Maui Film Festival at Wailea - June 11-15, 2003

CC = Tommy Bahama Celestial Cinema at Wailea
CT = Castle Theater	MT = McCoy Theater
MDS = Maui Digital Skydome ST = Tommy Bahama SandDance Theater

Alex and Emma • Luke Wilson stars as a novelist who hires a stenographer (Kate Hudson) to help him bang out a manuscript in 30 days. She quickly becomes part of the plot, not only of the novel but also of this new romantic comedy by director Rob Reiner. (CC, Wed 6/11, 8:00 pm)

American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i • This documentary portrays three hula halaus, including that of Kumu Hula Mark Keali'i Ho'malu in California, where hula helps bind the displaced Hawaiian community, continuing its revival of culture into the future. (MT, Sat 6/14, 5:00 pm)

Big Business (1929 Silent Film with Laurel and Hardy) • Stan and Ollie are Christmas tree salesmen in California. Business is slow and a simple argument with one grumpy prospective customer (James Finlayson) escalates from a simple argument into full scale mutual destruction with Stan & Ollie destroying the customer's house and garden, whilst Finlayson reduces their car to scrap metal, all under the disbelieving gaze of a police officer and an assembled crowd. (ST, Thur, 6/12)

Bluegrass Journey • An affectionate Woodstock-like documentary captures the high-spirited and virtuosic world of contemporary bluegrass music, mixing extended performance footage, verité-style cinema, and interviews. (MDS, Sat. 6/14, 8:00 pm)

The Blues: Five Riffs • Five top directors organized by Martin Scorsese contribute impressionistic portraits of the blues, its history and global influence. The result is a 5-course feast of musical performance, including heaps of great archival footage. (MDS, Fri. 6/13, 8:00 pm)

Brothers On Holy Ground • Two weeks after 9-11, a New York City fireman takes a small film crew to 40 firehouses and interviews friends and family of those lost. The collected footage gives a unique and ennobling reflection on the disaster. (MT, Wed. 6/11, 7:30 pm)

The Cameraman (1928 Silent Film with Buster Keaton) • The improbable world of Buster Keaton is displayed with all its manic energy. Buster acquires a hopelessly outdated movie camera, and expects to make a living as a news cameraman in Manhattan. His enthusiasm leads to wild adventures in movie-news gathering, but his absentmindedness always dooms him to failure. (ST, Sat. 6/14)

Camp • If you enjoyed "Fame", you'll love this hilarious group of teenage musical-theater geeks assembling at Camp Ovation for summer instruction with a washed-up playwright and a cameo appearance by Stephen Sondheim. The explosive production numbers have people raving. (CT, Sun 6/15, 5:00 pm)

Cry Funny Happy • A skillful ensemble of 6 improv actors, including Sundance Film Festival founder's daughter Amy Redford, worked out this emotionally flamboyant study about the crisis of turning 30. One tumultuous day surrounding a birthday party builds to a resounding catharsis. (CT, Sun 6/15, 2:00 pm)

The Dance • An unflinching Former boxer, Billy Roth has volunteered for 40 years at Louisiana State Penitentiary, teaching the inmates to box, to discipline themselves, to care about others, and to hope. This inspiring documentary is a fond tribute to his dedication to resurrecting the human spirit. ((MT, Fri. 6/13, 5:00 pm)

The Dancer Upstairs • Javier Bardem stars in John Malkovich's directorial debut that tells of a Latin American police officer who pursues a guerrilla leader while battling his corrupt superiors. He finds solace in a ballet teacher who isn't quite what she seems. (CC, Wed. 6/11, 10:00 pm)

A Decade Under the Influence • Hollywood's last golden age occurred during the '70s, when the "sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll generation" created earth shattering films for a newly awakened audience. This documentary with clips and interviews of every major director of the era is a treasure trove for film buffs. (CT, Wed. 6/11, 5:00 pm)

Dirty Pretty Things • An illegal Nigerian immigrant (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a Turkish chambermaid (Audrey Tautou of Amélie), and a Chinese prostitute (Sophie Okonedo) team up to solve a murder at a posh London hotel. This film by British director Stephen Frears is a guaranteed art-house delight. (CT, Thurs. 6/12, 9:30 pm)

Dopamine • Is true love possible in the contemporary world, with its chemical emotions and artificial intelligence? In this wry dotcom drama, a software designer and a pre-school schoolteacher wrestle with a truly postmodern dilemma. (MDS, Sun. 6/15, 8:00 pm)

Dreaming of Tibet • Through penetrating portrayals of several Tibetan exiles, this documentary honors the endurance of Tibet's scattered population and urges international action to preserve their extraordinary culture. Featuring a lecture at the Washington Monument by H.H. The Dalai Lama. (MDS, Thurs 6/12, 8:00 pm)

Easy Street (1917 Silent Film with Charlie Chaplin) • When Charlie the Tramp wanders into a mission he is smitten by Edna and puts back the collection box which he has taken. Reformed, he becomes a policeman and is assigned to rough-and-tumble Easy Street. Unable to trick or beat Eric the Tough, he puts Eric's head in a gas pipe and anesthetizes him. A hero, he now helps many poor people living on Easy Street. Eric escapes jail, Edna is kidnapped, but Charlie (recharged after sitting on a doper's needle) conquers all. Easy Street is transformed, as is Eric. (ST, Thur 6/12)

