COURTESY IMAGE Film star Mike Myers will be among the A-list guests at the film festival. Also appearing will be actors Jake Gyllenhaal, William H. Macy, Helen Hunt, and the brothers Luke, Owen and Andrew Wilson.

Maui Movie Magic

Mike Myers and Helen Hunt
are among the stars to attend

Maui Film Festival Dates: Wednesday through Sunday Place: Maui Arts & Cultural Center and various venues in Wailea, Maui Tickets: $10 and $20, depending on venue. Separate admission for dining events and parties. Information: 808-572-3456 (FILM) or visit www.mauifilmfestival.com Getting tickets Prices: $20 at Celestial Cinema, $10 all other venues, $40 for tributes Call: 808-572-3456 (FILM) Online orders: www.mauifilmfestival.com To purchase in person: Visit Borders Books & Music, Kahului; the Shops at Wailea; Wailea Gold & Emerald Pro Shop; Wailea Resort concierge desks At the door: Tickets available one hour prior to each show. Passes Shooting Star: $300 for all films, two nights of tributes, three Filmmakers Panels and Father's Day Concert Comet: $750 for all films, opening-night TwiLight Reception, Big Bang Opening Night Party, Taste of Chocolate, Starry Night MoonDance, Taste of Wailea, three nights of tributes, three Filmmakers Panels, Father's Day Concert and Starz! Cosmic Closing Night Audience Awards Party Galaxy: $2,500 for all of the above plus reserved seating at Castle, McCoy and Sky Dome theaters; admission to private reception at Spago at the Four Seasons Resort; VIP Filmmakers Brunch; Honorees Brunch; private VIP party admission; and VIP Celestial Cinema parking

WAILEA, MAUI » Six years ago, Maui Film Festival creator-director Barry Rivers worried whether an untested event in the middle of the Pacific would attract anyone besides local film lovers, tourists in the immediate area and a handful of Hollywood movers and shakers he'd lure with round-trip tickets from Tinsel Town.

The first June film gala didn't make money, but it didn't lose much, either, and it received lots of attention from entertainment media like Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, Associated Press and "E" Entertainment channel.

Rivers' biggest coup was getting live coverage on CNN and Tommy Bahama as the major sponsor last year. The cable-news network featured Maui more than 30 times through one weekend, with most stories connected to the festival.

This year's publicity prize is getting the Starz Entertainment Group -- one of the largest providers of premium movie services in America -- to sponsor the festival's Audience Awards and Cosmic Closing Night Party. The five Audience Awards -- for narrative feature, documentary feature, narrative short, documentary short and world cinema -- will be presented at the Cosmic Closing Night Party based on audience votes for the 60-plus films to be screened. SEG will also present a special award for short-form filmmaking at the closing-night party.

"In just six years the Maui Film Festival has earned a place among the top film festivals in the world," said Jerry Maglio, SEG's executive vice president of marketing.

Rivers called SEG's involvement "a gratifying vote of confidence ... because these folks live, breathe and dream movies 24 hours a day on 13 different channels. If anybody knows films, it's the folks at Starz."

Starz will film interviews with celebrities attending this year's event to run between films on the Starz services, and as bonus short features on Starz on Demand and Starz Ticket.

"Our viewers love movies, and they enjoy seeing the events and celebrities that make the film industry," Maglio said.

THE FIRST Maui Film Festival attracted just 1,500 attendees. This year, more than 22,000 are expected to attend the event, running Wednesday through Sunday, and the optimistic Rivers believes the festival can grow by another 10,000 without losing its "specialness."

"It will happen," he said.

"Mad Hot Ballroom" "March of the Penguins" "The Land Has Eyes"

The list of celebrities expected this year is the most extensive in the event's history, but if there was a moment when the festival came of age, it was year four, when Anthony Hopkins was to accept the festival's top award, the Silversword. The Academy Award winner canceled just 24 hours before the ceremony, causing a crisis that could have seriously damaged the festival's reputation. The ceremony had been sold out for weeks, and major publications had reported his acceptance.

Actor Adrien Brody would be attending the festival just after winning the Best Actor Oscar for his role in "The Pianist." Rivers cornered him at a table at Spago and convinced him to step in to accept the Silversword Award.

Rivers needn't worry about no-shows or lack of coverage anymore. Organizations reporting on the event this year include Forbes.com, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, US magazine and the Associated Press. VH1 Classic is sending a a crew of six to tape segments to air before its July 4 holiday specials.

More than 100 studio executives and publicists will attend, including Lions Gate's president, Tom Ortenberg.

There will be more award tributes, panel discussions and A-list guests than ever, including Jake Gyllenhaal, William H. Macy, Mike Myers, Helen Hunt and the brothers Wilson: Luke, Owen and Andrew. (See tribute schedule.)

It's never simple to lock down actors because of their busy schedules, but Myers and Hunt are frequent Wailea-area visitors.

"The aloha of the people of Maui, combined with the stunning natural beauty of the island, have made Maui my home away from home for many years," Myers said. "It's a unique and distinct pleasure to head home and be honored."

An incentive for the Owens trio was their comedic drama "The Wendell Baker Story," screening at the Celestial Cinema. Gyllenhaal's attendance could have been influenced by the screening of his sister Maggie's dramedy, "Happy Endings." Myers, Hunt, the Owens and Jake Gyllenhaal are all receiving tributes.

"We believe these are people's talent and work ethic places them in a category that transcends mere celebrity," Rivers said. "They are the real deal."

Rivers and his wife, Stella, festival co-director, still avoid showing Hollywood blockbusters because most don't fit the festival's philosophy of showcasing films that endorse "living a life of righteousness, have a positive intent for the environment, social activism, freedom of artistic and political expression, and present an honest look at the political realities of our time."

"This festival continues to celebrate cinema's magical ability to simultaneously entertain and enlighten us on the human condition and the issues of the day," Rivers said. "Each year, the films we present exemplify compassionate vision and life-affirming storytelling."

That ideal allows the festival to embrace diverse local independent films, many highlighting Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. Some of this year's offerings include "The Land Has Eyes," set on Fiji's Rotuma island; Edgy Lee's "The Hawaiians: Reflecting Spirit"; "Hula Girls," a history of the stereotype; and "Kamakakehua: The Precious Gift" featuring the rich legacy of Hawaiian falsetto singing.

In lieu of gift bags, the festival will make a contribution on behalf of the VIPs and attendees to the Maui Food Bank and Film Aid International, a group that augments the United Nations' refugee work around the world.

Make no mistake. Rivers is a reincarnation of P.T. Barnum. While films remain the focus, Rivers knows the Hollywood set expects parties, lavish food, cultural events and offbeat activities, which have all been expanded.

One thing that will never change, Rivers says, is the Celestial Cinema venue.

"You cannot improve on perfection," he said. "You cannot find a venue under the stars where the image looks any better or the sound is any clearer."