Maui Film Festival Closes out 2018, on Cusp of Anniversary Edition

Celestial Cinema. File image credit: Maui Film Festival.

The Maui Film Festival has wrapped its nineteenth year of cinema-under- the-stars.

Honoring Amber Heard and Nick Robinson, the 19th Annual Maui Film Festival took place June 13-17, 2018 at the Celestial Cinema, located at the Wailea Gold and Emerald Golf Course, the Castle Theater at the state-of-the-art Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, the Toes-in-the-Sand Cinema, located on Wailea Beach below the Four Seasons Maui, and at special events throughout the Wailea Resort. Also in attendance was previous honoree Colin Farrell.

In addition to the celebrity honorees, the schedule was packed with life-affirming films and fabulous events highlighting the culture, food, and beauty of Maui. This included award ceremonies honoring actors for outstanding achievements, more than 20 film screenings, and events offering a relaxing and enjoyable opportunity for festival goers to appreciate cinema in an unparalleled atmosphere.

Colin Farrell presented Nick Robinson the Rising Star Award on June 14th. Amber Heard received the Shining Star Award on June 15th.

Barry Rivers founded the Maui Film Festival in 2000 as a festival committed to the celebration and exploration of cinema at the intersection of smart and heart. The Festival’s mission has always been to share exceptional cinematic vision in the service of compassionate and transformative storytelling with a diverse audience who call Maui both their home and their home away from home.

Since its inception, the Maui Film Festival has screened more than 750 narrative and documentary feature-length and short films from around the world to a diverse audience of industry luminaries, filmmakers, cineastes and movie lovers of all ages.

Over the last 17 years the festival has been fortunate to honor such talents as Elizabeth Banks, Connie Britton, Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Claire Danes, Laura Dern, Zooey Deschanel, Viola Davis, Adam Driver, Clint Eastwood, Scott Eastwood, Zac Efron, Colin Farrell, Andrew Garfield, Karen Gillan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Woody Harrelson, Garrett Hedlund, Michael B. Jordan, Brie Larson, James Marsden, Mike Myers, Lupita Nyong’o, Freida Pinto, Emma Roberts, Owen Wilson, Olivia Wilde, and Evan Rachel Wood, among many others.

The 2018 Maui Film Festival Wailea is made possible by support of a number of local, national and international organizations. This year’s Official Sponsors include Signature Sponsors: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, Praise Genius; Major Sponsors: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Fairmont Kea Lani, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Grand Wailea, Hotel Wailea, Residence Inn Maui at Wailea, The Shops At Wailea, Wailea Beach Resort, Wailea Gateway Center, Wailea Golf Club Gold & Emerald Courses; Sponsorship ʻOhana: Hawaiʻi Life Real Estate Brokers, Mana Foods, Maui No Ka Oi Magazine, Pacific Media Group, Pau Maui Vodka, Rising Sun, Spago, Stella Artois; Industry Sponsors: Getty Images, Hawaiʻi Film Office, The Hollywood Reporter, IMDB, Picture Mill, Reel Maui / Maui Film Office, Variety, The Works Creative Group; Media Partners: Akaku: Maui Community Media, Hawaiʻi Public Radio, KAOI Radio Group, The Maui News, Maui Now, Maui Time, Modern Luxury Hawaiʻi, WHERE Hawaiʻi.