Tony dia
born + Raised in Ketchikan, alaska
“LĀHUI MOVES AS A GROUP TOWARDS THE PATH OF HARMONIOUS ABUNDANCE. BEING A STEWARD OF THE LĀHUI MEANS CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LĀHUI TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENT.”
Leadership
-Tony dia, Founder creative director aikāne media
Programming Co-Director for the 37th Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, 2026-present
Media Chair for “Showgirl of the Pacific” Pageant, 2026-present
MEdia Chair UTOPIA Hawai‘i, 2025-present
Certifications
Hulihia program within Purple Maia, FW25 cohort
the Kālele Media Training Program through Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi News Now, FW25 Cohort
education
ASSOCIATES in Liberal Arts - Kapiolani Community College c/o 2021
Bachelors in Digital Cinema - University of Hawai‘i at mānoa c/o 2025
AWARDS
Lei pua‘ala cultural impact award - 2025 Queer Histories of Hawai‘i
Audience award best short narrative - 2025 “i am” Disorient Film Festival
audience award best short film - 2024 “i am” 35th Rainbow Film Festival
Best Live Action film award - 2024 “I AM” SCA UH Mānoa
Best sound design - 2024 “I AM” SCA UH Mānoa
Best editing award - 2024 “I AM” SCA UH Mānoa
best cinematography - 2024 “I AM” SCA UH Mānoa
abernathy screen writing award - 2024 “agimat”
Best experimental film - 2022 “Babaylan” SCA UH Mānoa
abernathy screen writing award - 2022 “babylan”
Tony Dia is an award-winning filmmaker with a background in Directing, Screenwriting, and Cinematography. He is an alumnus of the Hulihia program within Purple Maia.Tony is the Creative Director of Aikāne Media, a media production company centered on queer and Māhū storytelling, and serves as the Media Chair for UTOPIA Hawaiʻi, a non-profit that advocates for the well-being of the MVPFAFF+ community. He is a graduate of the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he earned a Bachelor’s in Digital Cinema. He is also an alumnus of the Kālele Media Program through Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi News Now.