Inaugural Wailuku Film Festival unveils more than 100 film screenings, launches ticket sales

May 27, 2026, 9:00 AM HST

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The award-winning short Kūkini, directed by Mitchel Merrick, which depicts the Battle of Kepaniwai in ʻĪao Valley and stars Paula Fuga alongside Maui’s Moses Goods (Chief of War)
Lisette Marie Flanary’s award-winning MĀHŪ honors a groundbreaking theatrical work by Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne, reclaiming the respected place of māhū within Hawaiian culture
The award-winning documentary Lahaina Rising, directed by Matty Schweitzer, takes audiences inside the August 8, 2023 wildfire, capturing the devistation alongside the lived experiences, history and cultural identity of the Lahaina community.
Paulk In Watersports, The Incredible Paulk, from directors Christoph Gelfand and Caroline Losneck, follows visually impaired surfer Aaron Paulk as he navigates both the waves and the aftermath of the 2023 Lahaina wildfire
All the Things I Leave You, directed by Jade Castro and produced by Maui’s Lance Collins, unfolds as a generational story of conflict and connection set against the backdrop of the Philippines—this film is part one of a six-part series.

Wailuku Film Festival announced that tickets go on sale today for its inaugural 2026 program — a lineup of more than 100 films that will establish Wailuku town as a gathering place for Pacific and global cinema.

To view the full program of films and purchase tickets, visit https://www.wailukufilm.com/festival.

Tickets for June 17-20, 2026, screenings at the Historic ʻĪao Theater, 68 North Market St., Wailuku, and at the Naylor Theater, 2027 Main St., Wailuku, are $15 (no added taxes or fees). Tickets for the Best of Festival on June 21 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) in Kahului are $20 (no added taxes or fees). MACC tickets are available at https://mauiarts.org/.

The complete 2026 Wailuku Film Festival schedule, including screenings, panels, industry conversations, workshops and special presentations, is now available as the festival prepares to welcome audiences from across Hawaiʻi and beyond.

Presented by Pacific Media Group, Wailuku Film Festival runs from June 17-21. This new, 5-day celebration, an initiative of the Maui Film Office and supported by the County of Maui, is building momentum, growing a vibrant, local film industry while fostering a rising tide of storytellers, creators and audiences drawn to meaningful cinema.

The festival will feature 31 student films and more than 55 films from Hawaiʻi filmmakers, making Wailuku Film Festival one of the most concentrated showcases of local and emerging storytelling in the state.

Filmmakers represent Aotearoa (New Zealand), Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Fiji, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Tonga, the continental US and Hawaiʻi, reflecting a global program grounded in the Pacific. Featuring core categories — Hawaiʻi, Indigenous Voices, Watersports, Student Films and Animation — the festival spotlights storytelling rooted in place while expanding international perspectives.

A highlight of this year’s festival is the 31-film high school and college student film festival and competition on June 18, presented in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, showcasing the next generation of Hawaiʻi and Pacific filmmakers.

The festival will feature panels with actors, writers, producers and directors, in partnership with ʻĀkaku Maui Community Media, which will broadcast and stream all panels live.

Wailuku Film Festival concludes June 21 at the MACC in Kahului with the Wailuku Film Festival Best of Festival presented by Hampton Inn Maui North Shore. This will include Audience Choice encore screenings and the Jury Award Winner for Best Hawaiʻi Feature, “Lahaina Rising,” which will receive a special encore screening in MACC’s Castle Theater.

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