Made In Hawai’i Shorts

Short films | 95 min

SHOWTIMES:

Doors open 30 min prior to first showtime of the day

Synopsis: From the echoes of the battlefield to the rhythms of slow cinema and the irreverence of ribald comedy, these stories find grace, humor, and healing in the messy ties that bind us to home.

Films included in this program:

Dan & Kat Hide a Body | 20 min
Dan and Kat are social media influencers on a couples vacation to Venezuela. When they accidentally hit a woman with their car, their picture-perfect getaway takes a dark turn. Rather than face the consequences, they attempt to hide the body and cover up what happened. Dark hilarity ensues as they scramble to evade accountability from both the law and the internet, while desperately maintaining their carefully curated online personas.

Massagers 4 Sale | 12 min
A daughter”s relationship with her father reaches its crisis point when he mistakenly purchases a new line of ‘massagers’ and ‘toys’ for their Chinatown gift shop in danger of being closed down.

Oli | 19 min
A Kānaka Maoli soldier returns to Hawaiʻi after losing a comrade in arms for which he blames himself. Suffering from PTSD and survivor”s guilt, Paʻakai attempts to adjust to being back on the ʻĀina. He struggles to connect with his mother, family, and friends from high school. Recognizing her son is troubled, Kaiʻs mother recommends oli (chanting) as a means to help. Can ancestral knowledge help Kai heal?

PR | 28
A quiet man trains alone at his neighborhood park, chasing a 300 lb deadlift while enduring small jokes about age, pride, and trying to impress women. But beneath the routine is a private pressure no one sees.

Who Raised You | 16 min
Upon the death of her grandmother, Tia”s party boy father inherits her family home. His surprise arrival blows up Tia”s life, pushing her grief to a breaking point. With the help of her friend Layla, also grieving the woman who raised her, Tia is determined to run far away. Instead of the escape Tia intended, life offers the girls refuge in each other.