FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 27, 2017

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HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I—The Honolulu Museum of Art presents a series of films festivals in May highlighting Native and Indigenous stories throughout the Pacific and worldwide.

The month kicks off with a pair of documentaries that screen back-to-back. Na Hele Lehua documents the return of Kalani‘ōpu‘u‘s treasured ‘ahu ‘ula and mahiole, thanks in part to an unprecedented partnership between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Bishop Museum, and National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Then, Justice Delayed is Justice Denied addresses issues surrounding the state’s Public Land Trust, and whether the state is fulfilling its obligations to provide fair payment from the trust to Native Hawaiians.

The Aotearoa New Zealand Film Showcase returns for its sixth year with a selection of classics, as well as critically acclaimed hits from the past year. The opening-night film is The Dark Horse, which earned itself the honor of being a New York Times Critic’s Pick, and features an award-winning performance by Cliff Curtis (Whale Rider, Blow, Fear the Walking Dead).

Another New York Times Critic’s Pick in the showcase is Hunt for the Wilderpeople, directed by veteran indie filmmaker Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Boy, upcoming Thor: Ragnorak). The film—which was produced on a budget of a mere NZ$4.5 million—became the highest grossing New Zealand film of all time within months of its release on March 31, 2016.

The environmental and adventure film series Wild & Scenic Film Festival returns for one day, May 13, and this year students from Hālau Kū Māna curated the films. Inspired by the festival, students organized the Makiki stream-cleanup, which took place April 22. A reception with light pupu begins at 4 p.m. The film program begins at 5 p.m.

This year the museum presents the first Cultural Animation Film Festival. The festival consists of four collections of animated short films from around the world and will include panel discussions to address the themes presented in the films and meet and greets with local artists and publishers.

Full Schedule

Nā Hulu Lehua: The Royal Cloak & Helmet of Kalaniʻōpuʻu + Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
Thursday, May 4 at 1 p.m.
Friday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m.
See two short films created by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs that highlight the connection Native Hawaiians today have with their rich cultural history.

Nā Hulu Lehua: The Royal Cloak & Helmet of Kalaniʻōpuʻu
Directed by Ryan Gonzalez and James Hall. Hawaiʻi. 2016. 25 min.
In 1779, Kalaniʻōpuʻu, aliʻi nui of Hawaiʻi Island, greeted Captain James Cook in Kealakekua Bay and draped his treasured ʻahu ʻula over the newcomer’s shoulders as a gesture of goodwill. While Cook himself would not leave Hawaiʻi, Kalaniʻōpuʻu’s feathered cape and mahiole sailed back to Europe with Cook’s crew, and ultimately ended up at the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

An unprecedented partnership between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Bishop Museum, and Te Papa, with support from Hawaiian Airlines, enabled the return of Kalaniʻōpuʻu’s priceless garments. In March 2016, a delegation from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Bishop Museum, and Hawaiian Airlines traveled to Aotearoa to engage in protocol and return the ʻahu ʻula and mahiole to Hawaiʻi.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs documented this awe-inspiring journey in the film, Nā Hulu Lehua: The Royal Cloak and Helmet of Kalaniʻōpuʻu. The 25-minute documentary shares the significance of high chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu, his mea kapu, and the incredible partnerships that made their historic return home possible.

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
Directed by Dawn Kaniaupio. Hawaiʻi. 2016. 27 min.
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied tells of the ongoing struggle to ensure that the State of Hawaiʻi fulfills its commitments to the Native Hawaiian people stemming from the loss of their ancestral lands.

The film describes the deep connection between Native Hawaiians and their ancestral lands, and how a portion of these lands were seized from the Hawaiian Kingdom after the overthrow in 1893 and placed in what is today called the Public Land Trust. The state administers this trust and is legally required to provide a portion of revenues from the trust to Native Hawaiians.

Through compelling interviews with former Hawaiʻi Gov. John Waiheʻe III, Office of Hawaiian Affairs officials and Native Hawaiian advocates, Justice Delayed is Justice Denied details the longstanding and complex efforts to ensure that the state fairly pays Native Hawaiians; documents the current shortfall in payments to Native Hawaiians; and shows how Native Hawaiians and their communities would benefit if they received appropriate funding from their ancestral lands.