The Education of Gore Vidal • Gore Vidal, "troublemaker at large," has been a shrewd and entertaining voice in American culture and letters for as long as nearly anyone alive can remember. This thorough documentary tours his life and his iconoclastic works. (MT, Thurs. 6/12, 5:00 pm)

Every Child Is Born A Poet: The Life And Work Of Piri Thomas • A riveting portrait of Piri Thomas, Afro-Cuban Puerto Rican author of the classic Down These Mean Streets, combines spoken word, dramatizations, documentary, and a Latin jazz score to celebrate an inspiring life. (MT, Thurs. 6/12, 7:30 pm)

Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality • The denial of death is fundamental to human experience throughout all time. The causes and consequences of this denial are uprooted in this ultimate, philosophically probing feature-length documentary using footage shot around the globe and insights shared from leading authorities. (CT, Sat. 6/14, 2:00 pm)

The Hard Word • This Australian story, starring Guy Pearce, depicts three brothers, bank robbers stuck in jail, who devise a shrewd way to profit in their spare time. Their success leads to serious trouble as the good criminals have to deal with bad cops. (CT, Wed. 6/11, 9:30 pm)

Hawai'i: An Identity Reborn! • Over the past 30 years, immersion programs in our schools have managed to pull the Hawaiian language back from the brink of extinction. This French-made documentary, laced with great music, tells how that was done. (MT, Sat. 6/14, 5:00 pm)

The Heart Of Me • This sumptuous vision of upper-crust England through the World War II era offers rich emotional drama about the destructive nature of passion. It stars Helena Bonham Carter in a tale of sexual candor and dark psychology. (CT, Thurs. 6/12, 5:00 pm)

Hempsters: Plant the Seed • A rousing documentary with a sizzling sound track, this film features Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson, Alex White Plume, Julia Butterfly Hill, and many others fighting for the farmers' right to grow industrial hemp. (MT, Fri. 6/13, 7:30 pm and MT, Sat. 6/14, 9:30 pm)

Impressions of the Deep • This mind-boggling documentary, without story or dialog, pays tribute to the dazzling world of Earth's marine wildlife. It shows what the world will lose if human beings are unable to stop the ongoing destruction of the coral reefs. (MDS, Thurs 6/12, 8:00 pm and Sat. 6/14, 8:00 p.m.)

Jet Lag • Juliette Binoche is a ditzy beautician; Jean Reno is a grouchy frozen-food magnate. While they are stranded at Charles de Gaulle airport, fate throws them together again and again with hilarious results. (CC, Sat. 6/14, 10:00 pm)

Julie Walking Home • Suddenly beset by family crises, a young mother begins a life-changing personal journey that includes miracles of healing, new experiences of love, and deep tests of faith. • (CT, Fri. 6/13, 5:00 PM)

Justice • A comic book writer deeply affected by the World Trade Center attack decides to create an entirely new kind of illustrated hero, one based on real-life New Yorkers. This touching story deals with human coincidence and fate. (MT, Sun. 6/15, 5:00 pm)

Life After War • An engaging "inside" experience of the real Afghanistan, this documentary follows former NPR correspondent Sarah Chayes as she works with villagers to rebuild that devastated country one village at a time. (MT, Sat. 6/14, 2:00 pm)

Live From Shiva's Dance Floor • New York City "cruiser" and historian-philosopher Timothy "Speed" Levitch takes us on a very idiosyncratic tour of the Big Apple, fueled by his belief that life is celebration. (MT, Fri. 6/13, 7:30 pm and MT, Sat. 6/14, 9:30 pm)

Mad Wednesday (1947 Silent Film with Harold Lloyd) • Luring the great silent comic Harold Lloyd out of retirement for one last film was a major coup for director Sturges. The film's opening football game sequence is actually the last reel of Lloyd's 1925 classic "The Freshman" and Mad Wednesday's thrill sequence climax was an attempt by Sturges to surpass Lloyd's memorable skyscraper stunts in Safety Last. (ST, Fri. 6/13)

A Midsummer Night's Rave • A modern adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream set at a rave in a forest outside of L.A. Inspired by the music, lights, lasers and a few glowing pills from the magical Puck, a night of pure, unadulterated fun unfolds. (CT, Sat. 6/14, 9:30 pm)

Most • A perfect piece of cinematic storytelling, this beautifully constructed film will open your deepest feelings and reawaken you to your deepest faith. A railroad bridge-tender learns that he is tending the greatest bridge of all. (CT, Wed.6/11, 5:00 pm)

My Flesh And Blood • Heartbreaking pain and intense joy mark this cinema-verité portrait of an amazing family, one that includes 11 adopted children with severe special needs. This film took audience and directing awards at Sundance. (CT, Sun. 6/15, 2:00 pm)

