And the Independent Spirit Award Noms Are...

FIND just announced its 2006 nominees for the Independent Spirit Awards. The ceremony takes place each year in L.A. on the day before the Oscar telecast. We Hawaii folks were lucky enough to catch some of the nominees at the LV Hawaii Int'l Film Fest last month, including true indies "Conventioneers," "Romantico," and "Paradise Now," and "fake" (Indiewood) indies "The Squid and the Whale" and "Brokeback Mountain." You can still catch other Indiewood nominees "Capote" and "Good Night and Good Luck" at the Varsity Theater right now.

>> 2006 Independent Spirit Award Nominations

RELATED POSTS:
>> The Meaning of "Independent"
>> IFP Gotham Award Nominees
>> U.S. Indies at LVHIFF
>> Indies in Hollywood's Wake
>> IFP Hawaii?
>> Filmmaker Magazine: "25 New Faces of Indie Film"

Louisiana on the Rebound?

Here's another article about Louisiana's film industry rebounding quickly from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Although I'd hardly count "Road House 2" as a rebound. Still, it pays the bills and according to some Louisiana locals who've lost everything, it keeps them sane. But film productions are resuming only outside of New Orleans, which is still way too damaged to support them.

On the other hand, here's an article about the waning plans to build a $20 million film studio in the Algiers area just outside New Orleans proper.

>> Movies keep filming despite hurricanes [AP/Louisiana Weekly, 11/28/05]
>> Algiers' shot at film studio flickers [Times-Picayune, 11/29/05]

RELATED POSTS:
>> LA vs. L.A.
>> Louisiana Film Industry: Open for Business
>> South Carolina: "We don't want to look like vultures"
>> Katrina Devastates Hollywood South
>> Hurricanes & Movies
>> The Golden Age of Louisiana
>> The Truth About Louisiana

Morita Was Best Supporting Asian

Morita was the title character in "Mr. T and Tina," a (thankfully) short-lived ABC sitcom in 1976.

In a New York Times op-ed piece, Lawrence Downes writes a thoughtful tribute to Pat Morita, who died last week. The piece exposes Hollywood's marginalization of Asian American actors by relegating them to roles in which they "drive taxis, serve drinks or utter wise aphorisms in amusingly broken English." Unfortunately for Morita, whose career began back in the 60s, these roles were the only ones available to Asian actors, and many of them went to him.

But, the times they are a-changin'--slowly--as we now have the Daniel Dae Kims and John Chos and Leonardo Nams of the world trying to work against the stereotypes so long established and proliferated by Mr. Yunioshi (Mickey Rooney in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"), Charlie Chan, and more recently, Rob Schneider's Pidgin-butchering Hawaiian character in "50 First Dates."

>> Goodbye to Pat Morita, Best Supporting Asian [NY Times, 11/29/05]
>> The Asian Equation [BackStage West via ModelMinority.com, 8/20/04]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Pat Morita (1932-2005)
>> DDK Makes List of People's "Sexiest Men Alive"
>> Vote Daniel Dae Kim for Sexiest Man Alive
>> Kudos to "Lost" on Asian American Representation
>> Cultural Insensitivity
>> Charlie Chan's "Number One" Granddaughter

Hallyu By Way of Hawaii

"My Lovely Sam-Soon," a Korean "Bridget Jones" (Photo: Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin)

The Korean pop culture wave (hallyu) that swept Asia in 2004, has steadily spread to the U.S. by way of Hawaii. Local Korean station KBFD was the first U.S. TV outfit to air the hugely popular Korean soap operas produced in recent years. Now, California-based YA Entertainment, the exclusive distributor of English-subtitled Korean TV dramas in the U.S. is releasing DVD box sets of many of these series. YA Entertainment's general manager, Tom Larsen, said, "Hawaii has been the doorway to the U.S. market, and KBFD is a big reason for that. They're the pioneers in putting English subtitles on the dramas from Korea in order to attract a wider audience." LVHIFF-goers got a taste of the craze over all things Korean last month when we witnessed screaming Asian and Asian American women swarming around fest guest and Korean Brad Pitt, Lee Byung-hun.

>> Hawaii ‘hallyu’ [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 11/28/05]

RELATED POST:
>> Korea Fever at LVHIFF

"Lost" Writers a Diverse Bunch

More nods to "Lost" for promoting diversity in the very white Hollywood workplace. An article by Dinah Eng for Gannett recently illustrated how the "Lost" writing staff collaborates, and revealed that of 10 writers total, two are women, two are Asian American, and one is Latino. At 20% female and 30% minority, this writing staff is one of the most diverse in Hollywood. One "Lost" writer who is both female and minority is Christina Kim, a film school grad and alumna of the CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring Program, who contributes most to storylines involving Jin and Sun, and budding romances among other characters.

