We take you through the legacy of an island and show you why Hula is so much more than just a beautiful dance.
A 29-year-old woman is alienated by friends and family for her lack of ambition. While struggling beneath the judgment of her peers, she finds a dangerous acceptance in a bright 18-year-old boy who mistakes her for a fellow student.
A family from California moves to Hawaii and meets Tutu. Tutu teaches them how to live in Hawaii.
Too Much Life was written by our Screenplay Committee under the guidance of our instructors and took approximately one year to complete the first draft. It is about the difficulties of being a teenager while dealing with parents, friends, social media, grades, teachers, the future and trying to balance and control it all - even when life proves to be unpredictable. The lead character Harper Hudson is based upon the experiences of several of the students that wrote the story.
A conservationist travels to Hawaii for her best friend's wedding and instead of a relaxing vacation, finds herself in wedding prep and helping the new hotel manager make changes to his family hotel.
A documentary on the origin, meanings and uses of the gesture. The shaka sign is reputed to be over a century old, but its origins are the stuff of myths and legends. It turns out that kupuna (Hawaiian elders) have kept the story secret for almost a century. Why? They didn't want it told incorrectly or commercialized. But given advancing age and a world in need, they decided it was time to share the story.
Filmed on the big island of Hawai'i, this contemplative piece is composed of painterly landscapes and rich soundscapes that express the beauty and serenity of the island.
Two high school boys from different social worlds experience romantic feelings for each other. Edmar, a high-performing Filipino student, and Pili, a Native Hawaiian student-athlete, learn that navigating self-growth and teenage love in Hawaiʻi is as complicated as their understanding and love for Hawaiʻi and it’s ever-changing cultural landscape.
A rapper with a rising career hires a US manager and label, taking over from his father who has steered it to date.
Hawaii, 1977: Vic and Melvin are dropped off by their older brother in a rural Hawaii forest with an undisclosed task that no one seems enthusiastic about. As their brother’s pickup rumbles away leaving them utterly alone, they reluctantly begin their trek with an unopened pack and a shovel. Along the way they discuss the possibility of living in the wild, that is until the wild suddenly pays them a visit. Eventually, they reach their destination and carry out the unpleasant task they were sent to do. With the deed now behind them, it seems there are now more questions than answers and the boys sense that what they’ve experienced may haunt them for a long time to come.
As an outbreak of leprosy engulfs 19th-century colonial Hawai'i, a small group of infected Native Hawaiians resist government-mandated exile, taking a courageous stand against the provisional government. Inspired by real-life events.
Told by her daughter Wendy, MINK! chronicles the remarkable Patsy Takemoto Mink, a Japanese American from Hawai'i who became the first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress, on her harrowing mission to co-author and defend Title IX, the law that transformed athletics for generations in America for girls and women.
At dawn, Kelsey Akioka hikes out onto the Kalapana lava fields with a camera in hand and 80 lbs of gear on his back. We observe his methodical photography process amid one of nature’s most beautiful and chaotic events. Under the shade of a pop-up tent, he sells these photos at a small makeshift marketplace to apathetic tourists. By the end of the day, Kelsey returns home, exhausted and worn, to his son and elderly father. When he learns his friend is sacrificing his passion and moving away from home to pursue a better life for his family, Kelsey begins to question his own choices. As his frustrations spill into his home life, Kelsey must confront the turmoil stirring within him.
An environmental film about human-caused extinction featuring a bird known as the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, which was once endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i.
Five-time Olympic medalist and Native Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku shattered records and brought surfing to the world while overcoming a lifetime of personal challenges. Waterman explores his journey and legacy as a legendary swimmer, trailblazer, and the undisputed father of modern-day surfing, following the sport’s first-time inclusion in this year’s Summer Olympics – a fitting tribute to his work promoting the sport around the globe.
Naz, a cynical and charismatic 20-something, has spent his entire life in tranquil O’ahu, Hawaiʻi, skateboarding with his friends and hosting a nightly radio show where he spotlights emerging musicians. When his girlfriend Sloane nabs the chance to move to bustling New York, Naz begins preparing for their big move, planning every detail down to his cat’s absurd flight plan. Even when dreaming about what life outside the island might look like, however, Naz wonders whether uprooting his world is the right decision, and if anywhere will ever really feel like home when he’s always been an eternal outsider.
Hiwa Natsunagi is a high school student living in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. Worried about what to do with her life after graduation, she spots a poster for Spa Resort Hawaiians the “Hawaii of Tohoku” the place where her sister Mari used to work and applies to their new dancer (hula girl) campaign on a whim. Despite her lack of experience, Hiwa is accepted for the job, and starts on the path towards becoming a Hula Girl with her classmates, Kanna, Ranko, 'ohana and Shion. However, unable to keep in step with one another due to their differing personalities, their first stage ends in disaster. Called the “most pitiful rookies ever” the girls are disheartened, but they learn to share the good and bad...and strengthen their bond despite the occasional fumble. With their hearts and minds firmly set, the girls grace the stage once more.
Sequel to the indie hit, "Once I Was a Beehive" and set about two years after that film took place. The young women and their leaders have grown up (some more than others), and Bree Carrington’s surprise engagement and the whirlwind of wedding planning brings them all back together – with hilarious and touching results.