Maui Film Office Organizes Industry Meeting

By Wendy Osher

From right to left: Lynn Araki-Regan, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Keith Regan (Managing Director, County of Maui).

A meeting will be held on Maui to discuss the future of the island’s film industry, and to gather information about the types of services, talent and equipment that is available locally.

“Maui has had a lot of press lately about being a great location for filming and we’ve been getting a lot of inquiries,” said Harry Donenfeld, head of the Maui County Film Office.

In January, Mayor Alan Arakawa released information that he had been discussing the possibility of establishing a major motion picture studio with Relativity Media CEO and founder Ryan Kavanaugh.

A bill was also introduced in the last legislative session seeking tax credits to help facilitate the construction of Film Production Studios in the islands.  SB318 also sought the establishment of digital media enterprise subzones surrounding University of Hawaii campuses, and the establishment of tax benefits for digital media infrastructure development and operation.

While the bill failed to pass this year,  Mayor Arakawa said in an earlier interview, “it still has created enough of an interest statewide, that I believe it will be revived in the next legislative process.”

“We need to gather everyone together in one spot and get an idea of what we have that’s available for these productions,” said Donenfeld.

The film office is putting the call out for producers, directors, casting agents, location managers, camera operators, actors, extras and anyone else involved in the islands’ film industry.

The open meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, September 26, 2011 at the Kahului Community Center.

Those who cannot make it to the meeting are asked to send info about their production services to the Maui County Film Office either by fax to 270-8228, or via email to harry.donenfeld@mauicounty.gov.