naz kawakami
Naz(areth) Kekainalu Kawakami is a writer, actor, editor, and photographer from Honolulu, Hawaii.
He has written and edited numerous stageplays and screenplays, and has appeared in several theatre productions. Most notably, he wrote, produced, and starred in Every Day in Kaimuki (2022, dir. Alika Tengan), a feature-length film which premiered at Sundance Film Festival - the first Native Hawaiian written/directed film to do so - where it was nominated for the Innovator Award. Naz has been a professional editorial and screenwriter for eleven years. His work has been published in NPR, Rolling Stone, Jenkem, Insider, Flux, Popeye, Creem, and Esquire, among others. Naz is in his third year as Editor in Chief of Monster Children, a Sydney/LA/NYC-based skateboarding/music/surfing/art publication founded in 2003. Naz currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
contact:
editorial:
nazkawakami@gmail.com
filmmaking:
lilthorpe@gmail.com (manager)
credits:
Every Day in Kaimuki (2022, dir. Alika Tengan, narrative feature)
Sundance Film Festival (Next Innovator Award Nominee)
Bentonville Film Festival (Best Narrative Film)
writer
lead actor
producer
Eucalyptus (2026, dir. Naz Kawakami, narrative short)
Post-production
writer
director
producer
I Feel So Much Like Magic (2026, dir. Gabe Long, narrative short)
Post-production
writer
producer
Water Pistol (2026, dir. Gabe Long, narrative short)
Post-production
writer
producer
I Think I’m Here (2024, dir. Mattias Evangalista, short documentary)
Brooklyn Film Festival
Woodstock Film Festival
writer
producer
Team Average Japan (2024, dir. Kai Neville, short documentary)
writer
producer
Soulmates (2024, dir. Ben Briand, commercial)
writer
producer
Hot Air (2027, dir. Gabe Long & Naz Kawakami, narrative feature)
Pre-production
writer
director
producer