>> Diverse writers plot 'Lost' [Gannett/Hnl Advertiser, 11/25/05]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Minority Writers Get Minor Share of Work
>> Kudos to "Lost" on Asian American Representation
>> Cultural Insensitivity
>> Paranoia + Hard Work + Ratings = "Lost"

Pat Morita (1932-2005)

Veteran Japanese American actor and longtime friend of Hawaii Pat Morita died on Thanksgiving at the age of 73. Best known for his Mr. Miyagi role in the "Karate Kid" franchise, Morita was once a Hawaii resident and participated in a number of productions that shot here, including "Karate Kid II," "Baywatch Hawaii," local television commercials, and independent films. Morita was nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar in 1984 for the original "Karate Kid," but lost out to another Asian actor, Haing S. Ngor of "The Killing Fields."

Most recently, Morita appeared in two films that screened at the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival last month: Audience Award Winner "American Fusion," and "Only the Brave," about the the all-Nisei mostly volunteer 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team that fought in WWII. Like many Japanese Americans during WWII, Morita and his family were actually locked up in an internment camp. He entered showbiz by way of the L.A. and Las Vegas comedy club circuit, sometimes billed as "the Hip Nip," a moniker that would not fly in today's striving-to-be-PC media climate.

Morita was a pioneer for Asian American entertainers, and will be sorely missed by them, Hawaii folks, and the legions of Gen Xers who can still hear him chanting, "wax on, wax off."

>> ‘Karate Kid’ actor felt kinship to Hawaii [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 11/26/05]
>> 'Mr. Miyagi' dies at 73 [KHON, 11/25/05]
>> Pat Morita, 'Karate Kid's' Mr. Miyagi, dies [CNN.com, 11/25/05]
>> 'Karate Kid' Sensei Pat Morita Dies at 73 [Zap2it, 11/25/05]
>> Real-life heroes [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 11/11/05]
>> Pat Morita Interview [About.com, 10/28/04]
>> Pat Morita [IMBD Filmography]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Marie Lord, Widow of Jack, Dies
>> Ray Bumatai (1952-2005)
>> Kayo Hatta (1958-2005)
>> Actors Get Reality Check

Turkey Vacation

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm on vacation till next week. Read these in the meantime...

• Cinematical
• The Reeler
• Mark Litwak's Blog
• LV Hawaii Int'l Film Fest Blog
• Tim Ryan's Reel News
• Talk Stink
• HawaiiStories
• Lost-TV
• Lost-Media

Come back next week!

Hawaii Looks to New Zealand

At the 13th Annual Screen Production and Development Conference in Wellington, New Zealand, Maori filmmaker and University of Hawaii teacher Merata Mita talked about Hawaii's film landscape. She said that Hawaii is often used as a back lot by Hollywood, and boasts no film industry of its own. But local filmmakers are beginning to change that, and indigenous filmmakers in particular are looking to New Zealand filmmakers for inspiration.

It should be noted that the New Zealand government has long supported its homegrown filmmakers, allowing a local film industry to flourish and bear such films as "Utu," "Once Were Warriors," and "Whale Rider," and such directors as Peter Jackson ("Lord of the Rings"), who brought much film business to his home country.

>> Filmmakers from around the world meet in Wellington [Newstalk ZB, 11/18/05]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Film Incentives That Aren't Tax Credits
>> Local Filmmakers Left in the Dust
>> Hawaii Independents
>> Hawaii Film Panorama at LVHIFF
>> Hawaii vs. Hawaiian
>> Hawaii Indie Film Survey

TiVo This, Buy That

Nathan Kurosawa's "The Ride" (Third Reef Pictures)

"An Untold Triumph" - Thurs, 11/24 , 8pm, PBS Hawaii Ch. 10
Dir: Stephani Castillo. Narrated by Lou Diamond Phillips, this film documents the U.S. Army's 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments in WWII. Film won Audience Award at the 2003 Hawaii International Film Festival.

"Race is the Place" - Tues, 11/22, 10pm, PBS Hawaii Ch. 10
Ray Telles, Rick Tejada-Flores. An audacious visual and verbal riff on race in America from a wide swath of artists, poets, rappers, performance artists, cultural critics, and comedians, including Hawaii's own Haunani-Kay Trask and Lois-Ann Yamanaka. The film played at LVHIFF last month.

"The Ride" - On 11/23, Borders Books in Hawaii will be the exclusive retailer of local boy Nathan Kurosawa's made-in-Hawaii feature "The Ride" on DVD during the holiday season. Buy it in the next few weeks or wait for it to hit theaters--Kurosawa's Third Reef Pictures just signed theatrical distribution deals with a North American distributor, and an international distributor for the Japanese market. To kick-off the DVD release, Kurosawa and the principal actors will be hitting the local Borders stores to say hi and give autographs. Catch them at one of the following Borders stores:

* Ward Center – Friday, 11/25, 4pm
* Waikele – Saturday, 11/26 at 2 pm
* Pearlridge – Saturday, 11/26 at 6pm
* Kahului – Sunday, 11/27 at 2PM

Here's the film's official spiel: "When cocky, young surfing champion David Monroe wipes out on a big wave, he slips back in time to 1911 Hawai’i. Washing up on Waikiki beach, he discovers the true spirit of surfing when he is befriended by a young Hawaiian beachboy not yet known to the world - the future Olympic and surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku."

