He Hawai`i Mau Short Film

(Director Lurline Wailana McGregor)

To see the entire two-minute short film visit: http://www.piccom.org/programs/he-hawaii-mau

This video is a brief journey through Lurline's life, growing up in Honolulu in the 1950's and 60's, later moving to Washington, D.C. and coming home again in the 1990's. I tell this story through old family movies, photos, contemporary video and Hawaiian music consistent with the time period being covered. It is about her growing awareness of her Hawaiian identity and what defines her today as a Hawaiian.


(still from the film He Hawai`i Mau)

Haku Inoa: To Weave A Name Funded by ITVS

(A recent stop by the ITVS office in San Francisco)


The third time was the charm for Haku Inoa to finally receive funding from the Independent Television Service's (ITVS) www.itvs.org LINCS initiative. I have been very fortunate to have had the ongoing support of both PBS Hawai`i www.pbshawaii.org as a partner and the support of Pacific Islanders in Communications www.piccom.org for all three times that I have applied to the initiative.

As I have been slowly letting the news out about the new funder people naturally ask me what the next steps are. So, here is a little outline of what my plans are in the upcoming months.

1. Early to Mid February - Finish a full length 3-column script outlining all sequences in order with narration, interviews, visuals, effects, music, ect...
2. March - pre-production
3. April to May - production and shooting for
4. May to September - editing.
5. September to January - grant writing and other paperwork type things to raise the last $50,000 needed for completion funds.

So that's the plan. It's very exciting news to release at the beginning of the new year, and there will be a lot of happening to update updates about the project, so stay in touch! You can join the Haku Inoa mailing list on Mail Chimp by clicking here



(Mom, Auntie Linda, me, and all of the Haku Inoa team at PBS Hawai`i)

Happy Holidays! Silent Night / Po La`ie

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah!

As an aside, why am I the only Hawaiian that can't sing?

Eye-Land: My New Homeless Friend Kapi`i

I went to Inglewood today to talk about a youth media program that I am developing with the Tongan Community Service Center http://tonganla.net/ I was taking the Blue Line Metro back to LA when a middle aged man with a bright green longboard got on at the 103rd Street stop in Watts. He had a Maui sticker on the back of his black helmet, so I slid across the aisle to take a picture of the back of his head. Then I noticed that written in broad black permanent marker was "Maoli Nō!" ( which translates to Hawaiian Indeed!) It was hard to see against the black background of his helmet.

It took a couple of seconds to work up the courage to tap him on the shoulder and ask if he was indeed Hawaiian. He said yes and told me his name was Kapi`i. I told him my Hawaiian name. He told me just about everything about himself. He had been living in the Watts area for about five years. He told me that he missed fishing in his boat in Hilo and showed me a picture he had of himself holding up two large Ono.

He also showed me the large scar he had across his elbow, which he said he got for being "too kolohe (crazy) and hanging out with the wrong kind of people". He said that he was staying in a shelter somewhere in Watts and kinda laughed. Looking with sincere directness at me he said "Well, you know how it is for us in Hawai`i we just all stay on the beach. Being on the street isn't so bad, here though it's good to stay in the shelter." He went on "But you know there is always a way off the street."

He was on his way to go to a business class near USC so he got off just one stop before mine, he is studying so that when his father passes away he will be able to go back to Hilo and continue on his family's fishing business.


The Maui sticker that started the conversation.

THE ANIMATED ADVENTURES OF JUDO GIRL

This is a really cute documentary that is in Production at Making Waves Films http://makingwavesfilms.com/. Director Kimberlee Bassford has recently completed a fundraising trailer for the film, which is included just above in this post. Kimberlee and her camera were with Teshya and her younger sister Teniya in October when they both swept their divisions and won gold at the Infantil Pan American Judo Championships in Panama City, Panama. It was their first international tournament and first time competing on the USA National Team. Teshya and the film project were even featured in an TeamUSA.org article, the official website of the United States Olympic Committee.

Kimberlee wil continue to film Teshya and her family over the next two years as she prepares for the 2012 Judo World Championships. It's bound to be an animated adventure!

Short Film: The Lychee Thieves

ENCORE PRESENTATION TONIGHT THURSDAY MAY 6TH AT THE LA ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FEST: http://asianfilmfestla.org/2010/encore-screening-of-big-island-films-short-program-56/

I saw The Lychee Thieves as part of the "Big Island Films" program at the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival. This charming short film was shot last year on my home island of O'ahu. Beautiful cinematography by Anne Misawa (Treeless Mountain)helps the film stand apart from others in the program. But what I enjoyed most was the film's ability to distill complex cultural conflicts unique to islands into a cohesive and moving film under 30 minutes.

I spoke with Executive Producer Stephen Gyllenhaal at the Q&A after the screening. He told me Lychee Thieves is one of three short films that will eventually become a larger feature film called called Cosmopolitan. I am excited to see it once it all comes together.

For more information on screenings of Lychee Thieves take a look at: www.lycheethieves.com

E Hula Mau on Pacific Networks

In September I shot a three part video about E Hula Mau (A chant and hula competition) in Long Beach California. Now it is up on www.pacificnetwork.tv. Click here to see. The site doesn't have fixed links for each video so you have to look for E Hula Mau pt. 1, 2, and 3. Just click on it and there you go.

