About ʻONO

Filmmaker Statement

This film began, fittingly, over lunch.

I had been invited to dine with fellow filmmakers Michael Lum and Pawel Nuckowski whose film, Kaniela, The Danny Kaleikini Story had just screened opposite mine, Shaka, A Story of Aloha at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. Their pitch was simple: they wanted to work together rather than compete apart. I couldn’t have agreed more — and I was stoked that they saw me as an equal.

They asked me which part of the process I enjoyed most. My answer: writing/producing. So the natural follow on question: “Do you have a concept we can all work on together?” Off the cuff, I said, “It’d be really nice to do a food history piece for Hawaiʻi.”

The idea stuck — and grew.

Before filmmaking, I had created a business in Honolulu for Y. Hata & Co. Ltd. — I named it “ChefZone” as itʻs essentially a Costco for restaurants. The journey gave me a rare look into the islandsʻ food supply chain — from farmers and distributors to chefs and restaurateurs. It was fascinating, and it left me hungry for more.

I also had a decade of experience producing a lemonade stand contest for kids called Lemonade Alley and a couple decades of experience in the design and branding of restaurants, resorts and casinos around the globe. Like most folks, I also had some opinions about what makes something truly ʻono — delicious. So the idea of telling the story of Hawaiʻi’s food history felt natural. Intuitively, it felt necessary.

As a filmmaker and brand-sensitive guy, I always start with seeking iconic essence — in this case, manifesting as the project name. Thus the Hawaiian word ʻOno jumped out as an ideal concept to build a story around. And since film generally requires a conflict or dilemma, the play of ʻONO morphing into “OH-NO!” provided a fun way to frame the stakes behind the trend of beloved local eateries being replaced by generic chains — a trend I had often lamented. For Hawaiʻi as a tourist destination, the stakes are high as food isn’t just flavor — it’s a critical driver of the visitor economy as a primary cultural touch point.

I produce films through my 501C3 nonprofit, ID8. I take no compensation and have no personal rights over the stories produced under ID8. This is by design as I donʻt want to be voted off the island for “appropriating” local stories for personal gain. Iʻm Switzerland. No agenda. No BS. I just want a front row seat to exploring stories that preserve our local culture.

At ID8, weʻre currently focused on a trilogy of documentaries that champion the Aloha Spirit through flagship program, Project Shaka that was birthed from our first film in the trilogy, Shaka, A Story of Aloha. That film sparked a movement, and now I’m proud to be in production of our next film, The 100th, Seeds of Aloha, which explores the heroism and legacy of the Purple Heart Battalion in WWII. With ʻONO, we’re completing the trilogy — bringing to life the tastes, traditions, and inventions of Hawaiʻi foods that share Aloha.

I believe that ʻONO will be a deeply meaningful and fun film with wide appeal — and my hope is that it inspires many to savor culture, preserve heritage, and share the spirit of Aloha wherever they are.

With Aloha,

Shaka Steve, (Steve Sue) Filmmaker & ID8 Chairperson. ID8 is a Honolulu-based 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization that fosters ideation and expression to create positive impacts.