RELATED POSTS:
>> Hawaii Independents
>> Hawaii Film Panorama at LVHIFF
>> U.S. Indies at LVHIFF

DDK Makes List of People's "Sexiest Men Alive"

It's a big day for Asian/Asian American masculinity. (Photo: Mark Arbeit for People)

Daniel Dae Kim of "Lost" was named one of the sexiest men alive by People magazine yesterday, alongside Matthew McConaughey, who nabbed the #1 spot, Ken Watanabe, Bono, Anderson Cooper, and a coupla'three more hotties.

>> People's 2005's Sexiest Men Alive [People, 11/16/05]
>> People magazine names McConaughey 'sexiest man' [Reuters, 11/16/05]

RELATED POST:
>> Vote Daniel Dae Kim for Sexiest Man Alive

Distribution, Distribution, Distribution

ABC's "Lost" is quickly going from simply a hit TV show to a tech pioneer-cum-cross-media empire.

First of all, the show's extras-laden Season 1 DVD box set was released in record time.

Then last month, ABC announced a deal to distribute its cash cow on iPods and computers via iTunes for $1.99 a pop. As of today, "Lost" is the #1 most downloaded show, beating "Desperate Housewives," which draws in more viewers on the tube. Together, the shows have sold more than 1 million downloads.

Earlier this month, ABC announced a deal with its sister publishing label, Hyperion Books, that will converge the small screen with the literary word. "Lost" producers will introduce a storyline in which a character, Gary Troup, delivers his manuscript to Hyperion before boarding the ill-fated plane. Hyperion will then publish this "fake" book in the spring.

The other day, I watched some deleted "Lost" scenes from Season 1 on Yahoo!.

Today, "Lost" announced a deal with an as yet unnamed mobile phone company to exclusively distribute spinoff "Lost Video Diaries," which will introduce two new characters. 20 "mobisodes," each just a few minutes long, will start shooting next month under the supervision of executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.

"Lost's" multi-platform distribution explosion and uber convergence is indicative of a media trend. While technocrats and entertainment types have been preaching convergence since the dawn of the Internet, it now seems to finally be happening in a substantive way, thanks to the exponential adoption of broadband and evolution of rich media-friendly hardware.

Other recent moves toward convergence and pimp-style distribution include:

• In2TV, AOL's foray into online TV, which will feature about 3,400 hours of programming from 100 old TV shows produced by sister company Warner Bros., including "Welcome Back Kotter" and "Growing Pains."
• The Yahoo!/TiVo deal in which TiVo owners can program their boxes online via Yahoo! to record shows from the tube. Eventually, this will enable Internet TV content to be searched online and delivered on TiVo.
• NBC Universal hocking its film and TV content over a legit P2P network run by Wurld Media.
• DirecTV pushing pay-per-view NBC content such as "Law & Order: SVU" and "The Office," and USA content such as "Monk" to owners of a new DirecTV-branded DVR.
• Comcast pushing pay-per-view CBS content such as "CSI" and "Survivor."

With the deepening marriage of the tech world and the entertainment world will come growing pains as the two industries are so culturally different. It's already happening over at Yahoo!, where one anonymous insider said that in Sunnyvale, Yahoo!'s HQ, it's "a cubicle society," meaning everyone regardless of rank is willing to work in cramped workstations. In contrast, the Santa Monica office is all about " 'How big is my office? Where is my parking spot? You report to me. I don't need to talk to you.' It's very much the studio hierarchy mentality."

What's more, I'm sure the film labor unions will have tons of fun wading through all this cross-promotional, cross-platform, new ancillary distribution muck to figure out how their members should be compensated.

>> 'Lost' deal hatched for mobile [Hollywood Reporter, 11/17/05]
>> ABC hit 'Lost' to spin off cross-promotional novel [Reuters, 11/1/05]
>> What's iPod's No. 1 show? [AP/CNN, 11/17/05]
>> AOL to launch online TV [Reuters, 11/14/05]
>> NBC Universal goes peer-to-peer [MarketWatch, 11/17/05]
>> Who's going to buy VOD TV shows? [Knight Ridder, 11/14/05]
>> Can Yahoo Sign On to Hollywood? [L.A. Times, 11/14/05]

RELATED POST:
>> Has This Blog "Lost" Its Way?

Princess Kaiulani Found

Writer-director Marc Forby, who's in pre-production for his $7 million indie feature biopic on Princess Kaiulani, has found two actresses to play the princess: Punahou student Cheyenne Kanani Pohuehue, who will play her at age 12, and Kamehameha student Soriah Manahea, who will play her at 17.

At 17, Princess Kaiulani was studying in England when the Hawaiian kingdom was overthrown by sugar and pineapple industry robber barons, the decendants of white Protestant imperialists. This prompted her to sail from England to Washington, D.C. to plead with President Grover Cleveland. She became the toast of Washington and convinced Cleveland to help preserve the Hawaiian kingdom. Despite his efforts, corporate interests propelled President William McKinley to approve annexation five years later in 1898. Princess Kaiulani, the last heir to the Hawaiian throne, died the following year at age 23.

Forby said, "I think she's been portrayed too much as a wall flower in recent biographies. If you read her letters at the state archives, which are available to everyone in the public, you'll find a very strong willed woman." He hopes to start filming in Hawaii sometime next year.

