COURTESY OF LVHIFF Malia Verdadero stars in the local short "Kamea."

‘Kamea’ is local effort

One of the anticipated local shorts playing during the festival is "Kamea," set on the North Shore and shot around Oahu, with all but one of the cast members being local kids who had never acted before. Filmmaker Jennifer Akana-Sturla says "I've had a lot of compliments about the 'natural young actors,' who are from Waipahu, Mililani, and Haleiwa."

"Kamea" is described as a mystical coming-of-age story about Kamea (Malia Verdadero), a teenage Hawaiian girl living on the North Shore who falls in love with Thomas (Maui Laigo), a cute surfer boy who's obsessed with the legendary icon Duke Kahanamoku. Kamea studies up on the Duke to impress Thomas, but when her attempts to pique his interest fail, she makes her own connection to Kahanamoku and gains a sense of self.

Akana-Sturla says she "was raised in suburban Los Angeles, but my mom is from the Big Island, and Hawaii is my other home. I spent lots of time there growing up, mostly at my auntie's house in Kailua -- she teaches at Kalaheo High School -- going to summer camp, and so forth. I am Hawaiian-Chinese-haole. My Hawaiian grandfather was from Waipio Valley, they were all taro farmers, living the old ways, and my film certainly comes out of the close connection I feel to Hawaii, Hawaiians and local people."

"Kamea" was her thesis film for the Film & Television Production graduate program at the University of Southern California. Akana-Sturla was partly mentored on the project by "Blue Crush" director John Stockwell and "Riding Giants" writer Sam George. Her director of photography was classmate Anne Misawa.

"Kamea" will receive its world premiere at 6:45 p.m. tomorrow at Sunset on the Beach (see Page 27) and will screen again during the Hawaii Panorama 7 showcase at the Dole Cannery cineplex at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26.