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When talking about Isaac Halasima, to say he grew up with a "unique" view of the world wouldn't do his upbringing justice. Because (in short) Isaac is the Half-Polynesian American son of a Tongan immigrant and a single mother from Idaho, who would raise him with a gay man (who Isaac sees as a father) in one of the most conservative and Caucasian states in the country, Utah.
At age 5, with a dream to move like his heroes Michael Jackson and Gene Kelly, Isaac chose to become a competitive dancer. Joining an intense studio that required 40 hours a week of study in ballet, jazz, tap, and different hip-hop styles. He would eventually win a National Dance title with the studio when he turned 13. This opened up on screen opportunities, in an Utah market starved for minority representation in television and film. Which quickly kicked off a surprisingly successful acting career. He would then use those acting opportunities to chase his ultimate goal and dream he'd had since he first watched "Glory" in 6th grade, he wanted to be a director and to tell stories like that. So I worked hard to find ways to learn and help directors and editors, with the hopes of joining them behind the scenes. After showing proficiency on an AVID system, he was given the opportunity edit a segment of a television show, where he was also the lead talent. The episode would win a regional Emmy, helping lead KSL-TV (NBC) to "hire" him to work with the production staff. Though it was really just permission to work in the studios since they couldn't pay him, because he was only 14 years old.
Already used to 40 hour weeks of work, thanks to his dance training, Halasima continued working into his paying age (16) and beyond. When all was said and done he would win multiple journalism awards over a 12 year period as a writer, director, and editor. When he would step down as an editorial producer to chase his dream of being a director.
He would join a small music video production group helmed by his childhood friend, Matt Eastin. The Occidental Saloon was focused on producing acoustic music videos for local and touring bands, free of charge, so they could maintain creative control. Isaacs first directing job would be with an up and coming band, Imagine Dragons, performing a new song they'd just written, "It's Time." The popularity of the Occidental Saloons videos would also bring the opportunity for Matt Eastin and Isaac Halasima to produce a music documentary series for BYUtv, an international cable network, called Audio-Files.
"It's Time" by Imagine Dragons was a hit. And when the band signed a record deal with Interscope Records, they wanted to document the entire process of recording their first full album with the label. And Isaac was brought in, to live with the band for a total of five months of shooting what would eventually become the VH1/Palladio doc "Imagine Dragons : The Making of Night Visions" which was also shown in select theaters across the country, in the week leading up to the album release. Isaac would also get the chance to direct the music video for "Demons," which would be nominated for an MTV Award and win the MMVA Award for "Best International Music Video."
Over the coming years Isaac would work a wide array of musicians including Madonna, Neon Trees, LANY, Alt-J, Mason Jennings, Trampled by Turtles, Paper Route. He would expand into commercials, directing ads led by actors such as Alec Baldwin, Marshawn Lynch, Louis Black, Mike Ditka, and Devon Bostick.
Then in 2014, after an unplanned run-in with Michael Bay, and a long inspiring conversation; Isaac found an investor willing to give $100k and finally aimed for the original dream to direct movies. Writing, directing, and editing his first feature film, "The Last Descent." Which was released in theaters in 2016 across the western Unite States.
In 2016, wanting to make something for his mom (who is a fan of clean comedy), he created the hit series "Dry Bar Comedy." Directing the first five seasons, while also editing the first two.
Thin in 2018, in response to a final request from his famous Uncle Jan Fisher, a renowned sculpture who passed away the year before. Halasima decided he wanted tell the story of Duke Kahanamoku, the godfather of surfing and most famous Polynesian in the world, as his next feature. Hoping to take a page out of one of his idols, Werner Herzog, and his ability to bounce back and forth between documentary and feature. What would make Dukes story harder than most, though, wasn't just the cultural connection as a fellow Polynesian and the reverence needed to respectfully tell the story of a legend so dear to the Hawaiians; but also the fact that his Uncle had been through this before while shaping his most famous work... the iconic statue of Duke that stands on the beach at Waikiki, Hawaii.
In 2021, after shooting in four countries, over 60 interviews, cinematic recreations, and three years of editing (extended because of COVID-19); "Waterman" with Jason Momoa as narrator, premiered as the feature film of the Honolulu International Film Festival. Playing to an audience of over a thousand on the lawn of the historic Bishops Museum. There it would pick up its first (Audience Choice) of over a dozen film festival awards over the coming year. PBS eventually would play the doc as part of its "American Masters" series in 2022. Which lead would finally lead to an Emmy Nomination in 2023.
At the end of 2023, the Hawaiian Education System announced a commitment to add Waterman to the curriculum. Purchasing the rights to show "Waterman" every year, on Duke Kahanamoku's birthday, to every 7th grade class in the state for the next 50 years. Considering his story, and the way he represented himself as a true Hawaiian, an essential part of helping the youth understand their own identities as Hawaiians.