>> Film Depicts Life of Princess Kaiulani [KGMB9 News, 11/15/05]

RELATED POST:
>> Desperately Seeking Kaiulani
>> Hawaii vs. Hawaiian
>> Culture Clash

Act 221 Fees & Comfort Rulings Demystified

On Friday, Pacific Business News published a second article about the new fees for administering high-tech tax credits. This time, PBN's Clynton Namuo listed specific fee amounts, such as what the Tax Department will charge for issuing comfort rulings confirming the eligibility of investors and entities for various high-tech tax credits, including the investment tax credit commonly known as "Act 221" but properly known as Section 235-110.9, HRS, the income tax exclusions for royalties (235-7.3, HRS) and for stock options and dividends (235-9.5, HRS), and the research tax credit (235-110.91, HRS). The article also listed the fees required for certifying the credit amounts themselves.

Namuo seemed to imply that a comfort ruling is a prerequisite for claiming the Act 221 high-tech investment tax credit in particular, saying, "tax credits are essentially useless without the rulings because few investors will put money into a company without first getting a guarantee that they will qualify for the tax credits." This statement is slightly off. Actually, tax credits are not "essentially useless" without a comfort ruling, because a comfort ruling is not required for claiming tax credits. Rather, the purpose of such a ruling is quite simply to give comfort to a company's investors that they would qualify for the credits based on the answers the company or its investors furnish themselves to the Tax Department in the comfort ruling request. When income tax time rolls around and someone claims high-tech tax credits, this claim, like any other claim on a tax return, is subject to audit.

That said, any investor who still wants the peace of mind provided by a comfort ruling prior to making her investment (or any company that wants to give its potential investors peace of mind) needs to pony up $1,000 for a comfort ruling--no exceptions. That is, even if you run a tiny indie film company operating on an annual investment of $20,000 per year, it would cost you $1,000 (just once) to get a comfort ruling saying that your company is a qualified high-tech business (QHTB) whose investors are eligible for Act 221 investment tax credits. But again, you don't absolutely need one for your investors to be able to claim those credits--just make sure you have the back-up paperwork that proves you are indeed a QHTB in case of audit, and be sure your investors file the appropriate tax forms (such as Form N-318A to certify the credits).

Unlike comfort rulings, credit certifications are required to claim the high-tech tax credits. And there are fees attached to these:

• Investment Credit Certification, Individual Investor (Form N-318A): $100, or $150 after the 3rd Wed in January following the year the investment was made
• Investment Credit Certification, Pass-Through Entity (on behalf of partners, shareholders, etc.) (Form N-318A) : $750, or $1,000 after the 3rd Wed in January following the year the investment was made
• Research Credit Certification (Form N-319A): $400, or $750 after the 3rd Wed in January following the year in which the research expenses were incurred

However, the above fees only apply to investment and research credit amounts that are $25,000 and over. If an individual investor or pass-through entity claims $24,999.99 or less in investment or research tax credits, certification is free.

Please note that I'm no tax lawyer or accountant (sorry, Mom), nor do I work in the Tax Department, so please read the above as general information only and perform your own due diligence prior to making any business decisions (read my disclaimer on the right). The official fee announcement from the Tax Dept. is linked below, so click on it to get the info straight from the horse's mouth. You should also check out the Tax Dept's section on high-tech tax incentives (get ready for some thrilling--but highly informative--reading).

>> Hawaii Department of Taxation Announcement No. 2005-19
>> State begins charging fees to tech tax credit applicants [PBN, 11/11/05]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Act 221 Fees
>> Tech Comm'ty: Don't Denigrate Act 221
>> Act 221 = $108M So Far
>> Numerology: 221, 215, 235-110.9

Economic Momentum Commission Meeting Tonight

This isn't film related, but Hawaii citizens should consider going to this meeting tonight anyway as it concerns the economic future of the state.

Hawaii's Economic Momentum Commission wants you, the public, to comment on the recommendations it has made for the future of Hawaii's economy and society. Assembled by Governor Linda Lingle, the EMC is a 30-person bipartisan group tasked with devising an action plan to sustain Hawaii's booming economy. The EMC has come up with 35 recommendations in the areas of Housing, Education, Workforce Development, Tourism, Agriculture, Energy, Healthcare, Environment, Tax Policy, Infrastructure, and Host Culture. Read the EMC Recommendations or a summary of them.

You may make your comments on these recommendations by attending the statewide public meeting in person tonight (Tues, 11/15) at 6pm at one of 10 sites, or by submitting comments online, by fax, or by snail mail. Click here for meeting sites and complete instructions on submitting comments.

RELATED POST:
>> It's the Economy, Stupid

North Carolina So Far

NBC's sci-fi thriller series "Surface" is shot in North Carolina

This past summer, North Carolina lawmakers passed a generous new tax incentive, allowing film and TV projects spending over $250,000 in NC to get 15% back (up to $7.5M per project). The state is beginning to see the fruits of that legislation, with a Will Ferrell comedy and NBC series "Surface" currently in production there.

