Drama features cast
of local teens

Making a feature-length movie is not your usual teen activity, but thanks to the help of three supportive moms behind the scenes, "Paradise Dreams" has become a reality.

"Paradise Dreams" Hawaii, part of the festival's Hawaii Panorama 4 showcase Playing at 8:15 p.m. tomorrow Details: HIFF runs through Oct. 31. Tickets are $8. Check the Web site hiff.org for a schedule, or call 528-4433.

It was definitely a labor of love in putting together this ambitious slice-of-life drama with an all-teen cast and crew. Director Tabitha Lester (who starred in her own 'Olelo public access series, "Tabby Tales TV") put her ensemble cast through the motions during a monthlong shoot in July to make this tale of tenuous friendships, good kids, bad kids and secret romances.

The 15-year-old Lester co-wrote the script with Kailua resident Courtney Ylen, 16.

Sandy Olmos, mom and co-CEO with Michelle Fridley and Kimm Geise of the optimistically named Consider It Done Productions, said that all of them were ready for the challenge to expand upon what was originally going to be a TV series for Oceanic Time Warner Cable.

"The teens involved come from all around the island," she said, "not just from one particular school. We even held auditions at 'Olelo, and we ended up with actors with either no or some experience."

One of the teens who did double duty in front and behind the camera is Kenneth Appelbaum, a recent Campbell High School grad. Besides a small part playing "hall monitor boy," Appelbaum's main responsibility as first assistant director to Lester was "to take care of the background actors and help the director."

Because of "Paradise Dreams'" becoming a feature-length movie, he said that "whatever we already filmed, we added some scenes, like one shot in Kapiolani (Medical Center), a couple of more party scenes at the family home of one of the principal cast members, and a cheer-leading scene."

Just out of high school, Appelbaum plans to develop his acting and comedic skills here before maybe moving out to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. "I've always dreamt of being an actor," the 18-year-old said, naming Chris Tucker, Jim Carrey and Dave Chappelle as his idols. "I just want to get in the business. ... In the meantime, I'm working on a screenplay where I'll be the lead. It'll be about two guys who trying to do something with their lives and, after seeing a billboard for a film festival, decide to make a movie for it. It's a comedy."

"It's amazing, the amount of dedication and enthusiasm these kids had to make this," Olmos said. "They proved that with your heart set on something, anything is possible. They all impressed me, considering where we started and where we ended. We all put in long hours, and nobody really complained. It took a lot of time and effort, and they did it."