Matthew Nagato
Writer, Director
Still just a boy trying to save the world.
About
Matthew is a storyteller, strategist, and systems tinkerer whose work challenges the way we approach equity, power, and community transformation. His work is grounded in the belief that true transformation requires acknowledging the inconvenient truths about power and resources, and then having the courage to choose and act differently.Growing up in Waimānalo, Hawai‘i, Matthew saw firsthand the ways communities are shaped not just by policies and programs, but by the relationships and structures that determine who has access to opportunity and who is left behind. His career has been dedicated to shifting that balance.The Accidental Filmmaker
While working on behalf of communities to increase access to health care, Matthew was asked to write and direct a Hawai‘i version of the landmark PBS series Unnatural Causes, an examination of the social determinants of health. The resulting documentary, Ola – Health Is Everything, sparked a movement around public health that reached far beyond the healthcare sector.The film, screened nearly 400 times nationwide, demonstrated that solutions to systemic inequities already exist within communities, but are too often dismissed as impractical or naïve by those in power. Ola and its sequel, ‘Ike – Knowledge Is Everywhere challenged those assumptions and demonstrated that genuine progress happens when individuals within community lead the way.
Advocating & Agitating for Change
Matthew’s experience extends across more than 30 years in communications, strategic planning, and public policy, including leadership roles at the Hawai‘i Primary Care Association and the Hawai‘i Medical Service Association. His work has redefined how public health and social service organizations communicate with the people they serve, infusing institutional messaging with narratives that engage and mobilize communities. He has worked on award-winning campaigns, redesigned public health engagement strategies, and exposed the structural fictions that keep communities in cycles of scarcity while resources remain concentrated in the hands of a few.A sought-after speaker on systems change, collective action, and the intersection of policy and community, Matthew has challenged audiences to think beyond traditional frameworks for philanthropy and public service. His TEDx talk explored how people, not institutions, drive meaningful and replicable change. He continues to advocate for a shift away from incremental solutions toward a fundamental rethinking of how we invest in community well-being.For Matthew, storytelling is about elevating voices and holding power accountable. His work continues to challenge outdated assumptions, amplify the leadership that already exists within communities, and favor solutions that replace charity with justice.And somewhere in the moments between it all, he’s still working on the Great American Novel.
Films & Productions
- Ola: Health is Everything – (April 2013) #
- Go For Broke: An Origin Story – (2013) ###
- ‘Ike: Knowledge is Everywhere – (November 2014) #
- Two Kinds of Love – (2017) #
- The Pit Where We Were Born - (2018) ##
- Woke (2020) #
- Face to Face (2020) #
- Ke Kohola no ma Maluhia Honua - (2021) #
- Floral Entendre, Regular Joe, She Persisted (2022) #
- Yatra (2025) ##
- Minding Jane (2026) #
- Ulu: Growth for Everyone - (2026) #
- A Stronger Loving World - (2027) #