For 20 years, NC apparently ranked third in production revenues behind California and New York, with an annual high of $504.3M in 1993. But in 2004, with fierce competition from other states like Louisiana and the disappearance of the state's old film tax incentive, production revenues dropped to $235M, and about 2,000 jobs were lost. Supporters of film tax incentives hope that the new 2005 incentives will restore NC to its #3 position.

The Charlotte Observer published a pros-and-cons rundown of the NC incentives. Here it is:

Pros:
• Local businesses and crew members benefit.
• Environmentally clean industry that can help replace jobs lost as other industries leave the state.
• The $250,000 eligibility threshold is lower than many other states, benefitting indie and homegrown filmmakers.

Cons:
• Civil libertarians have attacked economic development incentives in general as an unwise and improper use of taxpayer money.
• Incentive programs set off bidding wars among states, forcing them to one-up each other and grow more expensive over time.

The article also discusses the labor union issues the state is currently facing with the renewed interest in production there.

>> N.C. film boosters point to results from new incentives package [AP/Charlotte Observer, 11/13/05]
>> Film Incentive Pros and Cons [Charlotte Observer, 11/13/05]

RELATED POSTS:
>> It's the Economy, Stupid
>> Tax Incentives Suck...Who Said That?
>> LA vs. L.A.
>> Incentive Mania

Ah, the Days of Five-O...

Kam Fong Chun played detective Chin Ho Kelly on "Hawaii Five-O" from 1968 to 1978 (Photo: Honolulu Advertiser)

Lee Cataluna waxes nostalgic about house-free Honolulu hills and white polyester in her Friday Advertiser column on "Hawaii Five-O."

Comparing the CBS classic to current hit "Lost," Cataluna says, "'Lost' is a very good show and a very popular show, but it doesn't really compare. They're in Hawai'i, but they're not really in Hawai'i...Most of the extras in the flashback sequences look like they've been flown in." Cataluna further laments that "There may never be another long, glorious run like ["Hawaii Five-O"] for Hawai'i actors and crew, and that's a shame."

At least we locals can re-live Waikiki past weeknights at 7pm on Channel 11. Maybe you can even catch the episode in which Ricardo Montalban plays a Japanese crime boss.

>> Look 'em, Danno — good stuff [Hnl Advertiser, 11/11/05]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Marie Lord, Widow of Jack, Dies
>> Emmys & Hawaii
>> "Hawaii Five-O" in Fiji?!

Hawaii Films in Development

The LVHIFF trailer directed by James Sereno will be shown at Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival. Sereno is currently developing feature film "Growing Up Local." (Photo: Kinetic Productions)

The Honolulu Advertiser's Michael Tsai recently reported on two local films that are currently in development: "Menehunes," written by Rich Figel and optioned by TalkStory Productions, which is currently co-producing The N Network's "Boarding School," and "Growing Up Local," written by James Sereno of "Silent Years" and LVHIFF trailer fame.

In "Menehunes," a corporate troubleshooter investigates recent thefts at a Kauai hotel. His 12-year-old son and the son's local friends discover that the culprits may be menehunes, who are unhappy because the hotel was built on the site of one of their ancient villages.

"Growing Up Local" is based on Stuart Ching's short story "Way Back to Palolo," about a group of boys growing up in a rough Honolulu 'hood and having to deal with gangs and other growing pains. Dana Hankins' Redhead Productions is co-producing, and actress Kelly Hu is reportedly on board.

More info on both after the jumps...

>> 'Menehunes' rewrite optioned for possible movie [Hnl Advertiser, 11/4/05]
>> Homegrown film shows rarely seen Hawai'i [Hnl Advertiser, 11/14/05]

Vote Daniel Dae Kim for Sexiest Man Alive

Sexy!! (Photo: Robert Bengtson)

Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Jin on "Lost" (and who, for those who don't know, speaka-da-Engrish--that is, perfect American English like the perfect American that he is) is up for People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" this year. If you think he's hot--and why wouldn't you? Even LVHIFF's Anderson Le thinks so, calling Kim's "Lost" role "a positive portrayal of Asian American masculinity in mainstream media"--please vote him "Sexiest Man Alive" in People's ONLINE POLL. Hey, Fu Manchu, Charlie Chan, Mr. Yunioshi, and Long Duk Dong: take that!

>> Sex and the Asian Man [LA Times via ModelMinority, 5/12/04]
>> APA Male TV Anchors: Invisibility and Emasculation [AsianWeek, Aug 16-22, 2002]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Kudos to "Lost" on Asian American Representation
>> Cultural Insensitivity
>> Charlie Chan's "Number One" Granddaughter
>> Actors Get Reality Check
>> Minority Writers Get Minor Share of Work

Brush Up Your Legislature!

Christmas lights and "complete turkey dinner" ads are starting to crop up around town, which can only mean that something big is right around the corner: the start of the state's Legislative session.

The 2006 Legislative session officially opens on Wed, January 19, but informational hearings in preparation for the session have begun this week (including this one today). And it's going to be an interesting year--an election year!

