Maui Film Festival 2017 Shorts: Toes in the Sand

The 18th annual Maui Film Festival will take place from June 21 to 25, 2016, at the Wailea Resort. A full schedule of events and screenings has been released, including the lineup of short films to be shown at a special “Toes in the Sand” Cinema, taking place at 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, 2017 at Wailea Beach, fronting the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea.  The community screening is free and open to all.

2017 Maui Film Festival Shorts Program (NR / 117 min.):  This Short Filmmakers’ Showcase features a journey around the world to see the planet through the eyes of filmmakers young and old, yet all wise as their cameras capture 16 stories they had to tell. Great short filmmakers are the future of cinema.  Take a ride with us for a sneak peek at what will be.

Film Screenings include:

• Washed Away: (8 p.m.) Directed by Dana Nachman.  One man’s struggle with crippling chronic pain drives him to create.  But his masterpieces are temporary.  They are washed away by the tides within hours of completion.
• Detroit Blood: (8 p.m.) Directed by Dusty Mancinelli.  A man recounts his complicated relationship with his estranged brother and struggles to find meaning from a violent past.
• Change: (8 p.m.) Directed by: Isaac Kerlow.  Constant change is a natural part of Earth’s life, and its interconnected systems can easily adapt to slow change.  But the natural balance gets disrupted when changes happen rapidly.  Our growth and prosperity are changing. Planet Earth, and some of those changes may be forever.
• It’s A Date: (8 p.m.) Directed by Zachary Zezima.  Everyone is an alien at first.
• 10K: (9 p.m.) Directed by Neil LaBute.  A man and woman meet on a wooded path.  Is it an accident or something planned? Is it the first time or the hundredth? ’10K’ is a suburban mystery shot through with humor and tension and desire.
• Reefs at Risk: (8 p.m.) Directed by Malina Fagan. Set on the beautiful beaches of Hawaiʻi, “Reefs at Risk” explores the deadly effects some sunscreen chemicals have on coral reefs and marine life.  In order to protect this fragile ecosystem, Hawaiʻi strives to ban a commonly used UV chemical called oxybenzone, and hopes that other states and nations will follow.
• More than an Image: Gile Duley: (8 p.m.) Directed by Tom Martin.  Giles Duley is a documentary photographer and humanitarian activist.  For Giles, the power of photography is its ability to create change by inspiring those with the capacity to help.  Giles tells the stories of those affected by war and conflict, and we explore the power of storytelling and his own personal sacrifice in this inspirational story.
• Paris 1971: (8 p.m.) Directed by David Khachatorian.  Lost interviews with Jim Morrison, never before featured in a documentary, form the basis of this imaginative re-framing that recounts his last days and interment at the mythic Pere Lachaise cemetery.
• Lost Crops: (8 p.m.) Directed by Christopher Jenkins.  A doctor in search of sustainable superfoods teams up with an experienced botanist and humanitarian in a journey of discovery story.
• The Seed Vault: Preserving Crop Diversity, Forever: Directed by Daniel Sherer (8 p.m.) Agriculture is at risk of extinction and humanity must collect and protect what remains to ensure it’s own survivial in an uncertain future.
• Drawn & Recorded: Teen Spirit: (8 p.m.) Directed by Drew Christie.  Animated in a pop-up book animation style, this episode of Drawn & Recorded tells the story behind one of the most iconic songs ever written.
• Diary of a Youtuber: (8 p.m.) Charlotte is a successful youtuber and soon discovers the harsh reality of on-line bullying.
• Big Crunch: (8 p.m.) Directed by Dusty Mancinelli.  A science fiction, off-beat comedy about a boy who has an existential crisis about his place in the world after learning that the universe will one day collapse in an epic big cruch.

*Parents take note: Some films are appropriate for kids, some not. Show leads off with kid friendly films first.

Additional Maui Film Festival Events:

CELESTIAL CINEMA SCHEDULE: *Click here for a complete lineup for the 2017 Celestial Cinema screenings.
MFF TASTE EVENTS: *Click here for a complete lineup of the Maui Film Festival’s three “Taste” Events.