Chris Lee, founder of the Academy for Creative Media System (ACM System), has been named emeritus faculty by University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel. Lee served as director of ACM for more than two decades. He led the UH ACM initiative, which spans all 10 campuses and continues to empower students to pursue careers in digital storytelling, with a strong emphasis on Indigenous narratives rooted in Hawaiʻi. Reflecting the state’s unique cultural diversity, ACM is the first majority Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander media school in the country.
Now, the Hollywood veteran is stepping down, leaving a legacy that expanded Hawaiʻi’s creative pipeline and opened doors for homegrown storytellers and creators.
Lee said, “There are so many people to mahalo for this honor. I am so grateful to the 2004 Board of Regents, which originally approved ACM as a system-wide initiative, key alumni like Roy and Hilda Takeyama who gave generously to both start and sustain us, legislators and governors who financially supported the build out of the program across the islands, the local production industry that has embraced our students, our exceptional faculty and, most of all, our talented graduates who are driving Hawaiʻi’s growing and vital creative economy.”
Under Lee’s leadership, the ACM System launched UH Mānoa ACM (now known as the UH Mānoa School of Cinematic Arts), UH West Oʻahu ACM, ACM at Maui College, and Kauaʻi Community College’s Creative Media program. It also supported the creation of ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawaiʻi at UH West Oʻahu, UH Esports, and collaborated with UH Mānoa’s Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) department to develop LAVA and Creative Computational Media. Lee enhanced existing media programs at Leeward CC, Kapiʻolani CC’s New Media Arts, Hawaiʻi CC, Windward CC’s Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts, and UH Hilo’s ICS.
Many of them are earning a living doing what they love, right here in Hawaiʻi, telling their stories to the broadest possible audience. That was always the goal.
—Chris Lee
Uniquely, ACM fostered the first comprehensive articulation agreements between all seven community colleges and UH West Oʻahu, where Lee also led the development and funding of ACM’s state-of-the-art Student Production Center.
“Chris Lee’s foundational leadership and contributions have catalyzed creative media education across the UH System and elevated Hawaiʻi’s stories to a broader audience,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “Drawing from his groundbreaking career in Hollywood, he helped build a thriving creative pipeline here at home. We thank him for his decades of service and are proud to honor him with emeritus status for his lasting influence at UH and our state.”
A systemwide vision
Raised in Hawaiʻi and an alumnus of ʻIolani School, Lee graduated from Yale University before starting a successful career as a motion picture executive and film and television producer. The first person of Asian ancestry to lead a major Hollywood studio, serving as President of Production at TriStar Pictures and Columbia Pictures, he oversaw iconic films such as Jerry Maguire, Philadelphia, As Good As It Gets and more.
After returning to Hawaiʻi in the early 2000s, Lee was invited to “start a film school” at UH. He imagined a cross-campus network that could elevate creative media education statewide.
“Rather than just focusing on one campus at Mānoa, I visited every campus in the UH System,” Lee said. “I met with faculty, staff and students and saw what already existed, including the animation program at Kapiʻolani CC and the TV studios at Leeward CC, and thought, ‘What if we built something that connected all of them?’”
In January, 2004, the UH Board of Regents formally established ACM, and Lee became its Founding Director. Over time, the initiative grew into a coordinated system offering specialized pathways in creative media, animation, gaming and digital content creation.
Empowering students and communities
At UH West Oʻahu, now the flagship for ACM, students can now pursue degrees in creative media, game design, communications and more. UH Mānoa’s School of Cinematic Arts focuses on narrative filmmaking, animation and Indigenous storytelling. The community colleges and UH Hilo offer strong foundations in production, media theory and animation.
“What made this possible was the advent of affordable digital technology,” Lee said. “Thanks to early support from donors and UH alumni, including Roy and Hilda Takayama and Jay Shidler, we gave students a ‘Digital Toolbelt’—Macs with editing software, cameras and sound equipment. It let them tell stories that were true to themselves and shareable with the world through online platforms.”