So, film-interested citizens of Hawaii, listen up! Now's the time to brush up on the who's who and the what's what of the upcoming Legislative session. Here are the committees you should be familiar with:

Senate:
1. MAT - Media, Arts, Science, and Technology Committee chaired by Carol Fukunaga and David Ige (vice chair)
2. WAM - Ways and Means Committee chaired by Brian Taniguchi and Shan Tsutsui (vice chair)

House:
1. TAC - Tourism & Culture Committee chaired by Jerry Chang and Kyle Yamashita (vice chair)
2. EDB - Economic Development & Business Concerns Committee chaired by Jon Riki Karamatsu (who replaced Bob Herkes as chair) and Glenn Wakai (vice chair)
3. FIN - Finance Committee chaired by Dwight Takamine and Bertha Kawakami (vice chair)

Also read the following posts to jog your memory of what happened for film during the last Legislative session:
>> "Widespread Support"
>> Elegy for Film Bills and Mahalo
>> R.I.P. 2005 Film Bills
>> What's the Difference?: Film Bills Demystified

Finally, go back to grade school, but this time, master the basics that every Hawaii and American citizen should know:
>> FIND YOUR LEGISLATORS
>> Schoolhouse Rock Redux
>> Legislative Alphabet Soup
>> How a Bill Becomes a Law
>> How to Submit Testimony
>> Hawaii Legislature FAQs

Hawaii Newbies, Read This

Productions going on location often have to get familiar with their host locales in a jiffy. In light of this, below are some primers for Hawaii that every visiting filmmaker should check out before landing here. Your shoots will go much more smoothly if you know a thing or two about where you're spending the next few weeks. Here are a few Hawaii factoids to start your education:

• Became the 50th state in 1959
• Population of 1.26 million
• Racial make-up: 42% Asian, 23% White, 9% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 7% Latino, 2% Black, 21% Multiracial
• State motto: Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono (the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness) - That's a hint for all you production folks who want to toss your cigarette butts in the sand!
• Summer temps range from 70 degrees at night to 85 in the day, winter temps go from 60s to 70s
• Ocean temp is 74 -75 degrees in March, 79-80 degrees in September
• Colloquial dialect is Hawaiian Creole English, or Pidgin
• Public transportation is available on Oahu via The Bus
• Hawaii has 2 official languages: English and Hawaiian (local financial institutions accept checks written in Hawaiian!)
• Bugs here are ginormous
• We have the highest per capita SPAM consumption in the country

Read more about us...

>> Living in Paradise: A Newcomer's Guide to Hawaii, 2005-06 [Honolulu Advertiser]
>> A Brief History of Hawaii [Hawaii State Government]
>> Hawaii Maps [UT Austin]
>> GoHawaii.com [Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau]
>> HawaiiWeb.com

RELATED POSTS:
>> Hawaii vs. Hawaiian
>> Famous Hawaii Locations
>> Culture Clash
>> Honolulu: Hipster Haven

Legislative Briefing on Venture Financing & Act 221

There's an informational Legislative briefing this Thursday sponsored by the Hawaii Technology Trade Association (HTTA) to present and discuss the effects of the revised high-tech investment tax credit, Act 215 (passed in 2004 to revise Act 221), on the technology, venture capital, and general business communities, Hawaii's investment climate, and the State Private Investment Fund (SPIF) to be administered through the Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation (HSDC). Tech-oriented film businesses and film folks in general might be interested in hearing what our high-tech cousins are up to.

DATE: Thurs, November 10, 2005
TIME: 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
PLACE: Conference Room 325, State Capitol, 415 S. Beretania St.
RSVP: Call MAT committee clerk, 586-6890 or EDB committee clerk, 586-8490 to confirm your attendance, since light refreshments will be provided

TOPICS/SPEAKERS:

• The Funding Continuum and Hawaii's Funding Gap
  Speakers: Rob Robinson (UH Angels) and Bill Spencer (Hawaii Venture Capital Association)
• Funding Needs of Local Tech Companies
  Speakers: David Watumull (Hawaii Biotech), Anton Krucky (Tissue Genesis), and Jeff Au
  (PacifiCap)
• Capital Formation in Other States
  Speakers: John Chock (Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation) and Bill Spencer (Hawaii Venture Capital Association)
• SPIF Overview & Discussion
  Speakers: All Participants
  

>> Notice of Informational Briefing: Joint Legislative Work Group on Venture Financing [Hawaii Legislature]
>> §235-110.9 High technology business investment tax credit [Hawaii Revised Statutes]
>> High-Tech Tax Incentives [Hawaii Tax Dept. Site]
>> Governor Lingle Signs Bill to Tighten High Technology Tax Credits; Encourage Capital Investments [Office of the Governor, State of Hawaii, 7/13/04]

RELATED POSTS:
>> It's the Economy, Stupid
>> Tax Incentives Suck...Who Said That?
>> Tech Comm'ty: Don't Denigrate Act 221
>> Act 221 = $108M So Far
>> Numerology: 221, 215, 235-110.9

Act 221 Fees

Pacific Business News reported today that Hawaii's Tax Department is charging fees for (a) issuing comfort letters that grant companies "Qualified High Technology Business" (QHTB) status, a requirement for receiving Act 221 investment tax credits; and for (b) certifying the credits themselves so that they may be claimed on state income tax returns. The latter fee is only applied to investments over $25,000. The range for both types of fees is reportedly $100 to $1,000.

