatuesi, Kayla Caldeira and Anette Arinix Amazing Aga.
Funded by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), the fellowship offers producers and development executives one-on-one time with high-level industry creatives and executives to help hone their skills in the art of communication, networking, leadership and project development. It is designed to help the fellows build on the skills they’ve already shown as independent or freelance producers, by giving them access to the traditional ins and outs of the studio system development process. Created by Averie Joy Maikalima O Makua Huffine, PEAK interim executive director and producer at Humble Sandwich Productions, this is the only development program in Hollywood created by a Pasifika producer.
TAAF CEO Norman Chen said, “When we invest in the stories that move us and champion the creators who tell them, we give voice to our histories and lived experiences, and improve our sense of belonging. That’s why TAAF proudly funded the inaugural class of the PEAK Producer & Executive Fellowship, and we’re thrilled once again to support PEAK as it strengthens its efforts to train the next generation of talented Pacific Islander producers.”
Dana Ledoux Miller, PEAK board chair and “Moana 2” director and co-writer, said, “I couldn’t be prouder to welcome the cohort for PEAK’s 2nd producer’s fellowship this year.” Miller added, “We received an overwhelming number of applications this year, a testament to the hunger within our community for opportunities like this program. Thanks to partners like TAAF, and the dedication of the program’s founder and director, Averie, we are able to create a space for mentorship, education and community for Pasifika producers that doesn’t exist anywhere else in Hollywood. By opening up gates that have previously been kept closed for the Pasifika community, a new wave of storytelling is possible.”
The fellowship saw a 150% increase in its applications this year, which reflects PEAK’s overall growth and reach with the support of organizations like TAAF. This fellowship is part of TAAF’s commitment to Narrative Change.
Later this year, PEAK will expand its initiatives to include the third year of the PEAK Writers Fellowship; PEAK Reads, featuring Pasifika authors and their IP; PEAK Catch-Ups, featuring Pasifika creatives and talent in current series and features; community screenings in Southern California; and upcoming industry partnerships across entertainment.
Celia Kaleialoha Kenney
Kenny is a producer, storyteller, and entertainer from Honolulu committed to helping untold stories reach audiences in innovative ways. As a Producer at Plate Spinner Productions, she works across media with a focus on independent feature film development. Celia executive produced the Vimeo Staff Pick short “Hustle Mode” that debuted at New Next Fest in 2024 and is a coexecutive producer on Elizabeth Chatelain’s upcoming debut independent feature “Loved One.” Her producing career began in commercial theater where she was a part of the team that brought David Byrne’s “Here Lies Love” to Broadway and associate produced Lameece Issaq’s “A Good Day to Me Not to You” (Off-Broadway) and the new musical stage adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time”.
Lowen “Kainoa” Rudolfo
Rudolfo is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker, community architect, entrepreneur, and Rockwood Leadership Institute Fellow. His career is defined by a commitment to amplifying Pacific voices, most notably as the writer, director, and producer of “Ancestral Ink”. The documentary was broadcast nationally on PBS as part of the acclaimed series Pacific Heartbeat and screened atinternational festivals including HIFF and FIFO. He also served as Creative Producer on “Ala Moana Boys”, a narrative short film celebrated for shifting the historical lens to center the perspective of local youth facing systemic injustice. His passion for cinema is driven by a need to center the Hawaiian perspective, reclaiming narratives and dismantling long-standing stereotypes. He previously managed the productionpipeline at Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), shepherding Pasifika stories from development todistribution. As co-founder of the Hawaiʻi Filmmakers Collective, he has spent 14 years serving the local industry, facilitating the production of over 395 independent films and organizing 1,000+ hours ofeducational workshops.
Donato Fatuesi
Fatuesi is a producer, storyteller, and creative strategist working across film, television, and digital media, with a focus on centering Queer and Trans Pacific Islander voices. She is the co-founder of Cusp of Rebirth Productions and a producer and host of Island Fever Podcast, a Pasifikaled podcast and community platform exploring sex, relationships, and cultural identity, fiscally sponsored by Utopia Washington. Her producing credits include Associate Producer on Lego Harry Potter & TheTransgender Witch and Producer on the short films “Face Me and Boat Day” ; she is currently serving as an Associate Producer on “Love Bomb”, which is in development.
Kayla Caldeira
Caldeira is an Asian-Hawaiian filmmaker and photographer born and raised in Hawai‘i and currently residing in LA. She is passionate about telling stories that challenge beliefs, encourage empathy, and highlight the intersection between humanity and the natural world.
Throughout her career she’s worked on projects like “The Cabin Chronicles” for The Magnolia Network and “A Portal To The Past” for The Washington Post Creative Group. She’s also had a hand in commercial projects for clients such as Nike, Snapchat, and Kiewit. A key aspect to the stories Caldeira produces is the element of joy, especially for marginalized and underrepresented communities.
Anette Arinix Amazing Aga
Aga is a Samoan-Pasifika producer, writer, entertainer, and creative director from Hawaiʻi whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, comedy, and community impact. She is the creator and executive director of Polynesian AF, a Pasifika-centered comedy platform developing live performance andnarrative projects rooted in lived experience. Her awardwinning short script “Kama’āina, Not Kanaka” is currently in post-production and is produced in partnership with ʻOhina Labs and Pacific Islanders in Communications. The project reflects Anette’s commitment to stories that explore identity, belonging, and cultural nuance in Hawaiʻi.