The viewfinder, although small and grainy, was regularly set and placed in a quiet Kāneʻohe neighborhood. Middleschooler Kelsey Winters, surrounded by her group of fellow homeschooled students and distant relatives, spent her free time improvising stories, filming scenes on the fly, and piecing them all together in the edit. A makeshift film crew, if you will.
The group used the camcorder that was in and of itself a foreshadow for a new filmography. It was during these early amateur productions where Winters felt the magnetic pull of the cinematic arts, the beginning of learning to build worlds from the ground up.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
That childhood curiosity carried Winters to an official film set for the first time years later when she joined the 48-Hour Film Challenge by the Hawaiʻi Filmmakers Collective (HFC) in 2022.
The task is exactly as it sounds. Teams have just two days to write, shoot, and edit a short film that includes a required theme, line of dialogue, and props before they’re judged by industry professionals. She was an actor in Da Slippah, a Cinderella parody where she played one of the evil stepsisters.
“That project was my first venture into filmmaking,” said Winters. “It connected me with a lot of people and helped me understand what a set is like and how it all works.”
One could call the experience the fire that ignited a stream of filmmaking reps thereafter, allowing her to steadily grow her skill set, project after project. Her credits include not one, not two, but multiple hats worn, in front of and behind the camera: actor, director, producer, writer, and production assistant for several departments including the art department and set design. Her background in karate even lent herself an opportunity as part of the stunt team on the short action dramedy film, The Lotus & The Dragon.
Four years since working on her first film, Winters has amassed a resume that proves a consistent love of the craft. It’s exploratory, hands-on, and deeply aligned with the way she always approached her creativity: by seeing and doing, over and over again.
“There’s just something so fascinating about film as a visual medium. You get to see from the creator’s perspective,” said Winters. “From the writer, director, and the whole visionary team, this is what they’re seeing in their head.”
It’s no surprise that Winters considers herself a visual person. Someone who knows that stories that only exist in one’s creative brain needs a way to escape and flow into the ether. First through a script, then a cast, a crew, and finally, on a screen. Out there in the world for the audience to consume and be inspired by. Winters knows this. She’s seen it, and from many different viewpoints. She considers acting, writing, and directing as her trifecta, her happy combination of empathetic shoes she’s filled before.
“When you’re giving direction, you’ve been there, done that. So you get it,” said Winters. “You know what lingo to use. You know how to help actors draw on their personal experiences. I’m learning to communicate with all sides.”
The independent filmmaker continues to be driven by a good story and a hunger to make her next project better than the last. “I’ve directed maybe 3 or 4 short films so far, and each time is just a whole new learning experience,” said Winters. “I’ve learned so much. I definitely learn each and every time, and I’ll be learning for the rest of my life.”
Her journey almost seems to write itself, going from an inexperienced actor to the leader on set who is now, quite literally, calling the shots. One could say her backyard playtime was just rehearsal for a bigger calling.
A CLOSE-UP
At the core of her work is a clear intention: to make films that inspire people to become better versions of themselves. Where did this come from? Some of our favorite cartoons like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Arcane, and The Incredibles. Her most recent live-action inspiration for slightly more mature audiences was Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man on Netflix. Just four out of countless examples she turns to whenever she needs a lift in good-natured energy. It’s not just world-building or visual artistry. It’s the emotional clarity that comes from joining in on the characters’ journey.
“I just love those kinds of stories that really touch your heart, that really force you to think and look inward,” she said. “That’s why I really enjoy stuff like Pixar and children’s movies because usually there’s some sort of lesson for the character to learn by the end.”
For Winters, storytelling isn’t just about presenting a narrative, it’s somewhat of a guiding experience. While there are directors out there who enjoy the ambiguous, open-ended films that leave interpretation up to the audience, her approach comes from a more direct lens, a more concrete POV from start to finish that offers moments of reflection.
“Sometimes some lessons need to be spoon fed and not in a way that’s like, ‘Think the way that I think’ but more so, ‘Just take a bite, see what you think. Come up with your own solution based on this bite that we’re giving you.’ I’m all for that kind of wholesome storytelling.”
That intention became a sharp focus in her most distinctive project yet, How Do You Feel?, which tells the story of a caregiver mother and her autistic daughter. It’s a narrative that is personal as it is universal. Her plan is to submit to film festivals and let it find the ones who are meant to watch it.
