The message coming out of Honolulu this week was loud and clear: Hawaii’s film and television industry is in crisis—and the people who power it are calling for urgent action.

Hundreds of producers, actors, crew members, and supporters gathered at the State Capitol to urge lawmakers to invest in the future of the state’s screen sector. With major productions drying up, jobs have followed suit, and many locals who’ve built careers on set are now struggling to find work.

“The film industry has been suffering here in Hawaii as it is throughout the world,” said John Salanoa, a veteran writer, producer, director, and actor. “This is the first time we’ve ever not had productions come. And all of us, as you’re going to see today, we’re all suffering.”

The end of NCIS: Hawaii in 2024 marked the last major recurring series to film on the islands. Since its wrap, the volume of production work in the state has dropped dramatically.

Angela Laprete, a seasoned producer who recently worked on Chief of War starring Jason Momoa, shared that while the series shot 30 days in Hawaii, the majority of production was moved to New Zealand. The reason? Infrastructure, talent depth—and cold, hard economics.

“It’s hard to compete against that because they are a country,” she said. “You look at the dollar exchange, you look at the infrastructure and the talent that they have there — it’s there. We don’t have all of it, but we can. It’s just taking time to get there.”

“Hawaii is behind the times, there’s no doubt,” Laprete added. “That’s why we stay on the front lines, talk to the right people, and try to move faster—so we’re ready when the next production wants to come. And we know there are a lot of them looking at Hawaii again.”

That’s the opportunity—and the challenge.

Right now, the industry is calling on state lawmakers to act: by improving Hawaii’s film tax credit system, streamlining production approvals, and investing in soundstage infrastructure. Without those tools, insiders warn, Hawaii will continue to lose work to states and countries offering more aggressive incentives.

Hawaii currently offers a refundable tax credit for qualified productions, providing 22% on qualified production costs incurred on Oahu and 27% on the neighbor islands, including the Big Island, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, and Molokai. To access these credits, productions must meet specific requirements set by the state.

Governor Josh Green acknowledged the issue and voiced support for boosting Hawaii’s competitive standing. “It really is about money,” Green said. “There are some states and other countries that can put carte blanche tax breaks out there. We don’t have infinite capacity, but it is a priority and it is something worth doing. That’s why I’m a big supporter.”

Still, Green admitted that other locations—despite lacking Hawaii’s natural production value—can lure away projects with their financial offers. “They’ll just throw so much money at the industry,” he said. “Even when Hawaii is the superior venue.”

Advocates point to the economic ripple effect that film and television production has on the islands: from hotels and rental cars to construction materials and catering.

“We rent cars. We rent hotels. We go to vendors. We get food. We buy construction materials,” said industry veteran Brian Keaulana. “And we also try to go to places that we impact—mom-and-pop stores—so we can infuse that local economy there.”

Keith Chow, a SAG actor and part-time chef, spoke to the instability many local workers are facing. “The guys in the background that you never see. The production guys, the production crew, the guys that keep us going, and you’ll never see them. Hard-working locals. It just hurts me,” he said.

Bottom line: Hawaii has the scenery. It has the talent. But without a serious, scalable incentive framework and long-term infrastructure investment, the state risks losing not just productions—but the workforce that built its on-screen legacy.