A Vietnam vet suspected of murder in '71 Maui must rediscover the Hawaiian warrior within to protect his family, defend their land, and clear his father's name.
Eleven year old Ho'onani dreams of leading the hula troupe at her inner-city Honolulu school. The only trouble is that the group is just for boys. She's fortunate that her teacher understands first-hand what it's like to be 'in the middle' - the ancient Hawaiian tradition of embracing both male and female spirit. Together they set out to prove that what matters most is to be true to yourself.
A fictional story of ancient Hawai‘i anchored in Hawaiian values, Ho'omau is the story of Lehua, a young woman of mixed ancestry, who must persist against perilous odds to defend all she holds dear when war breaks out between tribes of different origin in ancient Hawai'i.
Ka'iulani, a 19th-century Hawaiian princess, is raised in England but determined to maintain her people's independence from aggressive American businessmen. After being sent to England as a child by her Scottish father, Ka'iulani returns to Hawaii and becomes a political activist who fights to retain her throne, even though she must leave her English paramour.
Abner Hale, a rigid and humorless New England missionary, marries the beautiful Jerusha Bromley and takes her to the exotic island kingdom of Hawaii, intent on converting the natives. But the clash between the two cultures is too great and instead of understanding there comes tragedy.
Hawaiian comedy institution Rap Reiplinger brings to life his most beloved characters in this Emmy-winning special, which features extensive performance clips and a thoughtful biography of the comedian. The bits -- which still live on in everyday Hawaiian repartee -- include "Da Old Man," "Aunty Marialani Cooking Show," "The Soda Taste Test," "Fate Yanagi," "Candidate Willie Maunawili" and more.
As an outbreak of leprosy engulfs 19th-century colonial Hawai'i, a small group of infected Native Hawaiians resist government-mandated exile, taking a courageous stand against the provisional government. Inspired by real-life events.
When cocky, young surfing champion David Monroe wipes out on a big wave, he slips back in time to 1911 Hawaii. Washing up on Waikiki beach, he discovers the true spirit of surfing when he is befriended by a young Hawaiian beachboy not yet known to the world - the future Olympic and surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku.
6B is the anthology feature film of five Hawaii filmmakers. Each of the four stories revolve around rooms with the number 6B and the film examines the darker side of island life: a man struggling with drug addiction has a revelation about his identity; an ex-con must enter an underground poker game to reunite with his daughter; a young woman befriends her neighbor, a former hit man; and a local family deals with an impending tsunami. 6B features an all-Hawaii cast, crew, and production.
Long ago, four extraordinary beings of dual male and female spirit, led by Kapaemahu, brought certain healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii and were loved by the people for their gentle ways and the miraculous cures they performed.
Kekaiulu Hula Studio follows the Proclaimed Hula Halau of the same name, showcasing their twist on what the real reason for hula is and what life as a dancer in the halau is really like. Something previously unseen in the public eye.
In between growing frustrations toward cleaning up after an endless parade of tourists and reflections on a traumatizing memory, a voice rises from within a soft-spoken Hawaiian janitor down on the sidewalk in Waikiki. This narrative short film is inspired by a collection of poetry published posthumously featuring the work of Kānaka Maoli poet Wayne Kaumualii Westlake (1947-84).
As Stitch, a runaway genetic experiment from a faraway planet, wreaks havoc on the Hawaiian Islands, he becomes the mischievous adopted alien "puppy" of an independent little girl named Lilo and learns about loyalty, friendship, and ʻohana, the Hawaiian tradition of family.
"The Ninth Island" tells the story of Hawaii’s indigenous population and its struggles to stay connected to its ancestral home.
Now, we find the rowdy extraterrestrial getting used to life with his new ʻohana. However, a malfunction in the ultimate creation of Dr. Jumba soon emerges, which reinstates his destructive programming and threatens to both ruin his friendship with Lilo and to short him out for good!
This short documentary chronicles a four-month period between 1979 and 1980 when residents of Hawaii's Sand Island "squatter" community attempted to resist eviction from the Honolulu shoreline - resulting in displacement, arrests, and the destruction of a community.
This is the story of the Fire Goddess Pele and the dynamics of her relationship with her sister Hi’iaka. Six years ago, the renowned dance company Halau 'O Kekuhi began the ambitious undertaking of assembling and recreating the legend for modern audiences, translating it to the contemporary stage by combining the traditions of Hawaiian chant and hula with innovative elements of Western theater.
This film is a moving journey into the beauty and meaning of Hawaiian slack key music. Award-winning director Eddie Kamae"s rare combination of master musician and cinematic storyteller is the key to showing how Hawaii"s cultural traditions and the ki ho"alu guitar intertwine - and opening the door to a greater love of that music. Candid interviews and archival images combine with the music of many virtuoso performers, from legendary Fred Punahou and Gabby Pahinui to Raymond Kane and today"s Ledward Kaapana, to tell the slack key story from the 1830s to the present. It shows how this music perpetuates family tradition as songs, techniques and special string tunings are passed from one generation to the next.
Jonny Kealoha is the charismatic host of a struggling Waikiki Polynesian lū`au show. To everyone’s surprise, including his own, he is appointed as the successor to a high school boy’s hula class when his former Kumu Hula (master hula teacher) passes away. He becomes as much a student as a teacher through the demands of leading the boys to a significant cultural event and rediscovers the sanctity of the culture he had previously abandoned.
Five-time Olympic medalist and Native Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku shattered records and brought surfing to the world while overcoming a lifetime of personal challenges. Waterman explores his journey and legacy as a legendary swimmer, trailblazer, and the undisputed father of modern-day surfing, following the sport’s first-time inclusion in this year’s Summer Olympics – a fitting tribute to his work promoting the sport around the globe.