Creating an industry pathway
From the start, Lee emphasized that ACM wasn’t just about making films. “It was about preparing a workforce that could thrive in the future digital economy, in storytelling, animation, games, immersive media and beyond,” he said. Today ACM graduates from every UH campus are driving Hawaiʻiʻs growing creative economy.
2025 ACM System Lookbook – The Graduates Edition
Many of those early students have gone on to make significant contributions to film and television, including Daniel Ledoux Miller, co-director and co-writer of Moana 2; Bryson Kainoa Chun, a writer for Moana 2 and Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., who, along with fellow UH alumnus Alika Tengan, was named to the inaugural Indigenous List recognizing top Native screenwriters.
ACM graduates work for Pixar, Disney, HBO, NBC and Netflix, but most have stayed in Hawaiʻi to build production companies or lead communications teams in sectors far beyond entertainment.
“Every business now wants an in-house videographer and social media content,” Lee said. “While graduates from UH Manoa’s ACM like Christopher Makoto Yogi and Alika Tengan debuted their features at the Sundance Film Festival, students coming out of UH West Oʻahu are making TikTok capstones and going on to run campaigns for companies like BMW/Mini and even Honolulu City Hall.”
A hub for the future
The $37-million ACM Student Production Center at UH West Oʻahu opened in 2022 and has already become a hub for content creation, film and student collaboration. Adjacent to the facility is the proposed site of a state-of-the-art motion picture and television studio, currently under development.
The project, spearheaded by the Island Film Group team in partnership with UH, will include modern sound stages, production facilities, and a town square with live-work, retail, dining and lodging. The studio is envisioned as a transformative center for the West Oʻahu region and the state’s growing media industry.
“This is the natural next step in ACM’s evolution,” Lee said. “Combined with the UHWO Student Production Center, this complex will help elevate ACM to a global level. One of the project requirements is integration with ACM, which means our local students will have real opportunities—paid internships, mentorship and jobs with living wages.”
Driving innovation across the UH
Even as he steps back, Lee is helping guide ACM’s evolution through new initiatives. Most recently, he has been actively involved with the Aloha AI Institute, a proposed UH initiative that, like ACM System, aims to unite all 10 UH campuses. The project will equip students with the tools and opportunities to explore AI’s role in creative fields, particularly in integrating Indigenous knowledge and cultural narratives.
Lee also helped create a new computational creative media degree at UH Mānoa ICS, launched in fall 2024, which prepares students to use AI tools in video games, animation and digital content. His push into esports led to Hawaiʻi’s largest tournament in 2024, the Hawaiʻi Esports Invitational, hosted at UH West Oʻahu. The event brought together six UH campuses, out-of-state universities such as Michigan State, and local high schools, showcasing how ACM initiatives are preparing students for future careers while supporting economic diversification.
A lasting impact
ACM’s transformation into a nationally recognized, culturally grounded media school stands as part of Lee’s enduring legacy—one that elevates Hawaiʻi’s stories and storytellers on the global stage.
“Everybody hopes they leave someplace better than how they found it,” Lee said. “Now we have hundreds of ACM graduates. Many of them are earning a living doing what they love, right here in Hawaiʻi, telling their stories to the broadest possible audience. That was always the goal.”
Reflections on Chris Lee
“Chris Lee’s story is about an island son done good—eventually reaching the highest levels of Hollywood success as a major studio executive. His dedication and passion for his craft, along with his unwavering vision to have our local students achieve similar successes, was the driving force that led to the creation of the Academy for Creative Media at UH and the establishment of the state-of-the-art Creative Media Facility at UH West Oʻahu. We are grateful to him and for his contributions to UH, our students, and the state—and we wish him well on his future endeavors.”
