TGI - Film to be made on Kauai gets funding

Establishing a film industry on Kauai takes more than hard work. It takes money.

Kauai Made Films successfully completed its Kickstarter campaign, raising over $100,000 to begin production on a film made with 100 percent local talent and resources.

“Here’s a chance for us to create our own local production by Kauai people, meaning our youth, who are going to be our next generation of creatives,” said Randy Francisco, county film commissioner and creative industries small business coordinator. “Whether they’re storytellers, videographers or anyone in that industry.”

6 years, $235K of Table 53 - The Garden Island

THE GARDEN ISLAND

POIPU — RumFire Poipu Beach at Sheraton Kauai Resort is celebrating the Table 53 program’s sixth anniversary this month.

The charity program at the resort’s oceanfront restaurant donates net food and beverage proceeds from the designated table and has raised more than $235,000 toward charitable causes since launching in October 2012.

As part of its continued commitment to Kauai, the resort is expanding the program to include rental proceeds from one of its eight private, poolside bungalows and one beachside cabana.

Proceeds will be donated to the charity of the month. This month, the Kauai Film Academy will be the first to receive proceeds from Table 53, Bungalow 53 and Cabana 53.

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The Kauai Film Academy was created in 2010 as a film club that provides professional filmmaking training and creative filmmaking opportunities for youth.

The organization develops student stories and experiences, provides technical, job-specific classroom training and on-set professional experience with industry-standard equipment, and produces student-driven films from development to distribution through the Film Academy Program.

The new Studio

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I’m starting to think it’s a general unspoken rule that all film studios have to look cool. I think filmmakers know how to make a creative space so glorious that you can’t help feeling inspired the moment you step through the door. When I first walked into the Kauai Film Academy studio my eyes went from the minimalist gray wood floors to the fluorescent pink Digital Sputnik lights that were focused on the Star Wars posters. I was in heaven. This whole program suddenly felt so real, so attainable. For those of you who think I’m just being dramatic I’m sure you don’t know what it’s like growing up on Kauai having only seen film studios and sets through the camera lens of Hollywood. I was only able to dream of what it would be like to walk around a set with my walkie talkie saying things like “Does anyone have eyes on Dicaprio!?” 

Now we may not have Dicaprio yet but we have Kessler Cranes and Red Digital Cinema cameras and equipment ready to begin shooting a movie which propels me closer to this dream than I’ve ever been. This is a place where people are heard and their stories come to life and I love being able to call it a second home. And maybe we’ll discover the next Leonardo Dicaprio in the process. 

 

:) Kiana - KFA Instructor