Go to homepage

Makai Keahoulu blue ocean and shoreline

Mandy Sugihara

Mandy Sugihara was born and raised on the island of Kauaʻi where she grew an appreciation for the people who touched her life and the nature all around her. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a BA in Digital Cinema. On Oʻahu, she worked as a producer, cinematographer, and editor for a documentary featuring Queen Liliʻuokalani's life in music. Through her experience researching the Queen's legacy, she found a new home on Hawaiʻi Island with the Liliʻuokalani Trust. Now she is spending her days exploring Hilo, being inspired by the wonderful people, searching for the best fishing grounds, and finding the next place to eat!

She hopes to further develop her storytelling through the experiences of the places she's been and the people that surround her. Teaching and interacting with the kamaliʻi deepens her passion for filmmaking as she wishes to teach the next generation the necessary skills to tell their stories