KULEANA opens statewide on March 30th || screening on Mainland also

The indie feature KULEANA, which I produced and act in, opens statewide in Hawai'i on March 30th. This is the first locally-produced film to receive a statewide theatrical run in over a decade - so if you're on Maui, Oahu, Big Island or Kauai, please get out there and support the local talent that invested so much love and labor in realizing this story. You won't be disappointed! 

We've also partnered with Gathr for a theatrical-on-demand release in the continental US. You can check your local listings, or even sign-up to be a screening "captain", by going HERE. 

Kudos to writer/director Brian Kohne for his doggedness in taking the film this far! 

Check out the trailer HERE. 

Hawai'i Int'l Film Festival | November film premieres

Two films will be premiering at the upcoming Hawai'i International Film Festival (HIFF), which runs Nov. 2-12. A short I wrote and directed, entitled I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE, will world premiere on November 5th. We shot the film over four days here on Maui, with local cast and crew, including several family members. We were lucky enough to be supported by a grant/licensing deal from Pacific Islanders in Communication. After playing festivals, the film will be broadcast on PBS. 

Also screening at HIFF is Brian Kohne's feature KULEANA, which I produced and was forced to act in. The film has been racking up awards on the festival circuit and will be released theatrically in late January/early February. More news on the roll-out soon. 

Finally, still busy on the AMC TV series with Kristiana Kahakauwila. We are revising, polishing, and revising the pilot script some more. 

Upcoming Screenings | Chicago + Maui

EVEN THOUGH THE WHOLE WORLD IS BURNING - my documentary on poet and environmental activist W.S. Merwin - will screen on May 8th in Chicago. The screening is part of the opening festivities for the American Writers Museum. Old friends Edward Morris & Susannah Saylor have created an amazing exhibit inspired by Merwin's palm forest, called "All Awake in the Darkness." More info on their great work HERE. Screening info HERE. I'll be attending with others from the Merwin Conservancy for a post-screening Q&A. 

Also, looking ahead to June, an indie feature I produced in Hawai'i, entitled KULEANA, will screen as part of the Maui Film Festival. This a period drama/mystery written and directed by Brian Kohne, and starring an amazing cast all with roots in Hawai'i - Moronai Kanekoa, Sonya Balmores, Kristina Anapau, Branscombe Richmond, Augie T, Marlene Sai...

We were lucky enough to have some of the NYC film family here for this one too - DP Dan Hersey, Costume Designer Bethanne Kelleher, sound wizard Marcin Tyszka, etc. 

KULEANA trailer can be found HERE. 

Tickets for the Maui Film Festival screening on Friday, June 23rd, at the Celestial Cinema can be purchased HERE.