Thursday, May 4 at 1 p.m.: The films will be screening with Ho‘omau: A Story of Perseverance.

Ho‘omau: A Story of Perseverance
Directed by Kenji Doughty. USA. 2016.
Thursday, May 4 at 1 p.m.
Friday, May 5 at 1 p.m.
In the wake of a significant migratory period in ancient Hawai‘i, some find abundance, assimilation, and peace, while others find rejection and war. Anchored in the belief that integration will only bring suffering for his people, a young chief and his followers set out to rid their district of newcomers.

Lehua, a daring yet spiteful young girl who has lost her home in the chaos of war, hides out in a dark cave with her mother and infant brother. She longs to be out in the wild fighting the sinister dangers that lurk outside the cave, but when her grandfather returns wounded Lehua soon finds herself at the forefront of the struggle between life and death, forced to make the most difficult decision of her life.

Thursday, May 4 at 1 p.m.: The film screens with Nā Hulu Lehua: The Royal Cloak & Helmet of Kalaniʻōpuʻu.
Friday, May 5 at 1 p.m.: The film screens with Mele Murals. 

Mele Murals
Directed by Tadashi Nakamura. Hawai‘i. 2016. 66 min.
Thursday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 5 at 1 p.m.
Mele Murals is a documentary about the transformative power of art through the unlikely union of graffiti and ancient Hawaiian culture. At the center of the story are two renowned street artists—Estria Miyashiro (aka Estria) and John Hina (aka Prime)—a group of Native Hawaiian youth, and the rural community of Waimea. Through their stories Mele Murals shows how public art and Native Hawaiian traditions transform the artists, students, and community.

Thursday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.: There will be a special Q+A with Estria and Prime after the screening.
Friday, May 5 at 1 p.m.: The film screens with Ho‘omau: A Story of Perseverance.

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Aotearoa New Zealand Film Showcase 2017
May 6-19, 2017
This year’s films focus on modern life from a Māori perspective. Features include established and rising talent along with the latest Māori shorts from the Wairoa Māori Film Festival.

The museum thanks Misa Tupou, Louisa Te, Alice Unawai, Te Raukura Roa, and Leo Koziol.

The Dark Horse
Directed by James Napier Robertson. New Zealand. 2014. 124 min.
Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 7 at 1 p.m.
Thursday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 19 at 1 p.m.
Based upon a powerful true story, The Dark Horse is the uplifting portrait of a man searching for the courage to lead, despite his struggles with mental illness. The film features a stunning, award-winning performance by Cliff Curtis (Whale Rider, Blow, Fear the Walking Dead) as Genesis “Gen” Potini, a brilliant but troubled New Zealand chess champion who finds purpose by teaching underprivileged children about the rules of chess and life.

After years in and out of mental institutions, Genesis is released into the care of his estranged brother Ariki (Wayne Hapi) and thrust into his volatile gang lifestyle. Seeking to escape this toxic environment, Genesis finds solace by volunteering at the Eastern Knights chess club and sharing his gift with the disadvantaged Māori children of his community. Charismatic and impassioned, Gen encourages the group to train for the upcoming National Chess Championships. But his teaching puts him at odds with his brother when Ariki’s son Mana (James Rolleston) shows an interest in the game—chess is considered a distraction from the teen’s imminent initiation into his father’s gang.

Genesis’s conflict with his brother and the violent gang, along with his ongoing battle with his illness, threaten to ruin the hopeful progress Gen has made for himself and the young Eastern Knights. But Genesis’s positivity leads him to always search for light, even when the world seems at its darkest.

Read the New York Times review.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Directed by Taika Waititi. New Zealand. 2016. 101 min.
Saturday, May 6 at 1 p.m.
Thursday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 16 at 1 p.m.
Thursday, May 18 at 1 p.m.
Raised on hip-hop and foster care, defiant city kid Ricky gets a fresh start in the New Zealand countryside. He quickly finds himself at home with his new foster family: the loving Aunt Bella, the cantankerous Uncle Hec, and dog Tupac. When a tragedy strikes that threatens to ship Ricky to another home, both he and Hec go on the run in the bush. As a national manhunt ensues, the newly branded outlaws must face their options: go out in a blaze of glory or overcome their differences and survive as a family. Equal parts road comedy and rousing adventure story, director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, upcoming Thor: Ragnorak) masterfully weaves lively humor with emotionally honest performances by Sam Neill and Julian Dennison.

