Maui Hawaii Updates

Kids were free under 12 last night (and will be again on Sunday), which made for a fun, lively atmosphere on the golf course.  Many people came to see Megan Fox receive the Iris Award.  She's a very good looking, young actress, but she was a little shy about staying on stage.  She showed up a bit late, and looked as though she'd had a few mai tais (though this should be expected since our visiting stars are on vacation here.  Forgiven.)  None the less, it was a pleasure to see her in person (and even better watching festival organizer Barry Rivers nervously cozy up for a photo with her.) UPDATE: Turns out she hadn't had any drinks at dinner at Gannons.  Her waiter said she drank a lot of tea and that was it.  Maybe it was stage jitters.

THE REAL STAR of last night was Jack McCoy, director of A Deeper Shade of Blue.  This was his 25th surf movie, and a great one at that.  Being an avid surfer, I've seen almost every surf flick out there.  They've made dozens of surf history films, and this one was unique in that it was entertaining while remaining comprehensive.  It felt as though even non-surfers remained engaged throughout.  He did a great job at moving back and forth through the timeline so us shortboarders wouldn't lose interest.  The contrast of seeing guys like Jordy Smith chucking rodeo flips against old-school longboarding shenanigans made for a really fun film.  Jack is a legend and his speeches when receiving the Beacon Award were touching.  He said it was an honor to premiere his movie in Hawaii (his original home.)  He also bellowed, "Maui no ka oi!"  So true!

The second feature was Na Nai'a: Legend of the Dolphins, which is what Megan Fox was there to promote.  The most impressive part of this movie was the fact that they managed to get so many big stars lending their voices to narration.  James Franco, Megan Fox, Whoopi Goldberg, Kate Winslet, Darryl Hannah, Cheech Marin, and many more made the movie more interesting.  It followed the 8 different "Tribes" of dolphins around the world and was narrated in a trippy 1st person.  The film was not totally finished (not uncommon for film festival movies looking for a final push of financing for polishing.)  Some of the shots were incredible, and others were forgettable.  The film was a little too long with forced poetry.  I think I counted the word "magical" being used at least 3 times in the first half.  The 15 minute dolphin orgy made up for it though.

For future reference, the best deal for watching the movies at Celestial Cinema is to go to Gannon's and make an early reservation.  They Call it Dinner & a Movie, where you get parking and Vip seating if you spend more than $29. (YOU STILL HAVE TO BUY A TICKET!)

The Gannon's VIP seating is centered, but it's at the back (we prefer to be a little closer to the screen.)  It is nice to get this seating because people show up pretty early and stake their claim to the best grass plots.

You can follow more of the Maui Film Festival through our Maui Twitter account as we go to every event we can.

This year the Maui Film Festival and much fewer visitors than last year, but it was just as good as ever.  The only down side to this was that they didn't have any of the shows on the beach like previous years.  We've heard some speculation that the Film Fest will be discontinued because of short attendance this year.  If this happens, it would be a tragedy.  The Maui Film Festival is one of the best things happening each year.  Those who have attended will admit that it's the best film festival in the world.  Next year will surely bring more people as the economy gets better.

Big Mahalos to everyone that put the event together this year!  What a success!  From the parties, the screenings, and all the happy movie goers, this was one of the best years yet.

2010 Maui Film Festival at Celestial Cinema

Tonight was about as good as it gets on Maui. We enjoyed watching the NBA finals, lakers barely beating Celtics. We then had a great meal at Gannon's Restaurant sitting across from Taylor Steele and his group. Then we ventured to set up camp on the lawn for the shows.

The sunset was incredible. We found a nice spot to watch the films at and settled in. Taylor Steele was honored for his film making, and did a short, live interview. Having watched his films growing up (Momentum II is forever burned into our retinas) it was pure pleasure learning about the guy that brought us so many unforgettable surf movies.

We then watched a short film about a parapalegic surfer. After this inspiring film, Taylor Steele' new film, Castles in the Sky, was a departure from his regular surf porn (which we love. Surf, surf, and more surf.)  Steele has grown artistically and made a beautiful movie about experiencing life and surfing the world. The surfing was incredible, the back drops stunning, and the people authentic. A great overall movie. Some of the shots in that movie will never leave me. Beautiful.

The 3rd film was a short about circus freaks that weren't as freaky as they appear. Interesting, and built to tug at the heart strings.

Our last film was about the roots of Rock Steady, the precursor to modern reggae. It was created from Ska, and changed music forever in the 1960's. The movie was wonderful with bright characters and solid sounds.

After everything, we caught ourselves in the parking lot with Marty Dread discussing the movie. The positive spirit from the movie was tangible.

A great night at the Maui Film Festivsl in Wailea. One of the best Maui events all year.  Aloha!!

Here's a fun short video of Willie Nelson singing last year at the Maui Film Festival's Celestial Cinema when being honored.