Last updated August 2025
Jeannette Paulson Hereniko is an American storyteller, community organizer, film producer, and cultural advocate whose work centers on intercultural dialogue and amplifying underrepresented voices. From establishing community-based storytelling traditions in Southern Oregon in the 1960s and ’70s to shaping global platforms for Asia-Pacific and Indigenous cinema, she has consistently blended grassroots organizing with an international vision. Her leadership at film festivals, creation of digital archives, and lifelong dedication to storytelling reflect a commitment to connecting people across cultures, generations, and histories.
Jeannette Lee Butts was born in Portland, Oregon, on May 23, 1940, to Leo, a firefighter and union organizer, and Lucille, a homemaker. Raised in Portland with her younger sister Sheilah, she graduated from Jefferson High School in 1958, where she was elected outstanding girl leader. She later earned a bachelor's degree in education from Chaminade University in Honolulu and completed her MA in American Studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa in 1984.
As a young mother to her three children—Brad, Kelly, and Holly—in the 1960s, Hereniko began telling stories at the Jackson County Library in Oregon. With no public kindergarten available, she and other mothers banded together to promote a love of stories in young children. This effort led to her becoming a founding member and the first President of the Storytelling Guild in Jackson County (1964–1968). In 1966, she founded the Children’s Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon, a free event based around storytelling, and served as its director until 1974. Both the Guild and the Festival continue to operate today. From 1971 to 1995, she served as a Storyteller in the Schools for the Jackson County Regional School District, during which time she co-wrote and co-edited two editions of Touching a Season of Time, a curriculum guide using storytelling and poetry to teach history.
After moving to Honolulu in May 1975, she continued her work as a storyteller with the Artist in the Schools Program for the Hawai‘i State Department of Education until 1977.
In 1976, Hereniko joined Hawai‘i’s Department of Education’s Educational Television (ETV) division, first as a Production Assistant and later as a Producer/Writer until 1980. A landmark production from this period was Taro Tales, which she wrote and directed. She also co-produced and co-wrote The ’Āina Remains, a community-based video about the history of Pāhoa Valley, which included a reenactment of Queen Lili‘uokalani’s garden club gathering flowers for the imprisoned monarch.
While serving as a Community Relations Officer at the East-West Center in 1981, Hereniko founded the Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF) to promote cultural understanding through cinema, with a special focus on films from Asia and the Pacific. Under her leadership, HIFF became an internationally recognized platform for cross-cultural dialogue and provided an early showcase for Indigenous filmmakers like Barry Barclay, Merata Mita, Lee Tamahori, and Rena Owen. HIFF became an independent nonprofit in 1990 and remained free to the public until Hereniko stepped down for health reasons in 1996. Today, it remains a highly respected festival that continues its founding mission. Hereniko also served as the first director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
In the late 1980s, she was invited to serve on the founding Board of Directors for the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC), an international organization dedicated to promoting Asian and Pacific film. Recognizing the limited availability of these films in North America, she founded and served as the first President of NETPAC/USA, which organized touring film packages for universities across the West Coast.
With the rise of digital technology, Hereniko founded AsiaPacificFilms.com, an innovative digital library of curated films from the region. Launched as an incubator project at the USC Annenberg Center for Communication, it was later acquired by Alexander Street Press and remains a valuable global resource for academic institutions.
In 1997, she and her husband, Rotuman (Fiji) playwright and filmmaker Vilsoni Hereniko, established Te Maka Productions LLC. Jeannette produces while Vilsoni writes and directs. Their projects include Fine Dancing, Salisi, Woven, and the internationally acclaimed feature film The Land Has Eyes, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won Best Feature Film at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. They have two new projects in pre-production, with plans for a 2026 release.
Hereniko's contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including:
Zonta Southern Oregon Woman of the Year
YWCA Award for leadership and public service
Hawai‘i Humanities and Arts Award (1984)
Pusan International Film Festival Award for the Promotion of Korean Film
Hawai‘i International Film Festival Legacy Award
She married Vilsoni Hereniko in 1997. She enjoys spending time with her family, including their adult children and grandchildren.