Media releases compiled by Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Contributing Editor

Come out for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Saturday, April 17 at the Aloha Theater, as a benefit for Hawaii Island Land Trust and Surfrider.

Tickets are $12 and available at Kona Stories, at the door or at apachawaii.org Tickets include membership in Hawaii Island Land Trust and a great raffle of prizes from local businesses.

One of the highlights is sure to be Malama Waiaha, a short film created at Keaau Youth Business Center questions the impact and value of increased development in the Waiaha floodplain in Kona from a youth perspective.

The film combines fresh footage of a Kona watershed area as seen through the young eyes of Jasmine Kupihea with sage manao/advice from local elders and an original soundtrack by well-known Hawaiian activist Skippy Ioane, Jr.

The short film includes the music video, “E Malama Waiaha”, with original music by Kaimana Nakea, Ricky Alaniz, and Makana Kamahele. Nakea and Kamahele sing lead vocals, while Kupihea and Schae-Ann Like provide back-up vocals with Alaniz playing keyboard. Daniel Morii of Island Planet One Productions mentored the video portion.

A total of 17 youth interns from Puna were employed by Alu Like in these productions using federal stimulus funds. Project mentors were contracted by Sustainable Living Institute and Apono Hawaii using funds from the Flaherty Directed Account of the Hokulia Foundation.

Best wishes for future success to the Alu Like interns of the Hawaii Youth Media Mentoring Project: Ricky Alaniz, Justin Ferreira, Kaleo Kaapana, Nainoa Kalaukoa, Kelia Kama, Jahnikki Paiva-Kamai, Makana Kamahele, Nicole Kruse, Jasmine Kupihea, Alyssa Marie Like, Schae Ann Like, Kaimana Nakea, Kyle Nakapaahu, Jeffrey Oher, Brianna Shung-Pacheco, Landis Shung-Pacheco, and Kuuipo Pereira.

Mahalos to mentors: Isaac Frazer, Tiana-Nicole Heyano, Kristine Kubat, Lisa Malakaua, Jamal Mamalias, Daniel Morii, Keana Okuda, Mark Richford, Carlton Stout, Damon Williams, and Denyse Woo.

Other films include:

* Lady Bug Swarm
Enjoy one of the wonders of nature … and rediscover the beauty of nature through the eyes of a child.

* Ascending the Giants
You may hug a tree, but would you climb one? Join tree lovers & climbers Brian and Will as they attempt to find Oregon’s largest Sitka Spruce trees. Through their eyes, from both ground and canopy views, we discover the breathtaking beauty of these beautiful giants.

* Garbage Angels
What happens when trash meets trash? Could there be life in a dump? Best Canadian Short, Planet in Focus

* INCANtations
Written and produced by South Kona’s Alison Teal. This film documents a family adventure following Alison and her partents as they set off into an uncharted region of the Peruvian Andes, in search of an untouched village said to have some of the last Incan descendants and the most powerful shamans in the world.

* A Sheltered Sea
There is a pioneering conservation movement taking place along the coast of California. The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) brings together diverse stakeholders—fishermen, conservationists, scientists, government, divers, and ocean-loving citizens—in a process to set aside marine refuges akin to our country’s National Parks. Best Ocean Conservation Film, Blue Ocean Film Festival.

* The Fun Theory: Piano Staircase
We believe that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better. “Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator and feel better” is something we often hear or read in the Sunday papers. Few people actually follow that advice. Can we get more people to take the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do? See the results here.

* Secret Life of Paper
Ever wonder what happens to the newspaper we read in the morning? Have you ever considered what impacts these products have on the environment, from beginning to end? INFORM’s Secret Life Series is a collection of videos that highlight the environmental impacts of everyday products we all use.

* Flathead Wild
“You could argue that an area that’s been clear cut may eventually come back in 1000 years or so. Mountain top removal is different though… the mountain is actually removed, trucked and taken away. No one’s ever going to put that mountain back.” As a result of this type of mining and drilling proposals, the Flathead River is one of North America’s most endangered. Flathead Wild follows the International League of Conservation photographers as they descend on the Flathead River Valley with local conservation groups and work to get the perfect, iconic image to give the Flathead coalition the tools it needs for success.

— Find out more:
Hawaii Island Land Trust: www.hawaiilandtrust.org/
Surfrider Foundation: www.surfrider.org