Read the New York Times review.

Utu Redux
Directed by Geoff Murphy. New Zealand. 2013. 118 min.
Sunday, May 7 at 4 p.m.
In 1983, director Geoff Murphy stormed out of the scrub of the nascent Kiwi film industry with a quadruple-barreled shotgun take on the great NZ colonial epic. Set during the New Zealand wars, this tale of a Māori leader (Anzac Wallace) and his bloody path to redress “imbalance” became the second NZ film officially selected for Cannes, and the second biggest local hit to that date (after Goodbye Pork Pie). A producer-driven recut was later shown in the US. This 2013 redux offers Utu enhanced and restored.

Kawa
Directed by Katie Wolfe. New Zealand. 2010. 76 min.
Saturday, May 6 at 4 p.m.
Sunday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Kawa is a psychological drama about a family in crisis as Kawa, a successful Māori businessman in Auckland, New Zealand, is forced to reveal his lifelong secret that he is gay. The screenplay is based on the novel Nights in the Gardens of Spain by Witi Ihimaera, who also wrote The Whale Rider.

Mana Wairoa Māori Shorts 2017
Thursday, May 11 at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 17 at 1 p.m.
The Wairoa Māori Film Festival was founded in 2005 with the purpose of supporting, recognizing, and presenting Aotearoa’s indigenous storytellers. We are proud to present this stunning collection of Māori-made and Māori-themed short films curated by Leo Koziol (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka), Festival Director of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival 

Program:
Total runtime: 79 min

The Spectacular Imagination of the Pōhara Brothers
Directed by Todd Karehana (Māori). New Zealand. 2015. 8 min.
Two brothers try to help their mother pay her electricity bill before the power is disconnected in 24 hours. ImagineNative 2016.

God King and Country
Directed by Kiri Barber (Māori) & Terrance Raj. DOP Fred Renata (Māori). Australia. 2016. 13 min.
Inspired by a true story of the Māori Battalion in World War II. The reality of war sets in as Boogy, Hina, Rangi and Edison, find themselves trapped on enemy territory.

The Promise of Piha
Directed by Hanelle Harris (Māori). New Zealand. 2016. 16 min.
White Sunday weekend has arrived. Amidst the harmonies, Pule struggles with the reality that he will soon be leaving this, his future sealed as a pastor in training at a prestigious Bible College in Samoa. But before he leaves, he will reveal his truth. ImagineNative 2016. Starring Jeremiah Tauamiti.

The Turning Tide
Directed by Jason Taylor (Māori). New Zealand. 2016. 10 min.
A story of adventure and discovery as two Māori boys come to the realization of larger issues impacting their coastline. ImagineNative 2016.

Stevo
Directed by Heather Hayward. New Zealand. 2015. 15 min.
A Wellington security guard brings traditional Māori ways of trade and barter to his life in the city.

Ūkaipō Whenua
Directed by Kararaina Rangihau (Māori). New Zealand. 216. 17 min.
In the misty mountains surrounding Lake Waikaremoana, another generation is poised to inherit the land. ImagineNative 2016. In Te Reo Māori (Māori language).

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Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2017
Saturday, May 13 at 4 p.m.
This premier environmental and adventure film festival presents films that inspire and ignite solutions and possibilities to restore the earth and human communities while creating a positive future for the next generation. Come see beautifully shot and smartly written award-winning films about nature, community activism, adventure, conservation, water, energy and climate change, wildlife, environmental justice, agriculture, and Native American and indigenous cultures.

There will be a reception at 4 p.m. with food and drink available for purchase in the Luce Pavilion. Films start at 5 p.m.

Moana
Directed by John Clements and John Musker. USA. 2016. 107 min.
Sunday, May 14 at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., + 7:30 p.m.
From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes Moana, a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who is inspired to leave the safety and security of her island on a daring journey to save her people. Inexplicably drawn to the ocean, Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) convinces the mighty demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to join her mission, and he reluctantly helps her become a wayfinder like her ancestors who sailed before her. Together, they voyage across the open ocean on an action-packed adventure, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills her quest and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.

