Maui Filmmakers Bring Enlightenment to the Silver Screen
Tom Vendetti and Robert Stone raise awareness of the sacred in everyday life.
By Cindy Schumacher
Mutual respect and high regard for each other is the foundation of the long-term working partnership between independent Maui filmmakers Dr. Tom Vendetti and Robert C. Stone. Traveling together around the globe, they have co-produced seven films that have gone on to air on the Public Broadcasting System, PBS. Several are Emmy Award nominees and winners.
The impact of their work has been profound. Through telling simple stories that open the heart and emotions, they have raised our awareness of the sacred in everyday life. They are, in fact, great contributors to peace on the planet.
The synergy of Tom and Robert has changed the world in many ways. Working together since 1997, they are on the same page when it comes to the preservation of culture and the environment. Individually and jointly, with the use of stunning cinematography, they bring consciousness of our common humanity to a new height.
“We simply want to make a positive difference that will help all of us,” they agreed, noting that video is a powerful medium to educate, inform, create, bring change or raise funds.
“Robert is a very conscious and sweet human being,” said Tom, “and I’m honored to call him my friend. In addition, he is the best cameraman and editor on Maui.”
“Tom always has great ideas for films,” said Robert. “For example, as a psychologist and services director at Maui Mental Health Kokua, he has always been interested in the concept of happiness. This led us to co-produce “Bhutan: Taking the Middle Path to Happiness” in 2007. The film, about the path that balances the needs of man with nature to ensure happiness, earned Tom an Emmy Award for “Best Historic/Cultural Program” in 2010,” Robert noted.
Angkor Wat International Film Festival
Passionate about making and promoting documentary programs that lead to social change, Tom, with Robert as technical coordinator, founded the Angkor Wat International Film Festival.
Sponsored by the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort in Siem Reap, the festival debuted February 2012. It has become a highly anticipated annual event among Cambodians and worldwide visitors.
The 2015 film festival held February 27 through March 1 premiered Tom and Robert’s latest collaboration, “The Quietest Place on Earth.” Recently picked up by PBS affiliates across the U.S., the film shows how the stillness of Haleakalā Crater enhances the sanctity of spirituality and wellness.
The festival included 38 other films from around the world.
“We just completed our fourth Angkor Wat International Film Festival, which has evolved each year to a new level of interaction with the Cambodia community,” said Robert. “The first year, we were brand new and just to pull it off was a major accomplishment.”
“The second year,” he said, “we added a young filmmaker workshop to showcase local student films, providing a life-changing experience for them. The third year, we went 3D, carting special projectors and screens to Siem Reap to give the local people and children the experience of 3D films.”
This year, Tom and Robert took Keola and Moanalani Beamer to perform an opening night concert at the film festival. To the delight of the Cambodians, Keola and Moanalani taught hula and presented a slack key workshop.
“The Beamers were so touched by the experience that they plan to return next year with donated ‘ukulele and classes to teach the youth how to play,” Robert said. “One of our goals was to increase the attendance of locals and children by a significant amount—which we accomplished.”
“In addition,” he said, “we presented select Cambodian and international films free to local people, and we held filmmaker panels on a variety of topics about digital cinema and other cutting-edge talks.”
Siem Reap
Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia is the gateway to the Angkor temples. Built in the early 12th century, the temples are a testament to the majesty of an ancient civilization preserved in stone.
“Considered the most popular tourist attraction in Cambodia, Siem Reap represents the endeavor to preserve culture and environment through ecotourism,” said Tom, noting that extraordinary Angkor Wat is surrounded by a thousand-year-old moat and includes some 1,000 temples.
“The Cambodians, a gentle and loving people, want to get back to their ancient identity,” he added. “After devastating war, they are rebuilding their lives and country with strength and bravado. They have such a beautiful culture and rich tradition to offer the world.”
Maui–Cambodia Connection
The Angkor Wat Film Festival, a celebration of global harmony, was created through a unique relationship between Cambodia and Maui.
“The Maui-Cambodia connection began several years ago when Sam Khong, an expatriate Cambodian living on Maui, was receiving treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder from Maui’s Mental Health Kokua,” Tom explained.
“When I met Sam, I realized that he needed to return to Cambodia to search for his family he had not seen in 29 years,” said Tom. “The Mental Health Kokua staff and board members raised the money to take Sam home.”
Returning Sam to his homeland also sowed the seeds for the Angkor Wat Film Festival when Tom was put in touch with Bernie Krishner, a humanitarian journalist in the region who is responsible for building more than 400 schools across Cambodia.
When Bernie suggested the impoverished, war-torn country needed its own film festival, Tom took the call to heart and brought it to fruition. In addition, with Bernie’s help, Tom, along with contributions from the Maui community, helped build a school in Sam’s remote village.
