A world away
Energy, serenity mark Maui Film Festival
By Greg Botelho
CNN
(CNN) -- Before you talk to Barry Rivers, creator of one of the world's most serene and successful young film festivals on picturesque Maui, you may expect a subdued "aloha," demure descriptions of the event, and other soothing tones.
What you get, instead, is Brooklyn.
Rivers' propensity to talk, act and think a mile a minute, with warmth, honesty and energy, has not only made him a favorite son in his adopted Hawaii, but father of an event that has, in five years, become a top stop on the cinematic circuit, for filmmakers and fans alike.
This year's festival, set for June 16-20, features an eclectic mix of big studio-made feature films, documentaries and other independent films, plus a comedy show, live music and the "Taste of Wailea" food festival.
While Hollywood celebrities have and will flock to Maui, the festival's biggest star may be the island itself.
Besides open-air showings on the beach and rooftop of the Wailea Resort, its signature showcase -- the Celestial Cinema -- boasts state-of-the-art sound and picture on a grass expanse backed by the Pacific Ocean and fronted by the Haleakala volcano crater.
Each showing begins with an astronomer tour of the night's stars, which Polynesians used to find Hawaii centuries ago, while hula dances and Hawaiian music also take center stage before presentations or film showings.
"The megaplexes are great places for big blockbuster films during the summer, but the Maui Film Festival is a good place for movies that are more understated and that reach more for the heart than anything else," said Rivers.
"When you're outside in this beautiful natural environment, it's dissonant to see some special effects film. There's a certain kind of film that feels right in that setting."
A personal mission
In its first five years, the Maui Film Festival has experienced growing respect in cinematic circles -- as evidenced by greater media exposure and strong relationships with filmmakers -- and surging popularity among locals, tourists and film-lovers alike. Attendance has shot up from 1,500 in 1999 to 17,500 last year, and the number of business sponsors has jumped five-fold, said Tim Ryan, the entertainment editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
 Barry Rivers, founder of the Maui Film Festival. |  |
"Every year, [the festival] has improved dramatically," said Ryan. "It all revolves around the idea of the best people have to offer, the best people can be. That spirit -- as corny as it sounds -- really does permeate the festival."
Yet success comes only after months of hard work, a task that amounts more to running a year-round business than simply setting up for a single party.
"The dirty little secret about film festivals is that every year you reinvent the wheel," Rivers said.
Christian Gaines, director of the American Film Institute's annual festival in Los Angeles, California, seconds that notion, noting the need to juggle everything from film selection to promotion to corporate networking to planning a menu to printing tickets. The task is particularly difficult for those, like Rivers, trying to build a new film festival.
"Initially, a person may say, I have a great idea, I see a need for a film festival in this area," he said. "They cobble together the funding, the energy, and they have a big blowout. Then it's over, and they're on the verge of a nervous breakdown."
A former director of the Hawaii International Film Festival and frequent visitor to the Maui event, Gaines said Rivers has the "kind of personality to build on it year to year to year. He has done so much with the event."
Rivers is also fortunate to have a hard-working and supportive wife, in Stella, to help guide him through the festival and life, adds Ryan.
"She is so soft-spoken and the voice of calmness," said Ryan, who has known the pair for years. "Barry gets caught up in the moment and is constantly doing 100-yard sprints, while Stella is running a marathon... [They] work tirelessly to make the festival a success."
Picturesque setting
By the time the couple and 55 other staffers finish this year's festival, about 50 films will screen in three outdoor and two indoor locations on Maui.
"The Ride," "Jaws Underground" and "Open Water" continue the proud festival tradition of showcasing films set in and around the ocean.
|  The Celestial Cinema venue, at dusk. |
Ten movies, two per night, will be shown at Celestial Cinema, including "Two Brothers," about two tiger brothers separated as cubs and reunited as enemies; "The Door in the Floor," with Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger; "Saved," a dark comedy starring Mandy Moore, Jena Malone and Macaulay Culkin; and footage from a recent tribute concert to the late George Harrison.
Both Ryan and Gaines describe the outdoor screenings as jaw-dropping. And executives at Dolby Digital, said Rivers, call the setting as the "premiere outdoor cinema on the planet."
"It's unbelievable. We're not just talking about spreading a sheet across two palm trees," said Gaines, noting the twin 35-millimeter projectors, top-notch sound system and 50-foot screen. "It's absolutely exquisite -- an amazing place to see a film."
The sun setting over the ocean to the viewer's back, the moon ascending above the screen, and 75-degree temperatures tempered by a dry 10 mph wind creates a "very cheery, happy atmosphere," said Ryan.
"People are in a very good mood," he said. "I know of films that just haven't worked, and people walk away discussing it, not disgusted with it. They don't walk away like their time has been wasted."