Celebrate Micronesia: Breadfruit & Open Spaces
Directed by Lola Quan Bautista. Guam. 2012. 30 min.
Saturday, May 20 at 1 p.m.
Free admission
This half-hour educational documentary is shot in an intimate, backyard style. Breadfruit & Open Spaces gives a rare look into the personal stories and open living spaces of the Chuukese and Yapese people who live, work, and attend school on Guam, the land where they now grow and prepare their traditional foods. It explores their journey and challenge to hold their ground and find a voice on a new island, while maintaining their ties to their families on their home islands in the Federated States of Micronesia.

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Cultural Animation Film Festival 2017
May 20-24
The first Cultural Animation Film Festival showcases a unique collection of cultural based animated films from around the world.

This program is presented in association with Twiddle Productions Inc., Center for Pacific Islands Studies UH Mānoa, and The Cultural Animators Network.

The museum thanks community partners Pacific Islanders in Communication, the CG Bros, and New Media Arts at Kapi‘olani Community College.

Opening night reception + Cultural Animation Film Festival Program 1
Saturday, May 20 at 6 p.m.
We kick off the fest with entertainment and a meet-and-greet with local animation filmmakers. Food from Chamorro Grindz and drinks available for purchase. The Cultural Animation Film Festival Program 1 screens at 7 p.m.

The opening-night program brings together short animated films from Hawaiian, Aztec, Tuvaluan, Coast Salish, Chamoru, Mexican, Ainu, and Māori cultures. A panel discussion on community engagement and education in cultural films and animation will follow the screening.

Total runtime: 68 min.

Ola Nā Iwi: Hāloa
Directed by Micahel Q. Ceballos. 12.5 min. Hawaiian.
Hāloa tells the story of how the first Hawaiian came to be and how the Hawaiian bond is forever linked to the kalo plant and the ‘āina (land). Hāloa is brought to life with a unique blend of animation, Hawaiian chants, and ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. Ola Nā Iwi: Hāloa was created and produced by Twiddle Productions Inc. in Honolulu, Hawai‘i in association with the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies and the Hawaiʻinuiākea Community Engagement Grant.

68 Voices: When a Tongue Dies
Directed by Gabriela Badillo. 2 min. Aztec.
A story of in the Uto-Aztecan language of the Nahuatl about language preservation. Every tongue in the world encompasses an entire universe inside, and when one dies a vision is lost, as doors and windows to different worldviews and cosmogonies close.

Tales from Nanumea: The Defeat of Tulaapoupou
Direced by George Siosi Samuels. 2 min. Tuvaluan.
Long ago, a war was waged between two nations: Tonga and Nanumea (currently an islet of Tuvalu). The Tongans set out to destroy the Nanumeans, over the death of a fallen prince, but even their strongest warrior, a giant by the name of Tulaapoupou, was no match for the likes of Nanumea's protector, Lapi.

Rolling Down Like Pele
Directed by Laura Margulies. 5 min. Hawaiian.
Mixing animation and live action footage, Rolling Down Like Pele explores the world of traditional hula and chant. Lush oil paintings, water colors, and pencil drawings illuminate sections of three Hawaiian dances in unique and surprising ways. The film was inspired in part by time spent with Sissy Kaio and her hālau while participating in a dance on film fellowship at UCLA.

Raven Tales: Big Rock Story
Directed by Chris Keintz. 7 min. Coast Salish.
A story of a Coast Salish superhero in an ancient and dangerous world.

Kottura Innovations AR Demo
Created by Ken and Angela Paulino. 5 min. Chamoru.
Kottura Innovations shares their unique vision with interactive augmented reality Chamoru books from the island of Guam.

Harmless
Directed by Josh Yasserie. 4 min. Aboriginal.
A young Indigenous boy, an amputee, finds comfort through his collection of toy robots. In his dreams, the boy's robots come to life, play together, and present him with an empowering gift. But is this really just a dream or was it something or someone watching over him?

Orisha’s Journey
Directed by Abdul Ndadi. 5 min. Pan African.
Based on African folklore, Orisha’s Journey is a fantasy tale of a girl’s journey through the spirit world that shows her the importance of remembering one’s roots.

Dia de Los Muertos
Directed and animated by Ashley Graham, Kate Reynolds, and Lindsey St. Pierre. 4 min. Mexican
A beautifully heartfelt, short film about a little girl who visits the land of the dead, where she learns the true meaning of the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. Presented by The CG Bros.