Let me know what you think.

Lots of Pacific Islander videos heading this way

I have been out and busy shooting for a few different videos pertaining to Hawai‘i and other Pacific Islander related subjects. I have started producing short news pieces again for www.pacificnetwork.tv the videos are not up yet, but I will definitely be reposting them soon. So hang tight.



Me with shooting some Samoans, Tongans, and other Pacific Islanders in Huntington Beach.

Pacific X-Change Participants

I just got back yesterday from Oahu. I was there for three days for a filmmaker conference, and I met a lot of cool people. I have another blog entry that is being posted on the ITVS website about the conference itself, which is reposted below. But I thought it would be good to showcase some of the other filmmakers that I met while I was over there because there is absolutely a budding community of filmmakers all throughout Polynesia, which is very exciting for me to see. Here are just a few:



Jacob Holcomb - lives on Oahu and is currently working on a documentary about the revitalization of the art of Tongan Tatooing. I also got to see the vampire film that he made. It was an official selection of the 2008 Louis Vuitton Hawai‘i International Film Festival. He is working on making the feature. You can see the trailer and more at: www.hawaiivampire.com



Keoni Kealoha Alavarez - is from Pahoa, Hawai‘i his current project is about Hawaiian burial grounds. You can learn more about his productions here: www.hawaiianislandproductions.org

US Supreme Court Hawaii V. OHA

Today's disappointing but not unfortunately not surprising US Supreme Court Decision in the case of Hawaii v. OHA reinforces that an apology is nothing more that an acknowledgement of a wrong that has been done. If you apologize that does not mean you are obligated to enable redress for these wrongs? I believe so. The US government does not.

I am Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) but since I am also United States Citizen. It saddens me to realize that a US Congressional Resolution such as the 1993 Apology Resolution would be passed only to effectively be reduced to a statement equivalent to “Oops, my bad!” by the US Supreme Court 16 years later.

The 1993 Apology states, "the indigenous Hawaiian
people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent
sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States,
either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum". The
court ruled today that this was merely "symbolic".

Here is the link to the Supreme Court Decision.
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/08pdf/07-1372.pdf

And two articles on the subject:

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090331/BREAKING/90331025/1352

http://www.hawaii-nation.org/publawall.html

Narrative Report - 2/25/09 to 3/5/09

Alright so a lot has happened in the last few days I am going to put it in list form today just because I have to be off to call some forestry place, and practice my Mele Kupe'e, and be off to find some different kinds of foliage to make lei out of once my brother is here.

The breakdown:

Monday 3/2

Arrived in Honolulu.
Settled in at the place in Kailua, setting up hard-drives ect.
Ate Dinner with Mom @ Zippy's!

Tuesday 3/3

Learned a little more Olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian Language)

Started to work out a shooting schedule with Mom for non-PBS Hawaii days, and made sure she was available, willing, and understood what the PBS days will entail. This will probably be an ongoing process.

Picked a few plant samples from around the yard, and learned about some of the native and non-native plants.

Mom began to teach me a Mele Kupe'e which is a chanting style song. Should have shot this, but didn't want to overwhelm Mom right away with the camera.

Went to PBS Hawaii to meet with VP of Programming Robert Pennybacker.

Picked up Mom in Kaneohe to take her to choir practice.

Tried to take reference photos of downtown tall buildings, but battery in Nikon camera was dead.

Wednesday 3/4

Shoot me practicing Mele Kupe'e in my room.

Hawaiian history research.

Found where to buy lauhala mats.

Thursday 3/5

Went to Mom's house to check in.

Went to UH for a lunch time discussion panel about the Supreme Court Oral Arguments for Hawaii v. OHA.

Went to The Center for Hawaiian studies to try and meet with Jon Osorio. Left a note.

Photographed buildings and streets for Ashley to use in animation composites.


One of the pics for Ashley. Above is a photo I took of a building in Honolulu, my cousin Kaui was actually a contractor on this building, so I think it should go in the final animation.

Took Mom grocery shopping, and planned the agenda for Friday.

Spoke with the Robert Harris, who is the son of the property owner that my Mom lives in to get contact info and verbal permission for now to shoot with full PBS crew on their property. We will be getting an actual location release shortly.

Created production schedule for Ashley's animation, and burned some assets onto a DVD for her to you in the final composition. Like SD video clips which will be composited on to "maps"

Here is a picture of the Center for Hawaiian Studies Taro Patch

Best Day Ever!

A man who was born on the same island as me, in the same hospital as me has just become the 44th president of the United States of America. I am looking forward to being an active individual in a more responsible America.

And also after about a year and a half of grant writing I have received a Research and Development Grant for my documentary film Haku Inoa: To Weave A Name from Pacific Islanders in Communications.

Mahalo nui to Leanne, Robert Pennybacker, Karin, and the dozens of others who have helped me get this far.

There is still a long road ahead please visit the website to find out more about the film or donate.

I now get to look forward writing and scouting in February, and shooting in March. More updates soon!