Matthew Nagato

Matthew Nagato

Writer | Director in Honolulu, Hawai‘i

About

Writer and documentary film director with over 30 years of experience in communications, healthcare, IT, and philanthropy.

I have a way with words.

Contact

LinkedIn

Work Experience

2002 — 2005
Director, Planning & Business Development at S&T, Inc.
Honolulu

Projects

2014

In this emotional, intimate sequel to "Ola: Health is Everything," students, teachers, and advocates share stories of hope and triumph that kindle the fires of our determination to build a vibrant, healthier world.

2013

A timely and emotional debut documentary that celebrates Hawai‘i's most cherished social values, Ola challenges us to rethink what it means to be healthy. Ola (Hawaiian for "life" or "well being") explores the widespread social factors that affect our ability to create thriving, sustainable communities. Since its premiere at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival in 2013, this powerful and inspirational film has spawned a movement to energize our communities and create a healthier future for all.

Speaking

2024
Honolulu, Hawai‘i

A little over ten years ago, after the release of the documentary Ola: Health is Everything, the potential and the promise of coordinated, community-based health driven by a focus on social determinants of health felt not just possible, but inevitable. After nearly four hundred screenings of the film across Hawai‘i, a broad community consensus was clear: solutions to larger systemic challenges to better health could be fostered by diverse partnerships and shared commitment to equity. A decade of tumultuous elections, social reckonings, and the global pandemic, have strained the fabric of our communities, unraveling it in ways that have put all of our collective gains in jeopardy. Inequities today—across health, economics, power, and the environment—are perhaps even more of a danger to a flourishing community. In this retrospective talk, the director of Ola reflects on how we must confront the use of power and partnerships, and the inconvenient truths behind them, to reframe what it means to be a community that overcomes the divisions allowing inequities to persist.

2020
Social Determinants of Health Communication & Engagement Strategies at Hawai‘i Healthcare Workforce Summit
Honolulu
2018
Social Determinants Phase II at Unity Care NW Community Health Center Week
Bellingham
2016
Integrated Communities at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Graduate Symposium
Hilo
2016
Health is Everything at Konkokyo Women's Group
Honolulu
2016
Cultivating Community at Labor Community Services Program - Hawai‘i State AFL-CIO
Honolulu
2015
Cultivating Community at Hawai‘i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations Connecting for Healthier Communities seminar
Honolulu
2015
The Era of Social Determinants at Iowa Primary Care Association Annual Conference
Des Moines
2015
Constellations of Health and Peace at CEEDS of Peace
Pearl City
2014
Distant Origins, Common Purpose at Conflict Resolution Alliance Hawai‘i Annual Meeting
Honolulu
2012
Moving Forward: Transformation, Health Care Reform, and You at Kapi‘olani Medical Center Physican Grand Rounds
Honolulu
2012
Moving Forward: Transformation, Health Care Reform, and You at Queen's Medical Center Physician Grand Rounds
Honolulu
2012
New Advocacy Tools to Maximize Your Effectiveness at NACHC Community Health Institute
Orlando
2012
What the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act Means to You at 31st Annual Family Planning & Reproductive Health Conference
Honolulu
2012
Health Care Transformation at Queen's Medical Center Physican Grand Rounds
Honolulu
2011
Health Care Transformation and the Era of Patient-Centered Care at Public Health Nursing Conference
Honolulu

Side Projects

Ongoing

Independent production of documentaries, short films, and PSAs on compelling social issues, unexplored cultural endeavors, and community building.