Virtual Songlines VR Demo
Created by Brett Levy. 3 min. Aboriginal.
The Virtual Songlines program is used to create virtual heritage projects across Australia in a interactive 3D cultural heritage knowledge based world. Virtual Songlines applies game theory to interactive technology to resurrect feelings of empathy and bring greater understanding of the cultural heritage of Australia’s first peoples.

Chasing Paradise
Created by Christina Lau, James Dator Friegon, Jeremy Shea, Julene Viernes, Karen Brizendine, Kyle Domingo, Ray Stanshfield, Sage Tokuda, Sydni Akiyama, Tasuke Suzuki and Tui McBraun. 5 min. Hawaiian.
Tourist Jim Cameran thought he was going to spend his Hawai‘i vacation taking pictures, but a nearby pueo has another idea. When Jim's camera is unexpectedly taken by the Hawaiian owl, a wild chase ensues. But what begins as the pursuit of a simple camera soon becomes a journey greater than he ever imagined. This animated short was written and wholly created by the New Media Arts Animation student cohort of 2013 for the course ART 294: Practicum. It was a year-long collaboration by the entire cohort to write the story, design, model, and rig the characters and environment, paint the background art, and composite the shots to create this short.

Nuestra Arma es Nuestra Lengua - Our Weapon is our Tongue
Directed by Tian Cartier. 15 min. Pre-Columbian Latin American.
A mysterious invader’s attack irrupts the calm routine of a community living in peace and harmony with nature. In a matter of seconds, the community is destroyed and all of its habitants killed except for a woman, EMA, who is kidnapped and dragged towards the surrounding jungle. MARCOS, EMA’s partner, is not present when the tragedy occurs. Upon his return, MARCOS finds out what happened and decides to set off to rescue his wife in an adventure through the most diverse climates and landscapes.

Our Weapon Is Our Tongue is a short animation in stop-motion technique, with dolls and decorations built entirely in cloth.

Panel Discussion: Community Engagement and Education in Cultural Films and Animation: Doris Duke Theatre director Taylour Chang moderates a panel which includes filmmakers Ty Robinson, Matthew Kawika Ortiz, and Ryan “Gonzo” Gonzalez.

Family Film Sunday: Cultural Animation Film Festival Program 2
Sunday, May 21 at 11:10 a.m. + 1 p.m.
Free admission
The second program brings together short animated films from Aztec, Tuvaluan, Nigerian, Chamoru, Mexican, and Hawaiian cultures.

Before and after each film is a meet and greet from local comic book artists and cultural content publishers.

Total runtime: 83 min.

68 Voices: When a Tongue Dies
Directed by Gabriela Badillo. 2 min. Aztec.
A story of in the Uto-Aztecan language of the Nahuatl about language preservation. Every tongue in the world encompass an entire universe inside, and when they die a vision is lost, and so are the doors and windows to different world views and cosmogonies.

Tales from Nanumea: Te Lima
Directed by George Siosi Samuels. 2 min. Tuvaluan.
Te Lima tells the story of an ancient Nanumean (Tuvaluan) power that is unique to only a select few families. However, over time, its power has been both elusive and mystical.

Bino and Fino: Mighty Walls of Benin
Directed by Adamu Waziri. 11 min. Nigerian.
Bino and Fino learn about the mighty walls of the Benin Kingdom that is now located in Nigeria. The walls of Benin rivaled the Great Wall of China in length but very few know about them.

Kottura Innovations AR Demo
Created by Ken and Angela Paulino. 5 min. Chamoru.
Kottura Innovations shares their unique vision with interactive augmented reality Chamoru books from the island of Guam.

Dia de Los Muertos
Directed and animated by Ashley Graham, Kate Reynolds, and Lindsey St. Pierre. 4 min. Mexican
A beautifully heartfelt, short film about a little girl who visits the land of the dead, where she learns the true meaning of the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. Presented by The CG Bros.

Pa‘a Ke Aupuni: The Reel History of Hawai‘i
Directed by Cynthia Y. H. Derosier. 60 min. Hawaiian.
Pa‘a Ke Aupuni is a 60-minute hand-drawn, animated film that zooms in on key facts explaining how the Hawaiian Kingdom came to be, how it evolved to stand firmly on the international world stage as a sovereign nation, and how the United States came to claim Hawai‘i.

