ISLAND LIFE SHORTS
Guerrilla film school
Advertiser Staff
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Torry Tukuafu is tired. After 15-hour days working as a camera assistant on "Lost" (he's the only staffer who's been there since Day 1), he's busy organizing the second anniversary of Showdown in Chinatown, his monthly short-film competition. What started with a few kids sitting on the floor at thirtyninehotel has turned into an SRO event with "Lost" crew as competitors and show-biz names as judges. But for Tukuafu, 30, the most gratifying result of Showdown is that "so many young filmmakers now have 10 to 15 short films under their belt. The greatest thing we've seen ... is those filmmakers blossom, and now they're doing professional gigs, and they're just kids who picked up cameras and have a love for filmmaking." With the goal of improving "the level of the independent film community in Hawai'i," Showdown, in effect, has turned into a free-form film school. Every month, says Tukuafu, at least one filmmaker thanks him for providing a film outlet, and that keeps him going.
This month's Showdown in Chinatown Championship is held in conjunction with the Island Independent Film Festival. Instead of the usual 48 hours, teams — working on their projects as you read this — get a week to complete a short (maximum seven minutes). The top 12 films will be screened at 8 p.m. Saturday at NextDoor. The grand prize: $1,000. The contest will be followed by music by DeShannon Higa and grOOve.imProV.arTiSts. Tickets: $15 advance at www.groovetickets.com; $20 at the door.
NextDoor: 43 N. Hotel St., 548-6398. www.showdowninchinatown.com.
— Lesa Griffith
SALES & BARGAINS
— Pualana Lemelle
DO YOUR PART
Small actions build up to make a big change. The New Mexico-based Nicodemus Wilderness Project is a national organization that encourages individuals to help make an environmental difference. Founder and biologist Robert K. Dudley was inspired by his nature-loving grandfather, Robert F. Nicodemus. Under its Apprentice Ecologist program, the project offers $500 scholarships — organize an activity, submit an essay and photos of the experience and you could win. The goal is to use community resources to provide long-term benefits for our world. Be the first person to start a Nicodemus project in Hawai'i — organize a beach cleanup with neighborhood children, or get friends and family to plant native Hawaiian plants — pick them up at Foster Botanical Garden, nurseries, or Home Depot. www.wildernessproject.org.
— Lacy Matsumoto
WHAT'S ON YOUR IPOD?
DJ G-SPOT
1. "Bolero" by Ravel.
2. "Guitar" by Prince.
3. "Song to the Siren" by Robert Plant.
4. "Mesa" by Anomaly.
5. "Tonight" by Ready for the World.
KEALOPIKO ONLINE
If you can't wait for the next craft fair to restock your collection of Kealopiko's pono — and comfortable — T-shirts (above), go to www.kealopiko.com. The T-shirt company just launched its online store. Now is the perfect time to pick up a design from the Makahiki line.
— Lesa Griffith
HOT DATES
The days of clicking through the quagmire of random Web sites, MySpace listings, and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink event calendars are over. Following on the heels of www.dosomethingtonight.com and www.mixedplatespecial.com comes www.HNLNow.com, the newest online source for the golden nightlife nuggets worthy of your free time (and cash). Maleko, of Maleko's Room on Star 101.9, and Kevin Cotton have teamed up to create a site where the cream of Honolulu's concerts, festivals, arts, theater and club events unequivocally floats to the top. Scope the featured events, or better yet subscribe to their mobile RSS feed to have them zapped to your phone. Before long you'll be off your screen and into the scene.
— Melissa May White
