Halloween-thriller set at Kīhei Charter School to feature in local film festival, Oct. 19

A Halloween-themed thriller filmed at Kīhei Charter School will be featured at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival in the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s McCoy Theater this month.

Using a majority of local talent and crew, the film “TERRESTRIAL” was produced by Lucas Zarro and One Dollar Studios. Zarro also teaches a video production elective class at the charter school.

According to Zarro, ‘TERRESTRIAL’ tells the story of an unhappy science teacher forced to work with a previous girlfriend. He seeks validation from an “alien-type of creature,” which he discovers in a Hawaiian lava tube, “even while it kills and creates destruction at the school.”

The movie is described by Zarro as “A great Halloween date night movie, and a funny, weird horror comedy.”

The 79-minute film was written, directed and starring Big Island filmmaker Alex Farnham and co-starring Lindsay Watson and local comedian Easton James.

Students at Kīhei Charter School were able to spend time in front and behind the camera to work on the film, according to South Maui Learning ʻOhana. The group said it allowed the film to use school facilities at a low cost.

The film will be shown at the 44^th Hawaiʻi International Film Festival at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in the MACC’s McCoy Theater. Tickets are on sale at the MACC.