Photo Credit: Maui Film Festival

Film is a beautiful opportunity to learn, to express, to empathize and to progress as a people, especially film done well. Back in my college days Film Studies was part of my degree and I absolutely loved every minute in class! What could be better than watching different movies from diverse genre, spanning across many decades? To top it off my professor was one of those people who could aptly tie history to film to science to politics to religion, effortlessly. While I’m no longer receiving a grade for my study of film, I do still enjoy a broad range of movies and feel blessed to live on Maui where other movie buffs can gather together each year to revel in cinema, food, music and community.

The 2014 Maui Film Festival is set to happen June 4-8, 2014. Below are the venues available for the festival, and if you’re on island, I highly recommend you check them out:

• Celestial Cinema: Wailea Gold & Emerald Golf Course, Wailea, Hawaii.
• Seaside Cinema, Music Cafe & Sunset Lounge: Grand Wailea, Wailea, Hawaii.
• Maui Arts and Cultural Center: Castle Theater & McCoy Theater, Kahului, Hawaii.
• Toes-in-the-Sand Cinema: Wailea Beach, Wailea, Hawaii.

Whether you’re a tourist visiting during the festival or a long-time resident, I encourage you to make attending a priority!

Why you need to go to the Maui Film Festival:

1. An awesome, diverse selection of films. My personal favorites are the surf movies at Celestial Cinema. There’s nothing more amazing than sitting under a blanket of stars on this beautiful Hawaiian island, gathered with other ocean lovers, enjoying surf cinema together.

Photo Credit: Randy Jay Braun

2. Unique, elegant events. I remember my first summer on Maui and all of the ladies in my neighborhood excitedly talking about finally getting to dress up for an event…The Taste of Wailea! Of course, for chocolate lovers there’s The Taste of Chocolate, too!

Photo Credit: Randy Jay Braun

3. Movie stars. Yup, our small island boasts our fair share of celebs, and the Maui Film Festival brings in a few more, as they honor several each year with various awards. This year’s award tributes go to the following people: Shep Gordon, Emma Roberts, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Manganiello and Lupita Nyong’o. There are even various Filmmakers Panels, where you get to hear directly from the filmmakers, which is like a dream come true for a gal like me!

How to score a deal on Maui Film Festival tickets:

One word: Volunteer.
I absolutely love volunteering at the Maui Film Festival! Keith Ranney is the festival’s Volunteer Manager and does an excellent job of training, encouraging and bringing lots of aloha to the volunteers and community. If you can spare a few hours of your time, you will be rewarded greatly for your efforts. According to the festival website, “each four-hour volunteer shift entitles you to three movie vouchers good at this year’s festival. An evening at the Celestial Cinema in Wailea requires two vouchers per person, so if you work two shifts, you will have earned an evening at the Celestial Cinema for you and two friends (or 3 nights just for you).” You’ll also get a cool festival t-shirt!

The volunteers create a lei of aloha through their service, attitude & availability to patrons’ needs.
-Keith Ranney, Volunteer Manager

The festival still needs about 200 volunteer shifts to be filled.  The most needed area is 9pm to 1am at the Celestial Cinema. Visit the Maui Film Festival Volunteer page to sign up for your shift and score a deal, i.e. FREE FILM TICKETS!!!

Note: Keiki (12 and under) are admitted FREE to Celestial Cinema at the Wailea Gold & Emerald Golf Course on Wednesday, June 4 (Goddess) and Thursday, June 5 (Thundercloud and H2MexicO)!

How to glam it up at the Maui Film Festival:

Photo Credit: Randy Jay Braun

As mentioned before, there are several specialty events in conjunction with the festival. There are also V.I.P. Passes available, so if that’s more of a fit for you, you are certain to enjoy the glamorous offerings the festival provides.

I want people to leave the cinema feeling that something’s been confirmed for them about life.

-Danny Boyle

 

Other cool deets about the Maui Film Festival:

There’s often hula, live music, and wonderful food vendors!

It’s an eco-friendly event!

I will be there!!!

For more information about the Maui Film Festival, including film passes, showings, times, locations and more, please visit Maui Film Festival. If you’re into the social media scene, be sure to use hashtag #MauiFilm for all of your tweets and instagram pics. I hope to see you there…if not this year, then save the date for next year! And hopefully, just as Danny Boyle said, you will leave the cinema feeling that something’s been confirmed for you about life.

Livin’ la vida aloha,
Jennifer Poppy

About Jennifer Poppy

Jennifer Poppy is livin’ la vida aloha on Maui, Hawaii. Have you ever held a dream in your heart? One of Jennifer’s came true when she and her family sold their home, their car & their stuff to move to Hawaii! She says this lifelong dream, turned ongoing adventure has been worth it all. She is a freelance writer, public speaker and creative soul. You’ll find her beautiful photography, upcycled furniture projects and stories of island adventures at Island Gypsy Hawaii