5 Maui-Made Films Head to Made in Hawai’i Film Festival  

Five Maui-made films will be featured at this yearʻs Made in Hawaiʻi Film Festival on Hawaiʻi Island. The festival, which will be held on June 1 and 2 at the Hilo Palace Theater, will feature a total of 35 films that were all made in Hawaiʻi.

Now in its second year, MIHFF is the only film festival nationwide to solely spotlight Hawaiʻi-made cinema. The festival will include a one-night-only “best of fest’ follow up at screening at the Aloha Theater in south Kona on June 14.

“The Aliʻi Seed,” is one of the five Maui-made films that will be featured at the festival. Directed by Jonathan Yudis, the film is a Hawaiian retelling of the story of a chief and his successor. “KŌ,” directed by Nathan Howe, is a non-narrated, aural and visual ethnofiction staged as the final act of the Hawaiian sugarcane era. Another Maui-made film that will be featured in the festival is “Donut Dynamite,” which was directed by Austin Michael Alimbuyuguen that celebrates the popular Wailuku donut shop of the same name. Two Maui-made micro-docs will be featured at the festival, “Ka Hale: A Revival” and “Ka Waʻa: The Canoe,” which were both directed by Mar Q Morrison. The first explores the revival of ancient Hawaiian hale building, while the second discusses the past, present, and future of Maui’s ocean voyager canoes.

The festival will also present a selection of short films, web series, experimental films, and music videos. In addition to film screenings, the Hilo portion of the festival houses several industry information sessions, including a Cinematography master-class style seminar with two-time Emmy nominated cinematographer Ron Garcia, ASC (Hawai’i 5.0, Twin Peaks). A panel discussion on the importance of community-based filmmaking with the Hawai’i Filmmakers Collective will also be included at the event.

“Last year, the festival unfortunately fell on the weekend of hurricane Lane, and we still had over 300 people come out to support,” festival co-founder Zoe Eisenberg said. “We’re excited to be able to bring so many Hawaii-made films to Big Island this year.”

Festival tickets start at $10 a block and run to $30 for an access pass for admission into every screening. More information is available online or on the festival Facebook page. 

The festival trailer can be viewed online.