Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laurel Tamayo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Laurel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

Over the past year, I directed a documentary film, Healing Lahaina, about my family’s experience losing their multigenerational home in the Lahaina wildfire, the deadliest wildfire in modern US history. Through the personal recounts of three generations of Tamayos, this documentary paints an intimate portrait of survival, climate change and colonization, and how a community finds strength and resilience through healing. A year ago when I decided to make the film, I was having a lot of conversations with people who had more experience in film, more experience in climate justice, etc. This helped me in the development stage as I was trying to figure out what I really wanted to say with this film. A few months later, I was working with Stranded Astronaut Productions to onboard an amazing crew of people early in their careers who were all eager to work on this project. We were able to crowdfund half our budget and receive the PINK with Purpose Award (mental health award given by The Jed Foundation and Victoria’s Secret PINK). This was the most personal and vulnerable project I’ve worked on in my life, but I was surrounded by people who cared a lot about this story being told in the most authentic and impactful way. I’m proud to say that we had a beautiful world premiere at the Hawai’i International Film Festival to two sold-out theaters, where we were nominated for Best Made In Hawai’i Short! We were also awarded Best Documentary Short Film at the LA Asian Film Awards.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i and now live in Los Angeles. When I was in college, I noticed there was a need for better communication about climate change to the general public, so I decided to work on using film and TV as a tool to communicate the impacts of climate change and how to take action. While most people may not pick up a book or research paper about climate change, they may be open to watching a film about it, and so it’s really about making information accessible. I’m an independent filmmaker and impact producer passionate about protecting the planet for future generations.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I want a livable planet for everyone, and preventing climate change or mitigating the impacts of them is a big motivator for me in everything I do. Through making Healing Lahaina and hearing about my family members’ experiences, I have learned how painful and long-term the impacts of a disaster can be.

Unfortunately, the incoming administration is expected to reduce disaster aid funding and rescind the remaining funding for the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides incentives for households to switch to electric appliances, electric vehicles, and install solar panels – all solutions to reducing our carbon emissions. Knowing this, I feel that getting this film seen is more important than ever. We’re currently working on our impact campaign in which we plan to host community screenings paired with disaster preparedness workshops.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I took advantage of using LinkedIn earlier! In college, when I knew what kind of job I wanted, but didn’t know how to get there, I went to LinkedIn to find people in those jobs and ask for their advice. Every job I ended up getting has come from me cold messaging someone on LinkedIn and getting on a call with them, and then they referred me or hired me for a project later on. Many of those people have also become mentors and friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.healinglahainafilm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurelt13/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurel-tamayo/