Keoni Kealoha Alvarez

Keoni Kealoha Alvarez is a Native Hawaiian Emmy Award-winning producer, filmmaker, director, journalist, author, illustrator, and cultural advocate dedicated to preserving Hawaiian culture and protecting sacred Native Hawaiian burial places. For more than two decades, he has documented and advocated for the protection of iwi kūpuna, bringing greater public awareness to the cultural and spiritual importance of honoring ancestral resting places.

Alvarez is the producer and director of KAPU: Sacred Hawaiian Burials, a documentary developed through more than 20 years of research, cultural learning, and community engagement. The film was selected for the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, broadcast on PBS Hawaiʻi, and screened at the Bishop Museum. He is also an Emmy Award-winning producer for his work on FRONTLINE/PBS's Maui's Deadly Firestorm.

Through filmmaking, education, writing, and advocacy, Alvarez continues a lifelong kuleana passed down through the teachings of Hawaiian kūpuna and cultural practitioners, including his mentor Palikapu Dedman. His mission is to educate future generations, strengthen respect for Hawaiian traditions, and ensure that iwi kūpuna and their sacred burial places are protected for generations to come.