Cultural Animation Film Festival Program 3
Tuesday, May 23 at 1 p.m. + 7 p.m.
The third program brings together short animated films from Zapoteco, Ainu, Aboriginal, Pan African, Hawaiian, Tuvaluan, Celtic, Chiapas, and Māori cultures. A panel discussion on intellectual property and culture in films and animation will follow the screening.

Total runtime: 68 min.

68 Voices: Prometheus’s Image
Directed by Gabriela Badillo. 4 min. Zapoteco.
The story of Prometheus told in the Zapotecan language. A rejection to the Lighting God makes him unload his anger against the people by taking away the rain from them and so a brave young man will do anything to bring it back to his people. This battle can be remembered each time we see the wind and clouds up in the sky.

Etaspe Komuy
Created by Shoh Ishiguro and Kei Takahashi. 6 min. Ainu.
The story of Pananpe and how he tricks a sea lion. The Ainu people are indigenous to the Hokkaido region of Japan. Their tales have been passed down by word of mouth since ancient times. With the help of current researchers, these tales have been reimagined in a modern context, in the form of animation.

Virtual Songlines VR Demo
Created by Brett Leavy. 5 min. Aboriginal.
The Virtual Songlines program is used to create virtual heritage projects across Australia in an interactive, 3D cultural heritage knowledge-based world. Virtual Songlines applies game theory to interactive technology to resurrect feelings of empathy and bring greater understanding of the cultural heritage of Australia’s first peoples.

Orisha’s Journey
Directed by Abdul Ndadi. 5 min. Pan African.
Based on African folklore, Orisha’s Journey is a fantasy tale of a girl’s journey through the spirit world that shows her the importance of remembering one’s roots.

A Star and its Reflection
Directed by Phoenix Maimiti Valentine. 1 min. Hawaiian.
A claymation film about the fictitious quarrel between the sun and the moon. Both characters wish to be brightest and prolong their allotted time of day. Their playful battle leads to the moon reflecting the sun, and a concluded enmity.

Tales from Nanumea: Te Lima
Directed by George Siosi Samuels. 2 min. Tuvaluan.
Te Lima tells the story of an ancient Nanumean (Tuvaluan) power that is unique to only a select few families. However, over time, its power has been both elusive and mystical.

Morrigan
Directed by Emily Clarkson. 4 min. Celtic.
Morrigan is a tragic tale based upon the mythology of the Celtic Irish Goddess Morrigan. The phantom queen of battle and strife has her world changed by a mortal warrior.

The Flower
Created by Troublemakers.tv. 2 min. Pan-African.
A beautiful and heart-warming animated short of an enchanting African fairy tale featuring Animator Scott Benson’s distinctive animation style.

Harmless
Directed by Josh Yasserie. 4 min. Aboriginal.
A young Indigenous boy, an amputee, finds comfort through his collection of toy robots. In his dreams, the boy's robots come to life, play together, and present him with an empowering gift. But is this really just a dream or was it something or someone watching over him?

How Māui Snared the Sun VR Demo
Created by Andrew Guagliardo and Anna Sikkink. 2 min. Hawaiian.
This exploratory project seeks to create an entertaining experience that also retells Hawaiian myths in virtual reality. It is a work in progress, with the end goal being a project that generates interest in Hawaiian mythology from those who might not experience it otherwise. The current version of this project is focused on having users use Māui's magic hook to capture the sun.

68 Voices: The Tiger and the Grasshopper
Directed by Gabriela Badillo. 1 min. Chiapas.
Tojolabal story of oral Mayan tradition, Chiapas. They tell the Tojolabales that while the tiger walked he was scared to hear a sound that came from the cricket. The tiger, confident, challenged the cricket to a fight, but the big animals were defeated by the crickets and their little friends.

A Māui Te Tipua: How Māui found his Mother
Directed by Shane Mason. 6 min. Māori.
From the animated series, A Māui Te Tipua - Māui, the Enchanted.
After he is found washed up on the beach as a baby, Māui is brought up by his powerful uncle. But one thing bothers him—other children have mothers, so where is his? Māui goes on a quest to find her.

