Get Immersed At The 2015 Waimea Ocean Film Festival!

OceanFilmFest

OceanFilmFestThe Waimea Ocean Film Festival is coming up starting on Thursday January 1st and will be held at a variety of venues up in North Kohala until January 4th. Look for films to screen at the Kahilu Theatre, Hawaii Preparatory Academy Gates Performing Arts Center (HPA Gates), Parker School Theatre, Anna Ranch Heritage Center, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i, Kawaihae Canoe Club’s Hale at Kawaihae Harbor.

The Film Festival then travels south to the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai Ballroom and Outdoor Seating on January 5-9.

On a personal note, a film that debuted at this festival two years ago contained footage of the beach clean up that my family was involved with at Kamilo Point. My daughter made it into the final cut when she was interviewed about her thoughts on what plastics were doing to the ocean environment. These films make you think, ponder and want to get involved. I hope to see you at some of the screenings ! Here’s more info:

 

All films are screened at least one time Jan. 1-4, and many will be screened multiple times during this period.  Films fall generally into the categories of Ocean Experience (surfing, paddling); Ocean Environment (marine life and how what we do on land impacts the sea); Island Culture (Hawaiian and other islands); and Inspiration (inspirational in nature). Films also look at how and why we act as we do as a society and as individuals, plus chronicle personal inspiration and people making a difference.

Find the times and locations of films, talks and activities in the 2015 Program Guide online at www.waimeaoceanfilm.org. Programs will also be provided at the screenings.

2015 Festival World Premiere Films

Naked and Afraid: Wild Child Skellig Michael
Malama Honua (premiere as film) Behind the Lines

2015 International Premiere Films

Eagles Return Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 Origins of the Irish
Wild Journeys Episodes 1, 2, 3

2015 Festival USA Premiere Films

Te Hono ki Aotearoa

2015 Festival Hawaii Premiere Films

Crossing the Ditch Crossing the Ice Endless Ocean Fading West
Going Surfin’
Here Was Cuba Keep On Keepin’ On Marshland Dreams Mending the Line Net Positiva

On a River in Ireland One Ocean: No Limits Rail to Rail
Return of the River Sea Stills

Tierra de Patagones Watershed

2015 Big Island Premiere Films

Black Sapphire Sea
Catch It
Cavalcade of Surf Chattahoochee Unplugged Dakota 38

Extinction Soup
Hula: The Merrie Monarch’s Golden Celebration Learning to Float
The Old, The Young & The Sea
Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? Stephanie in the Water
What the Sea Gives Me

2015 Festival Films with Big Island Ties

Big Wave Hellmen 2: featuring Kona surfer Shane Dorian
Hōkūle‘a: Passing the Torch: with Makali‘i captains and crew
Holo Holo Paniolo: featuring Parker, Kahua Ranches and others
Hula: The Merrie Monarch’s Golden Celebration by Kona filmmaker Roland Yamamoto Lihauʻs Journey: Shot on the Big Isle by Ari Bernstein, HPA instructor
Malama Honua with Makali‘i captains and crew, shown with premiere of short film Fantastic

Voyage with Chadd Paishon on Hōkūle‘a
Mission Blue: with Kona’s Bryce Groark as cinematographer and cast
Dolphin Rescue by Kona videographer Martina Wing
The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific: with former Big Isle resident Sam Low Volcanoscapes: Dancing with the Goddesses: by Big Isle filmmaker Mick Kalber Wild Child: with Alison Teal, HPA grad, as filmmaker and cast

A Highlighted Lineup and Synopsis of 2015 Festival Films

(The Program Guide will provide a description of all films).

