Opening Night has arrived for the first-ever Wailuku Film Festival

The inaugural Wailuku Film Festival celebrates its opening night with five days of unforgettable cinema, featuring more than 100 films from Hawaiʻi, across the Pacific and around the world.

The event runs from June 17-14 with an array of Hawaiʻi premieres and Indigenous stories. There’s also surf films, animation, student showcases, panels, workshops and live events for every kind of movie lover.

Festival goers can buy individual tickets or save with ticket bundles. Ticket bundle options include:

• 8-Ticket Bundle: $100 (a 20% savings).
• Film Fanatic Bundle: 15 tickets plus two bonus tickets to the legendary Wrap Party: $250.

Buy tickets here or bundles here.

Festival Standouts include:

• Jack Johnson – SOURFILMUSIC (sold-out): Before the sold-out tours and platinum records, there was a surfer with a camera. SOURFILMUSIC follows Jack Johnson’s journey from filming friends on the North Shore to becoming one of the most recognizable voices in modern music.
• Lahaina Rising (sold out): A moving portrait of a community navigating loss, recovery, and the future of Lahaina.
• Before the Moon Falls: Acclaimed Samoan writer, Sia Figiel sets out on a reply personal path toward healing, only to encounter challenges she never expected.
• The Stolen Children of Aotearoa: A powerful documentary examining the abuse of children in New Zealand’s state care system and the long struggle for accountability and justice.
• Harbour Chronicles: Shaping a Legacy: A heartfelt look at the people and traditions that helped shape one of Hawaiʻi’s most enduring communities.
• Indigenous Shorts: Art in Cinema: A dynamic collection of films exploring Indigenous identity creativity, and cultural expression through the lens of emerging and established filmmakers. (5 min)
• Pride Shorts: Film in the Warmest Color: A vibrant showcase of LGBTQ+ stories filled with heart, courage, humor and humanity. (30 min)
• Narrative Shorts: Some of the festival’s biggest discoveries come in the shortest packages. This acclaimed collection brings together memorable characters, surprising stories, and fresh voices from Hawaiʻi and around the world. The short What We Carry is 15 min.

Explore all 100 films here.

The festival concludes on Sunday, June 21, at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center with the Best of Fest event featuring Audience Choice encore presentations, bringing back the films that resonated most with festival-goers through the week.