Lights! Camera! Ocean! Waimea Ocean Film Festival
By John J. Boyle
As the Waimea Ocean Film Festival lines up for the next set, the fourth year bodes to follow the swell of the previous three, growing in size and direction. With more venues, films, and jaw dropping content, the 2014 film festival reflects building interest and participation, with all the makings of an epic event.
More than a room with a view, this festival has proved to be a multiple-course hybrid world attraction. From January 2–5 films play across multiple venues simultaneously in Waimea and on the coast. The Fairmont Orchid joins the list of venues this year, bringing its own newly retrofitted theatre into the mix, along with the opening night reception. Films also play in Waimea at Kahilu Theatre, Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, Gates Theatre, and Parker School Theatre, before moving to Four Seasons Resort Hualālai January 6–10.
Wrapping up the first half of the event on January 5, The Taste of the Island evening features music, hula, and a sampling of treats from the island’s top chefs, all while overlooking the ocean as the sun sets on the lū‘au grounds at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. Last year’s array offered a feast for the eyes as well as the palate with delicious fare from Mauna Kea Resort, Sushi Rock, Redwater Cafe, Merriman’s Cafe, Daniel Thiebaut, Napua at Mauna Lani Beach Club, All About Chocolate, and locally crafted Big Island Brewhaus beer.
Closing it down in style, the final night at Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, January 10, promises to reach new heights this year, with special guest appearances and film showings.
Point Positive
Ocean Film Festival founder and director Tania Howard shares the story of how it began.
“Five years ago, I saw a couple of films that seemed so important, I thought they should be shown here, on Hawai‘i Island. Some time before, I had made a promise to myself, after spending time with dolphins, that I would do something to speak on their behalf, in protecting the ocean, for all the joy they’ve brought me. This seemed like my opportunity to follow through. I found available theatre time, selected a total of six films, which collectively told a story about what is happening in the ocean today, and raced towards the first theatre opening, not realizing that I wouldn’t slow down, or take a day off, from then until now.
“After the first showing, people started to ask if I would take the films to Hilo and Kailua-Kona, then to Maui and O‘ahu, and then if I would take them on tour around the mainland, and around Canada.”
In that first wave of the festival’s nascency, Tania took the film series on tour to eight locations, before deciding to refocus on a single larger event centered on Hawai‘i Island.
“There are so many extraordinary people who live or spend time on this island,” Tania said, “that I decided to keep the center here and let others come in.”
She began to craft an event to match the caliber and intellect of the people on the island, broadening the focus of the films to incorporate the wisdom of the culture, the love of surfing and paddling, inspirational themes, and speakers and exhibits that point towards solutions, or contribute to our understanding and appreciation of the island and culture.
“The first time I showed the films,” Tania shares, “someone came up to me after the film on ocean acidification, and said, ‘there’s no hope.’”
After that, she started to introduce the films talking about solutions to the topic at hand, and found that people were better able to absorb the content of the films within a positive context.
For the ongoing festival, Tania sought speakers who could share positive solutions around the primary issues facing the oceans—in particular energy consumption, plastics use, and global fisheries collapse with their resulting impacts on local and subsistence fishermen.
As part of this point-positive direction, festival speakers have included leaders in these arenas such as former Governor of Colorado Bill Ritter, who spoke on what it took to transform Colorado into the forefront of solar, wind, and green building development. For Colorado, this involved passing nearly 60 pieces of legislation, along with setting a 30 percent Renewable Energy Standard. The result launched Colorado on its path to a clean energy future, and also resulted in the investment of nearly one billion into the state by wind manufacturing giant, Vestas, and the creation of 6,500 new primary jobs.
Equally encouraging, was a talk by the Speaker of the House of the Palau National Congress, Noah Idechong, who shared how working with local fishermen in Palau to reinstate ancient kapu on fishing in spawning grounds resulted in a dramatic increase in local fish stocks and colorful reef fish, leading to its reputation as one of the premiere dive destinations in the world.
So, wax up your board, clean off your mask, and take a deep breath, as many more interesting and timely speakers are slated for the year to come.
It’s Showtime
Changing currents have created new breaks for audiences to share as the Waimea Ocean Film Festival dips into a brilliant spectrum of films for what promises to be the most exciting season yet. The full festival program will be posted on the website in mid-December, and here’s a peek at what’s to come.