• Behind the Lines (UK/Mikey Corker*)
• ESPN Big Wave Hellmen-Episode 2 (USA/Paul Taublieb)
• Botso (USA/Tom Walters)
• Catch It (USA/Sarah Menzies)
• Cavalcade of Surf (USA/Bud Browne) Anna Trent Moore and Bob Sheppard*
• Chattahoochee Unplugged (USA/Rhett Turner and Jonathan Wickham)
• Crossing the Ditch (Australia/Justin Jones)
• Crossing the Ice (Australia/Justin Jones)
• Dakota (USA/Smooth Feather Productions)
• Dolphin Rescue I & II (USA/Martina Wing and E. Ryan Leinbach*)
• The Eagles Return Episodes 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Ireland/John Murray*)
• Earth: A New Wild (USA/Sanjayan*)
• Endless Ocean (USA/Sachi Cunningham*)
• Extinction Soup (USA/Philip Waller) Stefanie Brendl*
• Extreme Realities (USA/Marilyn and Hal Weiner) Christian Parenti*
• Fading West (USA/Matt Katsolis)
• Fed Up (USA/Stephanie Soechtig)
• Fresh (USA/Ana Sofia Joanes)
• Going Surfin’ (USA/Bud Browne) Anna Trent Moore*
• Hawaiian the Legend of Eddie Aikau (USA/Sam George)
• Here Was Cuba (Ireland/John Murray*)
• Hokule‘a Passing the Torch (USA/Phil Arnone*)
• Holo Holo Paniolo (USA/Susan Jensen, Paul Singer, John Richards*)
• Hula: The Merrie Monarch’s Golden Celebration (USA/Roland Yamamoto*)
• Humpbacks: The Gentle Giants (USA)
• Keep On Keepin’ On (USA/Alan Hicks)
• The Last Ocean (New Zealand/Peter Young)
• Learning to Float (USA/Brendan Calder)
• Lihau’s Journey (USA/Ari Bernstein*)
• Luther Kahekili Makekau: A One Kine Hawaiian Man (USA/Myrna and Eddie Kamae*)
• Malama Honua: Ohana Hokule‘a (USA/Na‘alehu Anthony*)
• Marshland Dreams (USA/John Antonelli*)
• Mending the Line (USA/Steve Engman) Frank and Alice Moore*
• Mission Blue (USA/Fisher Steven and Robert Nixon) Bryce Groark*
• The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific (USA/Boyd Estus) Sam Low*
• Net Positiva (USA/Peter Cambor and Ian McGee)
• The Old, The Young & The Sea (Austria/Mario Hainzl)
• On a River in Ireland (Ireland/John Murray*)
• One Ocean: No Limits (Ireland/Sarah McCann)
• Origins of the Irish (Ireland/John Murray*)
• Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? (USA/Taggart Siegel)
• Rail to Rail (Australia/Joel Sharpe)
• Return of the River (USA/John Gussman and Jessica Plumb)
• Revolution (Canada/Rob Stewart)
• Sanctuary (USA/Annie Kaempfer*)
• Sea Stills (Australia/Chris Duczynski)
• Skellig Michael (Ireland/John Murray*)
• Stand (Canada/Anthony Bonello)
• The State of the Planet’s Oceans (USA/Marilyn and Hal Weiner)
• Stephanie in the Water (Australia/Ava Warbrick)
• Te Hono ki Aotearoa (New Zealand/Jan Bieringa*)
• Those Who Came Before (USA/Eddie Kamae*)
• Thundercloud (Australia/Talon Clemow)
• Tierra de Patagones (Argentina/Julien and Joaquin Azulay)
• Volcanoscapes: Dancing with the Goddess (USA/Ann and Mick Kalber, Milton Garces*) • Watershed (USA/Mark Decena*)

• What the Sea Gives Me (USA/Pierce Kavanagh*)

• Wild Child (USA/Alison Teal and Sarah Lee*)
• Wild Journeys Episodes 1, 2 and 3 (Ireland/John Murray*) • Words, Earth & Aloha (USA/Myrna and Eddie Kamae*)

The festival is designed as an overall experience for the attendee, with films and speakers related to one another. For example, the 4-Day Waimea Film Pass provides access to all film and presentation blocks from January 1-4, as well as breakfast talks and any scheduled morning activities during that time (sunrise yoga on the beach or paddling canoe lesson). There is a similar pass for the time the festival plays at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, plus a 6-Punch Pass for use with six film or presentation blocks. There are also student passes. Remaining seats are available for individual purchase 15 minutes before each showing, but the festival is designed around people having a pass and fully engaging in related talks and activities.

Note: These sessions are in addition to numerous other filmmaker talks, Q&As, presentations and detailed speaker bios appear in the 2014 Program Guide

• Sam Low – “The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific”

Join the cousin of Nainoa Thompson to discuss his film after screenings Jan. 1, 3 and 8, plus sign copies of his book, “Hawaiki Rising.” Low appears with Chadd Paishon Jan. 2 at a Breakfast Talk to explain the ceremony making Hōkule‘a the sixth tribe of Tai Tokerau.

• Chadd Paishon – “Malama Honua: ‘Ohana Hōkūle‘a”

Capt. Paishon and other voyagers discuss the world premiere of this film that traces the first year of Hōkūle‘a’s voyage to New Zealand, from preparation to leaving Hawai‘i en route though the Pacific, and finally to New Zealand. Also, see a surprise and comical, seven- minute film produced with Paishon as a pirate captain in “Fantastic Voyage.”

The Waimea Ocean Film Festival is a 501c3 organization made possible through the support of patrons, sponsors and the community. Mahalo to the 2015 Ocean Film partners: GoPro, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Holualoa Inn, MacArthur Sothebys, Matson, K2 Imaging, Sushi Rock, Palani French Bakers, Big Island Brewhaus, Maria Peterson Catering, Daniel Thiebaut Catering, Angela Zinc Private Chef and Catering, Big Island Traveler, Maile Charters, Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures, Blacksand Sound and Show, Starbucks Coffee, Anna Ranch, HPA, Parker School, HI Luxury, West Hawaii Today, North Hawaii News, Big Island Weekly, The Beach FM and The Wave FM.

More information can be found on the Waimea Ocean Festival’s website.  www.waimeaoceanfilm.org

Spread the word if you love what you heard! #365kona so we can say Thanks!

Meet the Author

Julie Ziemelis

Julie Ziemelis is an entrepreneur, business owner, author, blogger and vlogger in Kailua Kona. She created and moderates the “365 Things to Do in Kona” page and the Kona Newbies group on Facebook. She blogs at 365Kona.com and MoveToHawaii365.com and vlogs with her husband, Eric, at “365Hawaii” on YouTube. Julie also authored the books, “How to Move to Kona” and the “Insiders Guide to Buying Real Estate on the Big Island of Hawaii”. You will most likely find Julie in Kona hiking, running, biking, taking photos and sharing Aloha.

Leave a Question or Comment About this Topic