>> Fee added for Act 221 claims [PBN, 11/8/05]
>> §235-110.9 High technology business investment tax credit [Hawaii Revised Statutes]
>> High-Tech Tax Incentives [Hawaii Tax Dept. Site]

LVHIFF 2005: A Retrospective

It was the best of times, it was the best of times at the 2005 Louis Vuitton International Film Festival. That's what Tim Ryan reported in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin today. The fest is now "fulfilling its own hype as being one of the most highly regarded festivals in the United States." Here are some record-breaking numbers to prove it:

LVHIFF, the Festival
Films: 268
Countries Represented: 40
Official Guests: 600 (2x average #)
Event Days: 23
Sold-out Shows: 48 (vs. 15 last year)
Attendees: TBD, but more than last year's 65K
Stars and Luminaries: Bai Ling, Lee Byung-hun, Samuel L. Jackson, Zhang Yimou, Sonny Chiba, Roger Corman, Russell Boyd, Roger Ebert, and jurors Julie Delpy, Teddy Zee, and Kang Je-Gyu
Score!: "Brokeback Mountain" premiere

LVHIFF, the Organization
Full-Time Staff: 6 (year-round)
Festival Staff: 35
Volunteers: 250
Budget: $1.2 million per year
Sponsors: Include Louis Vuitton ($150K), Hawaii Tourism Authority ($100K), Sheraton, Regal Entertainment Group, Hawaiian Airlines, Commercial Data Systems, Honolulu Star-Bulletin/MidWeek, Honolulu Magazine, the State Legislature, Hawaii Film Office, Maui Film Office, Kauai Film Office, Honolulu Film Office, and Big Island Film Office. The organization receives about $400K in in-kind services.

>> Film festival celebrates many 'firsts' [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 11/8/05]
>> Hawaii Fest Reaches Milestone in 25th Year With Increased Visibility and Record Attendance [IndieWIRE, 11/2/05]

>> 2005 LVHIFF PHOTO ALBUM

RELATED POSTS (all LVHIFF 2005 posts):
>> Samuel L. Jackson Gets LVHIFF Acting Award
>> $20 for Sam Jackson
>> LVHIFF is Over! (Almost)
>> Korea Fever at LVHIFF
>> LVHIFF Blog Up (Finally)!
>> Four LVHIFF Films Vie for Foreign Film Oscar Nom
>> Warning: Shameless Self-Promotion
>> LVHIFF Report: Politics, Identity and Otherwise
>> LVHIFF Report: Broken Chairs & Boozy Schmoozing
>> Hawaii Independents
>> LVHIFF Report: Film Good, Video Bad
>> LVHIFF Kicks Off
>> U.S. Indies at LVHIFF
>> Hawaii Film Panorama at LVHIFF
>> Coming Soon: HIFF

FREE Avid 3D Software Event

Post-production and editing software industry leader Avid is hosting a worldwide "3D-Love" tour to celebrate the latest version of its flagship 3D animation product, SOFTIMAGE XSI. They're stopping in Honolulu next week to demonstrate the product to all you filmmaker types. Here are the details:

Where: University of Hawaii at Manoa HIG Auditorium
When: Thursday November 17, from 7 - 9 PM
Food and refreshments provided!
More info: jgoldfin*at*Softimage.com or 808-223-0130

Click here to register for this FREE event

Samuel L. Jackson Gets LVHIFF Acting Award

Samuel L. Jackson, the highest-grossing actor in movie history (his films have reaped over $3B in worldwide box office receipts), received the inaugural "Achivement in Acting" Award from the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival on Friday. Tim Ryan of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin interviewed Jackson at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and opened the floor to questions from the audience.

Much to my dismay (and the dismay of LVHIFF film program coordinator Christian Razukas, who told me about this), no one asked Jackson about his suspension from Morehouse College in 1969 after he and some of his classmates took hostage several trustees, including the father of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, during a sit-in protesting the lack of a black studies program. Instead, the questions were more like, "Did you receive Jedi training before shooting 'Star Wars'?" and "Didn't you think it was a step backward to have your character 'Shaft' work for someone else instead of for himself like in the original 'Shaft'?" Oy!

>> Working It [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 11/5/05]
>> Film fest honors veteran actor [Hnl Advertiser, 11/6/05]
>> Samuel L. Jackson to receive acting award [AP/USA Today, 11/6/05]

RELATED POSTS:
>> $20 for Sam Jackson
>> Importing Animals to Hawaii

John Lennon Killer Flick, Take 2

Pretty boy Jared Leto to play Mark David Chapman

Jared Leto is going to play Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's killer, in a film written and directed by first timer Jarrett Schaeffer and produced by Toronto's Peace Arch Entertainment. The film, "Chapter 27," will begin shooting in NYC in January.

Lindsay Lohan will play a fictional Lennon fan who befriends Chapman before he kills her idol. Lohan's character was created as a plot device to help convey Chapman's motive for murder. Personally, I think shooting part of the film in Hawaii (where Chapman lived for a long time leading up to the murder) and casting an Asian American actress as Chapman's real-life Asian American wife Gloria Abe, would've been preferable, but what are you gonna do?

