HONOLULU (KHON) — The president of Hawai‘i’s Teamsters union and a state senator on Monday called for the shutdown of the Hawai‘i State Film Office and renewed demands for a top cabinet official to step down.
Kevin Holu, president of Teamsters Local 996, said the state’s film industry is at a standstill, with no major productions currently filming in Hawai‘i. He blamed leadership under James Tokioka, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT), which oversees the film office.
“The movie industry is pretty much dead in the water,” Holu said. “But we believe we can revive it by doing certain things that need to be done. I’d like to request either the separation or the discontinuing of the film office under Jimmy Tokioka.”
State Sen. Kurt Fevella echoed the union’s concerns. He has been critical of how Tokioka is managing DBEDT — particularly the oversight of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and the Film Office.
Tokioka responded in a statement, saying, “Hawai‘i must modernize film infrastructure, invest in local talent, and update tax incentives to stay competitive. Calls to close the Hawai‘i State Film Office or change leadership overlook the real issues.”
The calls come amid broader frustration within the local film industry, which has seen a slowdown in large-scale productions and concerns over how the state is supporting the sector.