Area Documentaries On Farming To Shine At HIFF Saturday

Hawaii International Film Festival screens two documentaries with Windward ties this weekend, both promoting local agriculture.

• Na Kupu Mana‘Olana (Seeds of Hope), with award-winning director Danny Miller, tells the story of individual heroes who are helping Hawaii return to the local and traditional methods of growing food that can assure a future where we can feed ourselves. With music by Jack Johnson and others, it interviews innovative farmers, food distributors, ranchers, teachers and everyday citizens who have ideas to solve the state’s food crisis. It’s a Halekulani Golden Orchid Award nominee.

Windward players in the 86-minute film include Kailua native Kaliko Amona, Nalo Farms’ Dean Okimoto, Waiahole taro farmer Paul Reppun, executive producers Alan Murakami of Maunawili and Castle High graduate Kevin Chang, Ho Farms of Kahuku and Kokua Hawaii Foundation.

Seeds of Hope will be shown at 3 p.m. Saturday and 3:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at Regal Dole Cannery theaters.

• Kalo Culture, directed by Kamuela Vance, focuses on Kaneohe couple Daniel Anthony and L. Anuenue Punua and their three children, and how taro — and the traditional pounding of it — became the core of their lives and their small business, Mana‘Ai.

The camera follows a three-day period leading up to the 2011 Kalo Festival at Haleiwa Farmers Market. Also on screen are per- formers Paula Fuga, Kealoha, Mike Love, Ernie Cruz and more.

Kalo Culture is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Dole Cannery Theaters.

For tickets, visit hiff.org.