A Māui Te Tipua: How Māui Found His Father and the Magic Jawbone
Directed by Shane Mason. 6 min. Māori.
From the animated series, A Māui Te Tipua - Māui, the Enchanted.
Māui wants to know two things: who is his father and where does his mother go during the day? One day he follows her and finds himself in the underworld.

A Māui Te Tipua: How Māui found the Secret of Fire
Directed by Shane Mason. 6 min. Māori.
From the animated series, A Māui Te Tipua - Māui, the Enchanted.
Māui the trickster wants to know what will happen if he puts out all the fires in his pa. When his people wake they are very angry and Māui must go to the volcano to visit Mahuika, the goddess of fire.

A Māui Te Tipua: The Fish of Maui
Directed by Shane Mason. 6 min. Māori.
From the animated series, A Māui Te Tipua - Māui, the Enchanted.
Māui's jealous brothers don't want him to come fishing with them, but Māui is cleverer than they are. He tricks them and catches the best fish of all.

A Māui Te Tipua: How Māui Slowed the Sun
Directed by Shane Mason. 5 min. Māori.
From the animated series, A Māui Te Tipua - Māui, the Enchanted.
Faced with short days and long nights, Māui comes up with a plan to slow the sun's passage through the sky. With the help of his brothers, Māui sets out for the home of the sun to catch it and make it move more slowly.

A Māui Te Tipua: How Māui Defied the Goddess of Death
Directed by Shane Mason. 6 min. Māori.
From the animated series, A Māui Te Tipua - Māui, the Enchanted.
When one of Māui's uncles dies, Māui sets out to defeat the goddess of death. But death has a few surprises in store for him.

Panel Discussion: Intellectual Property and Culture in Films and Animation: Join moderator Sonny Ganaden as he discusses intellectual property in cinema with filmmakers Mericia Elmore and Ida Yoshinaga.

Cultural Animation Film Festival Program 4
Wednesday, May 24 at 1 p.m. + 7 p.m.
The closing program brings together short animated films from Brazilian, Coast Salish, Tuvaluan, Aboriginal, Chamoru cultures. A panel discussion on preserving endangered languages and cultural in films and animation will follow the screening.

Total runtime: 63 min.

Hepa!
Directed by Laura Margulies. 6 min. Brazilian.
Hepa! exuberantly visualizes the driving rhythmic pulse of Afro Brazilian dance, capoeira and percussion through animation and live action footage. The colorful animation is hand-painted with oil paints on glass and captured on film frame by frame. The dancing is a mixture of Afro Brazilian contemporary dance and traditional Brazilian “Orisha” dances.

Raven Tales: Bald Eagle
Directed by Chris Keintz. 10 min. Coast Salish.
The children of the village ask Eagle why he appears bald. He shares a story of when The Great Spirit ordered Eagle to fly him across the world so he could observe it. Raven joins them, and during their travels he and The Great Spirit eat so much that Eagle has to carry them both. Frog hops on board as well, and the three passengers poke fun at the tiring Eagle until he angrily drops them all to Earth. At first, Eagle worries he's killed his friends, but in reality, they're planning a joke on Eagle, one that will change his appearance forever.

Tales from Nanumea: Pai & Vau
Directed by George Siosi Samuels. 4 min. Tuvaluan.
Traditions say that the first people to be found on the island of Nanumea, Tuvalu, were two women, Pai and Vau. Tefolaha (a man whose true origins are debated to be either Samoan or Tongan) tricks the women, with the use of his spiritual prowess, into thinking that he was the true founder of the land.

I am What I Yam
Directed by Q. Jenny Fraiser. 2 min. Aboriginal.
An experimental animation on yams from a recent art installation.

Wolf Dog Tales
Directed by Bernadine Santo. 7 min. Mexico.
Wolf Dog Tales is an animated film that takes us through a series of stories inspired by the ancient wisdom of animals that teach us about respecting life and earth.

