EXHILARATING’’

MAUI FILM FESTIVAL
Movies and Island
Setting Lift the Spirit
This year’s event includes Maui-centric
lineup in a relaxed outdoor setting
By TIM GRAY
Among the world’s film festivals, Maui is unique
because of its setting, scheduling and, most important,
its philosophy.
Fest director and founder Barry Rivers only books films
that offer positive messages and insights. “There’s enough
darkness surrounding us all,” he tells Variety. “There is acrimony
in the culture and among nations, and people are
always being confronted with problems but no easy solutions.
So we want to show the world as it might be.”
It’s not a lineup of Candyland films, he stresses; some
tackle subjects that are challenging and gritty, but the endings
are uplifting and transformative. He says they are
films “at the intersection of smart and heart.”
This year’s fest will offer about 30 features and 20 shorts
(out of 1,000 submissions), but unlike many sprocket operas,
each film will screen only once in its five-day stretch.
Many of the screenings will occur at the Celestial Cinema,
an outdoor venue where 2,000 guests sit on the grass.
Attire during the entire festival is “resort wear,” meaning
nice but not formal. There are no black-tie events in Maui.
Rivers says he has a luxury when booking films: He’s
not competing with other festivals for world premieres, so
he is free to book movies that he thinks the audiences will
like. There is an industry presence, but no market. “For me,
it’s just about assembling the best films possible.”
Every year, the fest salutes stars, with the 2016 lineup
including Bryan Cranston and Viola Davis.
The Great Outdoors
“Captain Fantastic,” which stars
Viggo Mortensen, screens in
Maui’s Celestial Cinema.
SCREENINGS
The fest will offer “Captain
Fantastic,” the Matt Ross-directed
drama that stars
Viggo Mortensen as the
unorthodox patriarch of
six kids. The event will take
place at the Celestial Cinema,
aka the Wailea Golf
Course Amphitheatre. Other
screenings will be held at
various sites, including the
Castle Theatre in the Maui
Arts & Cultural Center.
June 18 offers a free
community event known
as the Toes-in-the-Sand
screening. It’s a showcase
for Hawaii filmmakers and
this year spotlights four:
“God Is a Dog,” “The Roots
of ‘Ulu,” “Aina: That Which
Feeds Us” and “Sam Choy’s
Poke to the Max.” The event
takes place at the Wailea
Beach by the Four Seasons.
“It’s our gift to Maui,” Rivers
says. “Every year the quality
of Hawaiian filmmaking
has increased.”
There are also under-12
free screenings:
June 16 at the Celestial
Cinema: “Mad Dogs” followed
by “Saltwater Buddha”
at 8 p.m., and “It Ain’t
Pretty” followed by “One
Way: A Journey to This
Moment” at 10 p.m.
At 1 p.m. June 18 at the
indoor Castle Theater: “Boy
in the World”
June 19 at the Celestial
will be New Zealand’s “Hunt
for the Wilderpeople,” preceded
by “Live Monumental”
at 8 p.m. Then at 10
p.m. are “Gerry Lopez: The
More Things Change,” followed
by “Chapter One” and
“Kanaloa: Voyage Into the
Depths.”
HONOREES
Every year the fest honors
actors and filmmakers,
with each salute including
a Q&A and a presentation
of the award. The recipients
of the Navigator Award
for distinguished work
are Cranston and Davis.
Michael B. Jordan, star of
“Fruitvale Station” and
“Creed,” will be handed the
Rainmaker Award, given
to “film artists who profoundly
affect their projects,
both on and off screen.”
Kelly Rohrbach and Wyatt
Russell will be honored
with Rising Star Awards.
Rohrbach will appear in
Paramount’s bigscreen “Baywatch”;
Russell stars in
Richard Linklater’s “Everybody
Wants Some.”
TASTY OPTIONS
In addition to the screenings,
there are four main
social events, and all
include a double feature.
From 5 to 7 p.m. June
15 is the Taste of Summer
opening-night party
at Molokini Gardens. The
evening features samples
of local specialties ranging
from an oyster bar to taco
station and Kona crab cakes
to coconut cakes.
From 9 to 11 p.m. June
17 will be Taste of Chocolate
at the Four Seasons. Offerings
include savory or sweet
pizzas, with toppings such
as beef, short ribs, Nutella,
or M&Ms. Keeping with the
theme, there will be chocolate
fountains, truffles, and
chocolate panacotta.
From 4:30 to 7 p.m. June
18 is Taste of Wailea at the
Wailea Gold & Emerald Golf
Course. The event is considered
the crown jewel of the
festival, with about a dozen
restaurants participating.
They offer everything from
ravioli to roasted pork belly,
and novelties such as passion
fruit ceviche and tomato-watermelon
gazpacho.
There is also a gala,
which is a VIP soiree and
celebration of honorees,
from 10 p.m. to midnight
June 16 at Spago.
Tipsheet
What: 17th annual Maui
Film Festival
When: June 15-19
Where: Wailea Resort
in Maui
web: mauifilmfestival.com
JUNE 14, 2016 VARIETY.COM
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