Vassilis Syrmos
Vice President for Research and Innovation, UH System
“What has been most impactful about Chris Lee’s accomplishment is giving students in Hawaiʻi—aspiring filmmakers, game designers, and VR creators—the opportunity to train with cutting-edge tools that rival, and often surpass, those at the top media schools in the country. It’s not just opening doors to real careers—it’s also turning Hawaiʻi into a hub for creative talent from around the world. This is the foundational step that sets the stage for what comes next: the creation of a film production studio integrated with the ACM program. That means immediate job opportunities for graduates and a direct connection to industry professionals who can lead masterclasses, workshops, internships, and ultimately help grow a thriving, homegrown creative workforce in Hawaiʻi.”
Jason Leigh
Professor, Information & Computer Sciences, UH Mānoa
“Chris moved home to Hawaiʻi to pursue the bold vision of building a creative media industry to help diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy. This was a big goal that went far beyond academia–through his successful career in Hollywood he understood the link that was required to anchor academia to a constantly changing industry. He brought his energy and passion to pursue a vision of building something that didn’t exist. He is the rare person that had the tenacity and passion to pursue that vision despite the slings and arrows that face someone that is disrupting the status quo. We owe him a debt of gratitude for all that he created, and for the many students that he inspired.”
Jan Naoe Sullivan
Chief Operating Officer, Oceanit
UH Board of Regents (2011-2021)
“When Chris was at Yale studying political science, he landed an internship with Hawaiʻi Congressman Cec Heftel in Washington, D.C. That summer, he moved in with me. While watching Good Morning America, he turned to me and said, ‘I’m going to work there next year.’ I laughed—but he got the job. That’s Chris: fearless, confident, and determined. He went on to lead one of Hollywood’s top studios in the ’90s, then returned to Hawaiʻi in the 2000s to build a world-class, system-wide film school. He’s transformed our creative media landscape and inspired a new generation of storytellers.”
Heather Haunani Giugni
Collections Specialist/Producer, ʻUluʻulu Archive, UH West Oʻahu
“For two decades, Chris Lee devoted his knowledge, talents, and experience as a Hollywood motion picture and television producer to creating the unique 10-campus Academy for Creative Media program within the University of Hawaiʻi. His vision for ACM has benefited generations of UH students with exciting career opportunities. A true champion of the power of storytelling and its economic impact, Chris recognized early on the potential of ACM to shape Hawaiʻi’s creative future. He deserves commendations and support for his vision, efforts, and achievements. Kudos and mahalo to Chris Lee!”
Doris Ching
Emeritus Vice President for Student Affairs, UH System
“Chris Lee leaves an indelible imprint on Hawaiʻi’s economy with the Academy for Creative Media expanding the number of creative media graduates throughout University of Hawaiʻi’s 10-campus system. Not only was he the first Asian-American to head production for a major American film studio, but he led Hawaiʻi government leaders in showcasing ACM and Waianae Searider students at Shanghai film festivals as early as 2004. His trailblazing efforts resulted in a wide range of media education partnerships between Asian higher ed institutions and UH. After completion of UH West-Oʻahu’s media production facility in 2022, Chris Lee has really put Hawaiʻi talent on the global map.”
Carol Fukunaga
Hawaiʻi State Senator, District 11
“When I think about Chris Lee’s impact at UH West Oʻahu and across the UH System, I refer to the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: ʻO ka piʻi nō ia a Kōkī o Wailau. This is used in admiration for someone who reaches the top despite difficulties. Chris challenged himself to build a system-wide emphasis on creative media across all 10-campuses; establishing a hub, the Academy for Creative Media (ACM) at UH West Oʻahu. He has created opportunities and has inspired imagination for so many of Hawaiʻi‘s youth. Who, because of ACM, are resourceful, resilient, and relentless. Indeed, ʻO ka piʻi nō ia a Kōkī o Wailau — we stand in admiration of Chris Lee.”
Maenette Benham
Chancellor, UH West Oʻahu