“I chronicled Sam’s journey in the emotional documentary “Years of Darkness: A Spiritual Journey to Recovery (2003),” said Tom, noting this was his and Robert’s first project seen nationally on PBS. “My experience with Sam inspired the film festival and its name, Angkor Wat, which is the world’s largest temple complex and the country’s national symbol.”
About Tom
Tom, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology and a master’s in clinical social work, started making documentaries and videos for the mental health community many years ago. He knew that he wanted to use motion pictures to better understand the world and make a difference in the lives of other people.
Tom’s filmmaking interests began in 1986 with the documentary “Therapy on the River.” He directed and produced this program about the positive effects a five-day river trip in Southern Utah had on mentally ill clients.
For the State of Hawai‘i, he made a video used to educate young adults about avoiding date rape.
His 1998 production of the “House of the Sun” video continues to be sold by the Haleakalā National Park Service.
Tom’s multitude of documentaries and informational videos in the psychological and environmental arena brought him experiences and insights that later extended into an exploration and fascination with other cultures and belief systems.
Despite a personal battle with prostate cancer, Tom, now cancer-free, spent over 30 years traveling through the Himalayas. His film, “When the Mountain Calls: Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan,” records his personal experiences and reflections while discovering the meaning and sources of happiness throughout his journey.
“As I gained my own understanding of the world we live in, I wanted to make a difference in peoples’ lives,” said Tom, who is currently working on a documentary titled “Haleakalā: Trek for Dignity.”
“I am hoping this new film will help eliminate the stigma and prejudice against the mentally disabled,” he said. “The project, a three-day trek from the top of Haleakalā to sea level with six patients with mental disabilities, aims to educate others with psychological challenges as well as the community-at-large.
About Robert
Robert has worked in all facets of the video business for over 39 years. He is an accomplished director, producer, writer, cinematographer, editor and audio technician whose work spans a diverse career in film and video production.
On Maui since 1995, Robert came to Hawai‘i from Los Angeles, where he was the supervisor of audiovisual services for 13 years at a top advertising agency. He designed, built and managed a state-of-the-art, in-house, audiovisual studio and editing facility, where he produced sales training and promotional videos for clients such as Honda Automobiles, The Disney Channel and the California Lottery.
Robert is an award-winning videographer and editor, a Monitor Awards finalist and winner of multiple Telly Awards. The latter program honors the very best local, regional and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest film and video productions. In 1998, he was awarded the “Governor’s Kilohana Award for Outstanding Volunteerism.”
Robert’s numerous independent projects include a two-hour television special, “The Third Annual National Smooth Jazz Awards,” and FOX Television’s “Magical Maui Weddings.”
In 2009, Robert was co-producer and cinematographer for the epic Hawaiian documentary “Native of Owhyhee.” This three-part story explores how Hawai‘i turned from an ancient society into one of the most literate Christian nations in the world in the 1800s.
As director, co-producer, editor and cinematographer of “Taylor Camp” (2010), Robert documented the story of the diverse group of people living in a treetop commune on Kaua‘i in the early 1970s.
“It includes nostalgic reflections of the camp’s former residents more than 30 years later,” Robert explained,” noting that “‘Taylor Camp’ will soon have a high-definition version that includes new treatment of the still photos that will provide a 3D-type experience for the viewer.”
“My work on the documentary “From Trauma to Peace —Making the Impossible Possible” is very meaningful to me,” he said.
The film explores the horrors suffered by Rwandans and the transformational healing that has taken place in their lives since learning the Thought Field Therapy technique.
One of Robert’s documentary works, “Kiho‘alu—Loosen the Key,” about the life and music of Keola Beamer, was screened at the New York International Film Festival. It has so far garnered 12 awards at film festivals across the country, including an Emmy Award.
Current projects for Robert include working with Jo Danieli on the upcoming feature film “Hulihuli Moon” and a possible Maui television series. In addition to his filmmaking, Robert continues his video productions, which include television spots and commercials.
PBS Documentaries
Films of Tom and Robert that aired or are airing on PBS include, from the newest to oldest, “The Quietest Place on Earth,” “When the Mountain Calls,” “Bhutan: Taking the Middle Path to Happiness,” “Mount Kailash: Return to Tibet,” “Years of Darkness: A Spiritual Journey to Recovery,” “Fiji Firewalkers” and “Journey Inside Tibet.”
Future Vision
Tom and Robert look forward to their upcoming projects that include concepts from wellness and spirituality to ecological sustainability—and above all the continued pursuit of happiness.
“Bringing people together is most important for us, “said Robert. “It is the mix of people, cultures and traditions, all coming together, that will break down barriers and bring harmony.”
As they both look back, Tom and Robert are thankful for the experiences they’ve had.
“The universe, or spirit, has taken us to wondrous places,” they agreed. “But happiness really comes from within.”
For more information: Angor Wat Film Festival, Maui TV Spots
Contact Robert Stone
