Keiki Shorts

Short Films | 91 min

SHOWTIMES:

Doors open 30 min prior to showtime

Synopsis: Fun, kid-friendly films from both around the world and close to home. Recommended for keiki under 10 years old.

Short Films included in the program:

Da Farm | 22 min
A young teen must intern at a farm to help increase her chances at getting into college, and along the way learns more about agroforestry and the everyday life of farming operations.

Grounded | 4 min
Left behind as others take flight, a young ladybird discovers that sometimes in life you need a helping hand… or eight.

In The Stillness of the Night | 11 min
At dusk, solitary voyagers glide quietly through the island rainforest on their nightly insect hunt. Hawai’i’s loneliest mammal, the ‘ōpe’ape’a (Hawaiian hoary bat), continues a tradition begun thousands of years before humans arrived, unaware of dangers posed by human hands encroaching steadily, and destructively, into their forest home.

Ramen Western | 8 min
A young Chinese American girl sets off to uncover the secrets of the American West with an unexpected sidekick: a sentient bowl of ramen.

Shared Responsibility | 4 min
Set within the traditions of Hawaiʻi’s shores, Kaʻimi, searches for his kuleana—his responsibility to the ocean and community. Guided by his ʻohana and mentored by traditional fishers, Kaʻimi learns to see the ocean not just as a resource, but as an ancestor, teacher, and relative. This movement illuminates how cultural practices shape our reciprocal relationship with the sea, showing that kuleana is a privilege and an obligation.

Sprout | 12 min
Evie is thirteen years old and growing up during one of the most divided periods in modern history. Feeling the pressure of the world around her, she finds her escape on the rooftops of her city, where the noise fades and she can finally breathe. It”s there that she reunites with Sprout, an unlikely and mysterious companion.

Ulu Maika | 10 min
A determined young girl must face her longtime rival in a high-stakes ‘Ulu Maika (a Hawaiian stone disc-rolling game) showdown, discovering that true strength comes not just from skill, but from the wisdom and traditions passed down through generations. When an unscrupulous opponent threatens her dream of becoming champion, she learns that victory begins with believing in herself.