Documentary One Voice to Open at Hawaii International Film Festival, 10/15/10

Honolulu, HI, September 26, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Pacific Islanders in Communications presents One Voice, a documentary about ten Kamehameha Schools student song leaders on their journey to Song Contest night. One Voice follows the students as they prepare for the Song Contest, detailing their contributions to preserving and perpetuating the Hawaiian culture. The film also explores their lives outside the classroom, visiting them in their homes and revealing their hopes and dreams for the future. One Voice is a unique presentation of Hawaiian music as seen through the eyes of Hawaii’s youth. The choral arrangements are performed a cappella, with thousands of young voices blending as one. Shot in high definition, the film documents the song leaders’ challenges, the lessons learned, the commitment required and the triumphs they experience on their journey. Preparations begin months before the contest. The film follows the song leaders for an entire year as they prepare for the March 2008 competition. The theme for that year was Ola ka ‘Olelo Oiwi o ka ‘Aina – celebrating Hawaiian language revitalization. In the style of Mad Hot Ballroom and Spellbound, the audience will experience the Hawaiian culture, not only through the children and their families, but also as it has survived, grown and flourished throughout history. The Song Contest is the final exam, the culmination of the students’ dedication and determination to reach a goal – one night, one chance, One Voice.

About the Director/Producer: As a filmmaker and hula dancer, One Voice director Lisette Marie Flanary creates documentary films that celebrate a renaissance of traditional Hawaiian culture in the modern world. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Flanary is the writer, producer and director of Lehua Films based in New York City. Her award- winning movie ”Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula,” was part of the Independent Lens series on PBS in 2008, and screened in numerous film festivals both in the U-S and abroad. The film premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival’s Sunset on the Beach event in 2006, where Flanary received the Hawaii Filmmaker Award and an Audience Award for Best Documentary. In 2007, “Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula” garnered an Emerging Director Award at the New York Asian American International Film Festival, the Audience Award at the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival, Best Non-Fiction Feature at the VCFilmFest and Best Documentary at the San Diego Asian American Film Festival. Currently, Flanary is in pre-production on the final film of her trilogy entitled “Tokyo Hula,” which focuses on the intense popularity of hula dancing in Japan. And, One Voice won her a nomination for Best Director of a Documentary at the 2010 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Rim Festival. Co-producer Heather Haunani Giugni is a passionate Hawaiian media content collector who celebrates her community through the lens of a camera. For more than 25 years, Giugni has been the guiding force behind Juniroa Productions, which has produced hundreds of short and long programs about Hawaii and its native people. Giugni also mentors, produces, directs, writes and connects the Hawaiian dots that help tell the story of Native Hawaiians, to a global audience. Since 2006, she has produced the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest’s live broadcast. She also produces the highly acclaimed Merrie Monarch Festival, broadcast locally and viewed worldwide, via the Internet. Most recently, Giugni established a digital film and video archive for the State of Hawaii. Her success can be attributed to great collaborations, including a partnership with Pacific Islanders in Communications on One Voice.

Promotional Info: In addition to a high-profile media campaign led by Hawaii Pacific Entertainment, a 15-minute promotional clip of One Voice is being featured on Hawaiian Airlines’ ”Hawaiian Skies” in-flight programming during the months of August and September. One Voice is also the focus on several print and radio promotions, and social media networks are being utilized to generate buzz leading up to the film’s highly anticipated Hawaii release. Updates, clips, follow-up interviews with the student actors, and Hawaii International Film Festival announcements are accessible via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and at onevoicemovie.com. Pacific Islanders in Communications is sponsoring an online contest asking participants to answer weekly questions about the movie, the Song Contest tradition, and fun, local facts. The winners will receive prizes and gift certificates from local businesses, and will qualify to win the grand prize, which is a two-night stay at the Waikiki Beach Hotel during the Hawaii International Film Festival Sunset on the Beach screening of One Voice (for residents) and two roundtrip plane tickets from the Continental U.S., American Samoa and Guam to attend in October (non-Hawaii residents). The contest begins in August and continues through the week before the film premieres. Major supporters of the film include the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Pacific Islanders in Communications, and Juniroa Productions.

###