One Week (1920 Silent Film with Buster Keaton) • Buster and Sybil exit a chapel as newlyweds. Among the gifts is a portable house you easily put together in one week. It doesn't help that Buster's rival for Sybil switches the numbers on the crates containing the house parts. (ST, Thur, 6/12)

Only the Strong Survive • Legendary documentarian D.A. Pennebaker directs what Variety magazine hailed as "the Buena Vista Social Club of American soul music." Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes, Jerry Butler, The Chi-Lites, Carla and Rufus Thomas, Mary Wilson, and more. (CC, Sat. 6/14, 8:00 pm)

Passionada • Three generations of Portuguese women in a New England fishing community form the human setting for this heartwarming romantic drama, starring Sophia Milos. A beautiful young widow is pursued by a handsome charmer with a secret. (CT, Fri. 6/13, 7:30 pm)

Playing for Change • The passion, freedom, and kick-ass musicianship of America's street performers would normally slip through the cracks of contemporary culture. If you love music, this is a don't miss documentary. (MT, Sun. 6/15, 7:30 pm)

Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time • Artist Andy Goldsworthy specializes in ephemeral sculptures made from elements of nature, pieces that balance for a moment then vanish. This documentary watches an extraordinary mind at work. (CC, Fri. 6/13, 10:00 pm)

Rolling Kansas • Five weedless heroes set out to raid the Magical Forest of Marijuana in this wacky road comedy with lots of heart. The road to self-discovery takes many surprising turns. • (CT, Sat. 6/14, 7:30 PM)

Shaolin Soccer • A band of screwball kung fu masters form a soccer team and use gravity-defying hi-jinks reminiscent of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon". Comedy superstar Stephen Chow created this wildly insane ride. Hong Kong's highest-grossing film ever. (CC, Thurs. 6/12, 10:00 pm)

Small Voices • Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film by both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards, Small Voices (also called Mga Munting Tinig) tells the uplifting, realistic story of a dedicated Filipina schoolteacher (played by rising star Alessandra de Rossi) who brings hope to villagers in the lush but impoverished Luzon outback. (CT, Wed. 6/11, 7:30 pm)

Step into Liquid • Combining action photography with traditional filmmaking, Dana Brown, son of The Endless Summer's Bruce Brown, breaks open the "surf movie" niche with an emotional work aimed at widespread audiences. The action ranges from Jaws to Mavericks, Cortes Bank to Ireland, from Vietnam to Rapa Nui. Featuring Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama. (CC, Thurs. 6/12, 8:00 pm)

Suddenly Naked • Jackie York is a famous 39-year-old writer driven by fury, lust, lies, and writer's block. She meets her match in 20-year-old Patrick, a quirky, brilliant writer who gives her life a healthy surprise spin. (CT, Thurs 6/12, 7:30 pm)

The Age Of Ignorance • Claymation is so inherently goofy that even when you apply it to X-rated raunch, the results are fun-loving and delightfully hilarious. Here, cave men and cave women discover sex. (For adults only) (CT, Sat. 6/14, 9:30 pm)

Thirteen • What is it like being a thirteen-year-old girl today? The disturbing truth comes from this first-time director and her middle school student who co-wrote this riveting, hyper-kinetic, must see drama. (CT, Sun. 6/15, 7:30 pm)

Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion • Ten years in the making, this powerful documentary will stand as the definitive record of Tibet's struggle for survival. Unprecedented footage, poignant personal stories, and shocking undercover images build to a cry for justice that the world cannot ignore. (CC, Sun. 6/15, 10:00 pm)

A Tradition of Honor • What it means to be an American is redefined in this inspiring telling of the Japanese Americans of the 442nd who went from the sugarcane fields of Hawaii to the battlefields of World War II, where they became the most decorated unit in American military history. This documentary reveals their heroic history.
(MT, Wed. 6/11, 5:00 pm)

Together • Xiaochun is a 13-year-old violin prodigy who lives with his father, Liu Cheng, in a provincial Chinese town. Wanting the best for his son, Liu Cheng takes him to study and compete in immense Beijing in this Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award winning feature. (CC, Sun. 6/15, 8:00 pm)

Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election • This riveting documentary revisits the 2000 presidential battle in Florida and lucidly illustrates the sequence of failings, irregularities, tactical ploys, and injustices that marred the most controversial election in U.S. history. (MT, Thurs. 6/12, 5:00 pm)

Valentin • This Amélie-like coming-of-age story set in 1969 Buenos Aires tells of young Valentin, who tries to bring joy to the people around him, including his estranged parents, his grandmother and his reclusive neighbor. (CT, Sat. 6/14, 5:00 pm)

The Weather Underground • During the '60s-'70s, several hundred young idealists tried to overthrow the U.S. government. Were they terrorists, heroes, or fools? This documentary gives a timely new look at the Weather Underground. (MT, Fri. 6/13, 9:30 pm)

Whale Rider • A 12-year-old Maori girl challenges the patriarchal traditions of her tribe by proving she has the nerve to lead. A magically real contemporary tale with deep mythic roots, this NZ film nabbed Audience Awards at Sundance and Toronto. (CC, Fri. 6/13, 8:00 pm)

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