June 14, 2000

The first annual Maui Film Festival (May 31-June 3) lived up to its promise of "Celestial Cinema Under the Stars," with four nights of outdoor screenings, parties and first rate culinary events held in what can only be described as true paradise -- an idyllic island setting of white sand beaches and lush tropical forests in the once-sovereign nation of Hawai'i...

So it's looking pretty darn good for Maui so far, but let's take a closer look at the films -- which are, after all, the most important aspect of any good film festival...

...the Maui Arts and Cultural Center is located more than half an hour's drive away on the other side of the island. It was also, incidentally, the venue hosting the best films: Susan Todd and Andrew Young's "Americanos: Latin Life in America"; Ron Mann's "Grass"; Todd Robinson's "Amargosa"; Doug Wolen's "Butterfly," a documentary on my favorite tree girl, Julia Butterfly; and Alex Nohe's "Burning Man: The Burning Sensation," a doc about the Burning Man festival -- ...

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