KAPOLEI, Hawaii — There's no business like show business! The University of Hawaii said in a news release that it has selected a project developer for its in-the-works film studio: the Island Film Group.

What You Need To Know

  • UH is one step closer to building a film studio after selecting the Island Film Group as the project developer 

  • The film studio will be built in a 34-acre lot next to UH West Oahu, the Keoneae rail station and the Hawaii Tokai International College campus

  • Island Film Group’s vision comprises a town square that is open to the public with live-work, retail, dining, lodging and office space, along with a private film studio

  • Now, UH will negotiate the terms of a development agreement and long-term ground lease that the UH Board of Regents must approve

The film studio will be built in a 34-acre lot next to UH West Oahu, the Keoneae rail station and the Hawaii Tokai International College campus, and it will be much larger than an existing 16,000 square-foot Diamond Head Studio. 

UH President David Lassner described the project as important for the local film industry, the state’s economy, and for the university’s educational mission by providing students with workforce experience.

Island Film Group’s vision comprises a town square that is open to the public with live-work, retail, dining, lodging and office space, along with a private film studio with modern sound stages. 

UH selected Island Film Group after the developers responded to an invitation to submit proposals issued in June 2023. Island Film Group has been involved in Hawaii’s television and film industry since 2007, producing and financing more than 100 film-, TV- and commercial projects. Island Film Group will work with SHM Partners, Hawaii Media Inc. and CR50 Production Ventures to develop the project.

“The new studio, along with our incredible local crew base, will allow Hawaii to compete directly with production locations all around the world,” said Island Film Group co-founder Ricardo Galindez in a statement. 

Now, UH will negotiate the terms of a development agreement and long-term ground lease that the UH Board of Regents must approve. The Island Film Group will design, build, finance, operate, manage and maintain the project for the duration of the long-term lease. After the lease expires, UH would retain ownership. 

The film studio will complement the UH West Oahu’s Academy for Creative Media, which includes a 33,000-square foot facility completed in 2021. UH West Oahu’s Creative Media program supports storytelling through video, animation, video games, design, social media, web and app development, virtual and augmented reality, and other novel forms of media. 

“Combined with our adjacent $37 million ACM Student Production Center at UHWO, this state-of-the-art studio complex will propel ACM to the top ranks of media schools globally,” said ACM Founder and Director Chris Lee. “Because one of the requirements of this partnership is integration with ACM, our local students will have enormous career opportunities to stay in the islands with living wage jobs as talent both above and below the line.”

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.