It's no moneymaker, but film festival boasts riches

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

"Bomb the System," among others, sold out for the Cinema Paradise film festival. Cinema Paradise

"It's great to know we have an audience out there," said festival organizer Sergio Goes.

A handful of films were sold out and several were notable crowd favorites, Goes said. Among them: "Drunken Monkey," "Bomb the System," "Bus 174," "Madame Sata" and "Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator." Two youth film workshops each drew about 50.

Profits were another matter. "We almost broke even," said Goes.

Bringing more than 40 filmmakers added to the overhead, Goes said, "but they brought great energy to the event. I think the festival was successful."

Nathan Kurosawa, whose "Kamehameha" film was shown, won the first Hale Ki'i 'Oni'oni Award, a cash prize of $5,000, from the Movie Museum. "Because of the larger 'Kamehameha' feature planned (The Rock is set to star in it), he's getting calls from Sony Pictures and others who are scoping him out," said Goes.

A third Cinema Paradise is planned for late September next year.