As part of a youth entrepreneurship program facilitated by Maui Hui Mālama, four Maui youth prepare to premiere a locally-produced film at their first community pilot event.
Maui Hui Mālama is proud to announce the first drive-in movie hosted by the first cohort of their Youth Entrepreneurship Program in 2021. On Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 6pm in the parking lot of the UH Maui campus, they will present Aloha Surf Hotel, a locally-produced film by Stefan Schaefer, Founder of Cicala Filmworks. The drive-in movie experience, facilitated by youth entrepreneurs, will be open to a maximum of 50 vehicles and serve as a pilot for ongoing events in the springtime.
ALOHA SURF HOTEL is a family comedy starring an all-star cast of local actors and comedians, including Augie T, Taiana Tully, Branscombe Richmond, Matt Corboy, Kealani Warner and Alex Farnham. The film premiered at HIFF in November, as has played in theaters on all-islands. Shot entirely on Maui, critics are calling it “consistently hilarious” and “a local gem.” The film was recently nominated by the Hawai’i Film Critics Society as “Best Hawai’i Film” for 2021.
This program was created as a response to Maui’s youth struggling to help their families financially, as loss of jobs for parents have had a strong impact on youths’ lives. Maui Hui Mālama helps youth stay in school while learning job skills and contributing to their household. This program wouldn’t be possible without community partners like University of Hawaii Maui College and Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation, locations where this event and upcoming events will take place. In addition, Pastele House Food Truck has joined the team by offering hands-on training to the youth onsite and donating part of the proceeds to Maui Hui Mālama.
The youth have been preparing for this event by participating in job skills training and hosting drive-in movie experiences for smaller audiences of family and Maui Hui Mālama staff. The Youth Entrepreneurship Program is a twelve-week program that includes weekly educational modules, hands-on job training through community events, and a stipend for completing the program. The students will learn skills in event coordination, audio/visual technology, point-of-sale technology, accounting, customer service, and data science. There are currently four youth enrolled in the program that began in January 2021. The final celebration, or ho’ike, of the program is planned for April. Audience members at each event are invited to provide feedback via survey to help youth improve their entrepreneurial skills each week.
To join Maui Hui Mālama at our upcoming drive-in movie events, please consider becoming a Super Hui Hero as well by visiting www.mauihui.org/superhuihero. To stay in touch regarding upcoming events, follow us on Instagram (@mauihui) or Facebook (fb.com/mauihui), or join the mailing list at: mauihui.org.