A few months ago, there was a British production crew here in Hawaii to shoot part of another Chapman biopic.

>> Film to explore the mind of John Lennon's killer [Reuters, 11/3/05]

RELATED POST:
>> Notorious H.N.L.

Europe on the Cheap

Steven Spielberg directs Eric Bana on the set of "Munich." In the background, Malta is playing Rome. (Photo: Joseph Spiteri via di-ve)

On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter did a round-up of European locations, using Steven Spielberg's upcoming "Munich" as a springboard to talk about trends in shooting in Europe. For "Munich," Spielberg shot Budapest for Paris, proving that even big-budget blockbusters keep a watchful eye on the bottom line.

With countries all over the world now offering financial incentives, new studio facilities, and cheap skilled labor, producers have more location choices than ever. According to Francois Ivernel of the UK's Pathe Pictures, location decisions are "a balance of three main parameters: hard cost, what the talent wants and the co-production possibilities."

Here's what some of the most attractive European locations are offering (according to THR):

Bulgaria
Recent Filmography: "The Contract" starring John Cusack and Morgan Freeman, "Nine Lives," "Control," "Les Choristes," Brian De Palma's "The Black Dahlia," "Rambo IV"
Government Incentives: None
Facilities & Services: Boyana Film Studios (opened 1962, 3 soundstages + 1 under construction, lab & tech) and Nu Image Bulgaria (1 soundstage, CGI studio with 60+ artists). Both studios are expected to merge soon.
Pros: Cheap despite no incentives, a "Balkan bargain basement"

Czech Republic
Recent Filmography: "Everything Is Illuminated," "The Bourne Identity," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe," "Oliver Twist," "Doom," NBC's "Revelations," "The Illusionist"
Government Incentives: None, but studying film industry's economic impact in hopes of developing some
Facilities & Services: Prague's Barrandov Studios (Central Europe's largest production complex w/11 soundstages) and Prague New Studios, plus service providers Stillking Films and Etic Films
Pros: Versatile locations, studio space, English-speaking, open borders
Cons: Not as cheap as it used to be due to dollar depreciation and increasing labor costs (though it's still only 25%-50% of London or L.A. crew costs)

France
Recent Filmography: Sofia Coppola's "Marie-Antoinette," Ron Howard's "The Da Vinci Code" Government Incentives: Generous film subsidies for projects with French co-producers
Facilities & Services: Many top-notch
Pros: Landscapes, open historical monuments, top-notch crews, studios and postproduction facilities, SFX experts, modern amenities
Cons: Pricey

Germany
Recent Filmography: Tom Tykwer's "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," "V for Vendetta," "Aeon Flux," "Downfall," "Amelie," "Flightplan"
Government Incentives: $103.6 million a year in subsidies, plus loans covering up to 20% of a film's budget (from a 3-yr $110M revolving fund) are available to German productions and international co-productions; Regional governments have their own subsidy systems; None for foreign productions, but reviewing proposals to introduce incentives like the UK's old sale-and-leasback system
Facilities & Services: Studio Babelsberg (great for big films), Bavaria Film (19 soundstages in Munich, 5 in Berlin, post facilities), Magic Media Co., Studio Hamburg, Studio Adlershof
Pros: Top-notch crews, studios and postproduction facilities, modern amenities
Cons: Pricey

Hungary
Recent Filmography: Steven Spielberg's "Munich," "Eragon," "Evita"
Government Incentives: 20% rebate to foreign productions for Hungary expenditures if local partner involved, $50M loan fund to develop infrastructure and studios
Facilities & Services: Stern Film Studio will open next year w/2 soundstages, another $180M megastudio being built near Budapest, Mafilm
Pros: Versatile and diverse locations, cheap, incentives

Romania
Recent Filmography: "7 Seconds," "Cold Mountain," "Seed of Chucky," "Razor's Edge," "Catacombs"
Government Incentives: None
Facilities & Services: Castel Film Studios, MediaPro Studios, Swipe Studios (13,500 s.f. of soundstages, TV production facilities)
Pros: Well-trained crews (~$50 million spent on film production services in Romania last year), cheap (average cost of feature production is 40%-60% lower vs. U.K. and 70% lower vs. U.S.), versatile locations
Cons: Lack of infrastructure (esp. roads)

Spain
Recent Filmography: "Kingdom of Heaven," "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," Antonio Banderas' "El Camino de los Ingleses"
Government Incentives: None
Facilities & Services: City of Lights (spanking new $328.4 million studio with 8 soundstages, water tank, large backlot, tech facilities, etc.)
Pros: Diverse landscapes, weather, relatively low costs for comfort and amenities

United Kingdom
Recent Filmography: "Stormbreaker," "Harry Potter" films, "Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction," "V for Vendetta"
Government Incentives: Production support from government-backed organization Film London
Facilities & Services: Pinewood Studios, Shepperton Studios, 3 Mills Studios, and Ealing Studios
Pros: World-class technicians and facilities, Film London, modern amenities
Cons: Pricey

>> Continental thrift [THR, 11/1/05]

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