Connie M. Florez(I)

Connie Florez is the founder of Hula Girl Productions since 2001. As an indigenous filmmaker Connie's projects have included award winning documentaries, narrative features and television projects such as Fluxx(2024), Waikiki (Sundance Native Lab - 2020), Decade of the Dead (2023), Bucciano: La Mia Familia (2021), Swell (2019), Chasing Shadows (2017), Muse (2015), Ride the Thunder (2015), Kumu Hina (2014), State of Aloha (2009), The Willing (2009), Redlove: The Art and Consequence of Illusion (2008), All for Melissa (2007), Destination X TV: Hawaii (2006-2007), Criminally Inept (2006), The Killing of John Lennon (2006) and Ke Kulana He Mahu: Remembering a Sense of Place (2001). Short films include: Lahi (2022), The Bridge (27 international film awards), 38 Minutes (release fall 2020), Fishbowl by director Kayo Hatta, and Constructions (2000). She has also executive produced music and film with the Honolulu Symphony Productions: Princess Kaiulani, Hiromi in Love as well as feature projects released by Amazon, Netlix, Level 33, Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions, Music Gate, Warner Music Group and National Education K-12 nationally and Internationally. Multi-Award winning Internationally for film and television includes being a recipient of the Women in Film/General Motors Alliance Award for Emerging Filmmakers.

From 2006-2011, Adjunct Lecturer in film studies at the Academy for Creative Media- University of Hawaii at Manoa. For more than 15 years, Connie has served as Director of Film Programming at the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, and serving as the founding Executive Director for the Honolulu Gay and Lesbian Cultural Foundation.