05.05.13
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Eddie Aikau Doc to Open 2013 Maui Film Festival

The Official Poster

The Official Poster

One week out of each summer, we put all of our projects on hold and dive in 100% to support the Maui Film Festival, virtually the only film-centric happening on Maui each year. The first piece of news is out about this year’s event, and it’s got us so excited!

This year’s opening night will feature a highly anticipated Sam George-produced documentary about Eddie Aikau (aka “Eddie Would Go”), called “Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau”.

According to Tribeca Film Festival, which screened the film last week in New York, “professional-surfer-turned-filmmaker Sam George uncovers Aikau’s little-known personal and family history and finds a compelling allegory for the reclaiming of Hawaiian culture.”

Produced by Paul Taublib and in association with Stacy Peralta’s team (they brought us “Dogtown & Z Boys” and “Riding Giants”), this is definitely going to be a very well-attended night for the Maui Film Festival. Not only will it undoubtedly bring out the local surf community, but according to Rick Chatenever’s recent Maui News article, Sam George, Paul Taublieb and Aikau’s brothers, Clyde and Sol, and sister, Myrna, will attend the screening.

Here’s a sneak peak, via the film’s touching trailer. Look for the film on the Celestial Cinema screen on Maui Film Festival’s opening night, Wednesday, June 12th at 8pm.

03.25.13
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For Our Nonprofit Clients: Dan Pallotta Speaks Our Language!

We work with a great deal of nonprofits on Maui and abroad, helping with their marketing efforts, incorporating media into their campaigns, and pooling together our social media influence to make sure their mission is heard by a broader audience. They are often operating their marketing on a shoestring, and we are often providing in-kind services to make the projects work within their budgets. Don’t you think it’s time that the nonprofit sector was able to spend the same amount of marketing dollars as a major corporation? Then you’ll love this TED talk, from AIDS Ride founder Dan Pallotta. Enjoy.

 

09.30.12
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New Project: A Duo of Promo Videos for Maui’s Skyline Eco-Adventures

One of our favorite clients to work with is also Joe’s employer, Skyline Eco-Adventures. For a second time, they have hired us to direct, shoot, and edit their web promo videos…one for their Haleakala course, and one for Ka‘anapali. Each cours has a unique feel, and we tried to give each video a “personality” to match. Check them out, and let us know how you think we did.


03.30.12
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TEDxMaui 2012 Videos Are Ready to Watch!

Noni Films was the production company of record for the first-ever TEDxMaui event, held January 21, 2012 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (also known as “the MACC”). We worked in close partnership with the MACC’s technical team, with our video friends at Austin Imageworks, our favorite A/V team at Event Horizon, and numerous independent folks, and created an excellent live event (which also streamed live on the web), and these beautiful, insightful videos. They’re all here for you, organized into a YouTube playlist, for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Two videos from the 2012 event were chosen by TED and featured on TED.com, Lisa Kristine’s talk on modern-day slavery, and Dr. Gary Greenberg’s talk on his super-powered microscope photography! Our work has been seen by millions of people now, and we’re humbled to have been a part of these historic talks. Congrats to Lisa and Gary! Much deserved!

06.29.11
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Trailer & Website Launched for “Plant a Wish: The Film”!

Joe and Sara, Founders/Filmmakers of "Plant a Wish"

Joe and Sara are really excited to share with the Noni Films & Media family that we have completed the first trailer for our original documentary based on the Plant a Wish project – a 50-state tree planting initiative started right here at Noni Films. The 50-state project is almost complete: the final “road trip” production schedule is being set for September 2011, with a historic, state-wide native tree planting event being planned in Hawaii on November 5th (Hawaii’s Arbor Day).

Enjoy the trailer below, and to follow the film’s progress, scoot over to http://film.plantawish.org – you’ll be able to read a summary of the film, learn how to make tax-deductible donations to help bring the film to completion and even request a screening of the finished film in your neck of the woods!

02.04.11
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Noni Films & Wailuku First Friday Announce “I Love Wailuku” Video Contest

Noni Films is proud to present/sponsor the “I Love Wailuku” Video Contest, launching today at Wailuku First Friday. Noni Films was founded in Wailuku, with our first office beginning in a small duplex off of Muliwai Drive.

Express your LOVE for Wailuku using video, win great prizes!
Here’s how:

  1. Create a video 2-3 minutes in length that showcases your favorite things about Wailuku. (Must use the phrase “I Love Wailuku” at least once in the video. Bonus points for including Wailuku First Friday in your video.)
  2. Post the video to the Wailuku First Friday Facebook Page no later than midnight on February 28th. (http://www.facebook.com/WailukuFirstFriday) Note: you must click “Like” at the top of the page in order to become a fan of the page &  to enter.
  3. Come to the March 4th Wailuku First Friday event to find out the winner! Winning video will be screened at Maui Thing at the event.

JUDGES ARE LOOKING FOR: Creativity, Originality, and a great “I Love Wailuku” theme.
ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE: Flip Video Camera, Lunch with Brian Kohne, producer of “Get a Job”, Gift bag including gift certificates from several Wailuku businesses
Prize sponsors include: Connec, LLC, Malama Pono Productions, Cafe O Lei, Maui Thing, If the Shoe Fits, Maui County Employees Federal Credit Union, Sae Design. Visit Wailuku First Friday Facebook Page for Official Rules.

01.21.11
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Filmmaker Summit at Slamdance – Attend for Free…Online!

Our filmmaker/instructor friend Harriette Yahr (of Maui Film School) has just kindly informed us of a a great opportunity happening in Park City this weekend — available all over the world if you have an internet connection…and it’s free!

Harriette is off to the Sundance Film Festival and will attend a Filmmaker Summit at Slamdance THIS Saturday, January 22nd, at 1:30p Mountain Time. (Yes, that’s TOMORROW….10:30am for us Hawaii residents.) Thanks to modern tech, we can all tap into the currents of indie cinema from the comfort of our computers via a live stream from the summit!!

The link to more information (and the live stream) is www.openvideoalliance.org/summit

According to the event’s info page, this summit covers filmmaking “Today, Tomorrow and the Next 50 Years”:

“The second annual Filmmaker Summit: a day of real conversation with innovative leaders, discussing the current state of our community, next steps and how each and every independent filmmaker can take better control of their creative destiny. It’s free to watch and free to attend in person, but you need to register. Presented by Slamdance, the Workbook Project, and OVA, with support from IndieFlix, Banyan Branch, and the Ford Foundation.”

We hope we’ll be joined by thoughtful and creative indie filmmakers for the online experience…it appears that there’s a live Twitter feed dedicated to the stream, which means we can all be interacting while we watch! (Be sure to follow us on Twitter – our handle is @nonifilms – and for extra credit, follow Harriette as well, at @filmworkshops)