Private Project

I Am

Ethan lives separate lives as a socially awkward college student by day and a fearlessly glamorous drag queen by night. That is, until his life is turned upside-down by Kekoa, his school crush. As his two worlds collide, Ethan is forced to confront his fear of change in order to win the boy of his dreams.

  • Tony Dia
    Director
  • Von Kaʻanāʻanā
    Writer
  • Tony Dia
    Writer
  • Erin Arashiro
    Producer
  • Von Kaʻanāʻanā
    Producer
  • Kara Abaya
    Producer
  • Spencer Ilagan
    Key Cast
    "Ethan/Malaya"
  • Kaleo Pinto
    Key Cast
    "Kekoa"
    My Partner
  • Raquel Largo
    Key Cast
    "Reyna"
  • Hinamoe'atu Fale
    Key Cast
    "Noa"
  • Aleeciya Ashton
    Key Cast
    "Marita"
  • Hannah Parkus
    Director of Photography
  • Kara Abaya
    Assistant Director
  • Tony Dia
    Editor
  • Hannah Parkus
    Editor
  • Richard Aiwohi-Kim
    Editor
  • Von Kaʻanāʻanā
    Production Designer
  • Hannah Parkus
    Camera Operators
  • Ken Munoz
    Camera Operators
  • Tony Dia
    Camera Operators
  • Lucas Frazier
    Camera Operators
  • Mickey Graue
    Sound Recordist
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Romance, Comedy, LGBTQIA+, Boys Love, Indigenous
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 22, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Hawaii at Mānoa
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival
    Honolulu, HI
    United States
    September 22, 2024
    World Premiere
    Audience Award Best Short Film and Best Hawai’i Short Film
  • DisOrient Asian American Film Festival
    Eugene, Oregon
    United States
    March 8, 2025
    Continental Premiere
    Audience Choice Award for Best Short Narrative
  • Puerto Rico Queer Filmfest
    San Juan
    Puerto Rico
    May 22, 2025
    Puerto Rico Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival
    Houston, Texas
    United States
    June 1, 2025
    Texas Premiere
    Official Selection
  • KASHISH Pride Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    June 6, 2025
    Official Selection
  • OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival
    Durham, North Carolina
    United States
    August 16, 2025
    North Carolina Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    United States
    November 9, 2025
    Pennsylvania Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Tony Dia

Tony Dia is a first-generation Filipino-American living in Hawaiʻi. His mission in life is to serve as a platform for the stories of local POC and queer communities through film.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I find that LGBTQ+ media is heavy on the trauma of growing up queer. Though I believe it is necessary that those important topics are covered, I had also yearned for something hopeful and lighthearted as a teen. That is why my partner Von Kaʻanāʻanā and I wrote this film. Our community is so vibrant. The art of drag, the unconditional love of chosen family, and the wonderful feeling of belonging. Yes, it is a story about romance, but it is also about the beauty of our people wrapped in the gayest little package of rhinestones and stilettos.

There is one more thing.

At its core, I AM is a love letter to the feeling of a first experience. Whether it’s your first performance, your first friendship, or your first love… this short film aims to capture the magic of a first. And that is something that connects us all, no matter who or where you are.