“That was so surreal for me to film something that was very near and dear to my heart. I can relate so much with that with my sister and my mom,” she said. “I just felt like that was a story that needed to be told. It had a lot of impact, and I hope it will be encouraging to people.”
The path from story idea to final cut takes more than good writing and good intention. It requires a more prominent element that Winters finds the most essential: good community.
AN ENSEMBLE
How does being from Hawaiʻi influence her projects?
“Definitely the inclusivity of having such a diverse cast and crew,” Winters said. “We’re so used to seeing all these different races, cultures, and people that it doesn’t really faze us, and inclusivity is automatic.”
The same can be said for the inherent camaraderie and sense of fellowship on local sets. It’s that very spirit of generosity and collaboration that has become the defining feature of how she chooses her projects. For her, it’s not about prestige or status. It’s about something much more intangible.
“I’m actually very picky about what projects I participate in because of energy. It comes from the top and it trickles down,” she said. “The leadership doesn’t have to be the most experienced. They don’t have to be the most talented. They just have to have that good energy of ‘I’m going to treat my team well, and I’m going to tell the best story I can with whatever resources I have.’ That’s the kind of energy I gravitate towards.”
It all starts with the team and the circle of supporters you surround yourself with. Where did she find hers? From the same group that welcomed her in the first place.
“A lot of HFC members are very willing to learn, they’re willing to collaborate, and they just have such big hearts,” she said. “I hope that just as I continue to spread out my network, that I can find more people like that and bring them together because I feel like those are the people that elevate each other the most. That’s where you’ll get the most success and reach.”
IN PRODUCTION
While working full time as her sister’s caregiver and part time for her church, Winters has reached a milestone that years prior wasn’t on the horizon. Today, she officially has her own company, Worldbuilding Productions LLC, born from the growing love of the craft with a mission to make the world a better place.
“I want to make stories that impact people and hopefully change their lives,” said Winters. “Art is subjective and something that different people will relate with. But I hope the content that I make relates with people in a way that makes them reflect.”
Her plan includes one day creating a niche faith-based branch of her company, making films for people of faith and who want stories to motivate them on their path. Her focus today remains on more film festival submissions, getting on more sets, and advocating alongside local filmmakers for better opportunities. One such group is the Hawaiʻi Film Alliance, a growing organization that seeks to protect, strengthen, and grow Hawaiʻi’s media industry.
“I’m really excited to see more work here,” she said. “As our local community gets on sets, gets in front of and behind the camera, that’s how we’re going to grow and learn and become a more viable and self-sustaining local, independent industry.”
For those with even the slightest interest in learning more about the local industry or want more hands-on experience, Winters provided advice with no hesitation: Join HFC.
“They’re the ones who from the beginning got me connected with a good community and taught me a lot,” she said. “They just have so many good resources like their pitch meetings and their writers’ rooms events. They’re the best springboard for independent filmmaking on the island. Guaranteed.”
HIGH-KEY LIGHTING
On tough days, especially in the times of personal trials or when a production challenge shows up unexpectedly, she leans into her support system, including a higher source. Winters says doing so reminds her of her “why” and to keep going for one sole purpose.
“I just truly believe that God has led me on this path of filmmaking. I believe that he’s leading me to bring people light, life and encouragement,” she said. “The world can be so dark, and we need to find ways to uplift people, whether that’s the audience watching on the screen or the crew working behind the camera, each person is an opportunity to share that love and light.”
How does she want people to feel when they watch her work? One word: Hope.
“That’s the bottom line. When I walk into a movie, I want people to feel they can go on another day. They can go on another year, and not just survive, but thrive. Everyone finds their own ways to bring light to the world, and film is one way to do it.”
The foreshadowing with the old camcorder has come to pass, through the credits, the community, and the stories that have reached audiences beyond our islands. Winters, in the same quiet Kāneʻohe neighborhood, shoots with new, professional lenses now. Makeshift crews have turned into official call sheets but the same curious spark remains. No matter if she’s wearing the actor, writer, or director hat, it’s a wholesome experience felt by those around her. What culminates is an independent space where she gets to build worlds, one frame at a time.