Bud Brown Films partners with the Waimea Ocean Film Festival to launch the 50th anniversary tour of The Endless Summer, the classic surf movie from 1964 that follows two surfers chasing waves around the world. Amidst the lineup of high-octane surf and adventure films, Maverick Moments, a beautifully shot sequence of award-winning shorts on the surf spot known as Maverick, will have its Hawaiian premiere at the festival this year, with director Rocky Romano on hand to talk about the making of the films.
Eddie and Myrna Kamae bring a series of films about the history of music and hula in Hawai‘i and those who have worked to preserve and pass the culture along. Sons of Hawai‘i tells the story of this influential musical group who were pioneers in the resurgence of Hawaiian music and among the leading voices in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance, anchored through the years by Eddie Kamae. Li‘a: The Legacy of a Hawaiian Man relates the life and story of Sam Li‘a, known as the songwriter of Waipi‘o, who taught the ways of his Hawaiian ancestors through Hawaiian language, hula, and song. Eddie Kamea will bring his ‘ukulele and share a few songs that he and Sam Li‘a wrote together as part of his way of continuing to honor his mentor and teacher.
Keeper of the Flame chronicles the lives of three women who helped save traditional Hawaiian culture, keeping it alive through the 20th century: Edith Kanaka‘ole, who opened Hālau O Kekuhi in Hilo; legendary dancer, chanter, and teacher ‘Iolani Luahine; and Mary Kawena Pukui, who was one of the leading preservers of the Hawaiian language and culture.
The presence of ‘Iolani Lauhine weaves its way through the tapestry of the festival this year. The Hula Preservation Society (HPS), founded by Nona Beamer, will give a live presentation and performance, sharing historic footage, oral history, and the knowledge of kūpuna, for what promises to be a very meaningful evening about the history and heritage of hula. The presentation will include footage from the last performance that ‘Iolani Lauhine gave, being shown here publicly for the first time.
In other musical and inspiring works, Shining Night shares the story of 2007 National Medal of Arts award-recipient composer Morten Lauridsen. Following the showing of the film, members of the Waimea Community Chorus will be conducted by Morten Lauridsen in a very special guest performance of one of his original compositions.
Among the thought-provoking and forward-thinking films to be shown, Ocean Frontiers brings to light the efforts of fishermen, shipping companies, farmers, and scientists, who are working together to protect marine mammals and fish resources in their own backyards. In one example, a small community of local fishermen in Oregon created their own Marine Protected Area with the added foresight of extending the protection inland to include the whole river watershed comprising their salmon run.
The Last Mountain tells the story of an Appalachian coal-mining town, whose inhabitants are working to transition from coal miners to wind energy producers for their health, benefit, and well-being. In a similar vein, Power Paths tells the story of the Navajo and Hopi, as they turn to solar energy leaders Germany and Denmark to find better alternatives to mining coal as a basis for their economy.
Inspirational speaker and author Alan Cohen, one of the presenters in the film, Finding Joe, returns to the festival to host a workshop on the Hero’s Journey. And Jim Charlier, one of the early planners in the development of the nation’s interstate highway system, before becoming a leader in the development of integrated, multi-modal transportation systems, joins the festival to speak about pedestrian-oriented and bicycle-friendly urban design, as well as the economic benefits of rail.
Na Kalai Wa‘a, the organization that runs the voyaging canoe Makali‘i, will host the Voyager Exhibit during the festival, as part of the discussion on the upcoming worldwide voyage of Hōkūle‘a. The exhibit includes the stunning photographs of National Geographic photographer Nicholas DeVore III, taken on the 1976 voyage of Hōkūle‘a, many of which have never before been published, and were printed by the festival in collaboration with the DeVore family.
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center also joins the festival this year, with a fulldome presentation on the Hawaiian night sky and the art of non-instrument navigation.
Other exhibits and talks include the early surf photography of Timothy McCullough, whose iconic images burst across the covers of surf magazines and posters in the 60s and 70s, filled with shots of surfing legends from the day. Timothy McCullough will give a slideshow presentation to accompany his standing exhibit, and the local artist, who provided the artwork for this year’s festival and last, will also have work on display. ❖
Cue the House Lights
Nothing matches the big screen’s potential to be intimate from a distance as it illuminates people and issues, bringing stories to life with sights and sounds.
This feast of offerings is a boon and reminder to look up, as the art of cinematography fills the screen and our beautiful blue marble invites us to sit through the credits and share the story.
For more information: WaimeaOceanFilm.org
Contact writer John J Boyle: jjjboyle2112@gmail.com