Kilo Hoku
Created by Patrick Karjala, Kari Noe, Anna Sikkink, and Dean Lodes. 2 min. Hawaiian.
The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) was founded in 1973 with the purpose of developing and sailing a Hawaiian double-hulled outrigger canoe, or waʻa kaulua, on the open ocean, using non-instrument navigation techniques known as wayfinding. In this practice, the navigator uses the orientation of the canoe against the stars in the sky to determine position on and to navigate across the ocean with nearly the same accuracy as modern navigational instruments. This practice is of cultural and historical significance to the Native Hawaiian population, whose ancestors practiced wayfinding for open-ocean voyaging. Audiences can see a prototyped a simulation in a virtual reality environment on the HTC Vive to attempt to aid in the learning and teaching of wayfinding. Users are able to sail the canoe, view stars and constellations, and use wayfinding techniques to navigate.

Bunurong
Directed by Q. Jenny Fraiser. 1 min. Aboriginal.
"I chose to work with a National Park that has an Aboriginal name, and in this instance Bunurong is also the name of their local Traditional Owner group within the Kulin Nation. While I worked with the documented images to make the animation I was fascinated by the other-worldliness of the underwater life there, and I was pleased to work with those the striking colors, which we don't often see. My intention was to manifest an Aboriginal aesthetic in the work, to communicate old and new cultures across languages and other borders." – Q. Jenny Fraiser

In the Rubbish Tin
Directed by Riwia Brown. 4 min. Māori.
Abandoned on her birthday morning, Pippa escapes into an imaginary world with her best friend Chubby.

Maisa the Chamoru Girl who saves Guåhan
Directed by Michael Q. Ceballos. 35 min. Chamoru.
Based on a beloved classic legend from the island of Guam, Maisa the Chamoru Girl who Saves Guåhan tells the story of how a young Chamoru girl finds the strength, wisdom, and courage to lead the women of Guåhan (Guam) into battle against a giant creature from the Marianas Trench that is devouring their island home. Maisa is the first animated film to feature the endangered indigenous Chamorro language of Guam. For this film cultural and linguistic experts worked diligently to bring the language back to its historical pre-contact era. GDOE students participated in both the voice over and creation of key art for the production, while local actors and actresses worked side by side with Twiddle Inc. and Kahmeleon Productions in Guam for the filming of the live action segments.

Panel Discussion: Preserving Endangered Languages and Culture in Films and Animation: Join moderator Michael Q. Ceballos as he discusses the issue with panelists Dr. Alex Mawyer and Keoni Lee.

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Also in May

Hawai‘i’s Spirits and Legends: Pele
Friday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m.
$15 general admission, $12 museum members
Pele, Ka Wahine ‘Ai Honua, the Earth-Consuming Woman. The fire goddess. Her influence on hula and chant is boundless. Her legends are timeless. Her encounters are numerous. Audiences can listen to storyteller Lopaka Kapanui as he tells of her ancient origins and listen to eyewitness accounts of those who have had unexpected run-ins with Hawai‘i’s fiery mistress.

Hula Rosie’s Tropical Revue
Sunday, May 21 at 5 p.m.
$25 general admission, $20 museum members
Join us for a fun and fabulous romp through the tropics led by Hula Rosie. The show features comedy and dance woven in between popular jazz tunes and music from the Caribbean and South America. Featuring Hula Rosie’s Cabana Boys: Beair and Gabriel Giasoli, and musical performances by Tommy James, John Kolivas, Bonny B., and Rockford Holmes.

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About the Honolulu Museum of Art

One of the world’s premier art museums, the Honolulu Museum of Art presents international caliber special exhibitions and features a collection that includes Hokusai, van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso and Warhol, as well as traditional Asian and Hawaiian art.

Located in two of Honolulu’s most beautiful buildings, visitors enjoy two cafés, gardens, and films and concerts at the theater. The museum is dedicated to bringing together great art and people to create a more harmonious, adaptable, and enjoyable society in Hawai’i.

Locations:

Honolulu Museum of Art: 900 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House: 2411 Makiki Heights Drive
Honolulu Museum of Art School: 1111 Victoria Street
Honolulu Museum of Art at First Hawaiian Center: 999 Bishop Street
Honolulu Museum of Art Doris Duke Theatre: 901 Kinau Street (at rear of museum)

Website: www.honolulumuseum.org

Phone: 808-532-8700

Hours:

Honolulu Museum of Art: Tues–Sat 10 am–4:30pm; Sun 1–5 pm; closed Monday.

Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House: Tues–Sat 10am–4pm; Sun noon–4pm

Admission (permits entry to both museums on the same day):

$10 general admission; children 17 and under are free.