Moanalua grad will film war vet's tale

MOANALUA HIGH School graduate Paul Booth, 28, will start shooting his short film "Empty Streets" in Modesto, Calif., next month. It tells the story of Hawaii-based Iraq war veteran Ely Kalilikane, who attended Moanalua with Booth. Actor Tony Haviland of Maui will play Kalilikane, and Desiree Duclayan-Parsonson of Kauai will co-star. Booth said the film will resemble "Taxi Driver" and cover one man's reaction to the emotional and physical consequences of the war. All of the action will take place in one evening.

"We're looking to shed light on something that's happening to more guys than we'll ever know," Booth said in a telephone interview from his home in Sacramento. Booth, who lived in Hawaii for 15 years and moved in 2005, founded the Hawaii Student Film Festival and produced the DVD "Blood of the Samurai," "Ninja EX" on OC 16 and the video "Ghost Game." He hopes to finish shooting and editing "Empty Streets" before the Hawaii International Film Festival's submission deadline in July.

"FLIGHT 29 Down" began filming its third season on Monday in Mokuleia. The Discovery Kids series "proves that you can make a hit No. 1 TV series in Hawaii at a reasonable cost and not sacrifice the quality or wonderful talent in front of or behind the camera," said executive producers Gina and Rann Watumull. The half-hour drama follows a group of teenagers stranded in Micronesia after their plane crashes. It stars Corbin Bleu of "High School Musical" and Hallee Hirsch of "Grey's Anatomy" and "ER." Writer DJ MacHale's script was nominated for a 2007 Writers Guild of America Award; winners will be announced Feb. 11 in Los Angeles.

HONOLULU Symphony Pops conductor Matt Catingub will host a one-hour television special on KGMB called "Romance in Hawaii." The show will air at 9 p.m. Feb. 20 and will highlight couples -- both famous and ordinary -- along with love songs performed by Amy Hanaialii Gilliom, Jimmy Borges, Jake Shimabukuro, Catingub and his orchestra. Couples featured include singer Karen Keawehawaii and her husband, Jackie Farias; legendary surfer Buffalo Keaulana and his wife, Momi; Tihati Productions owners Cha and Jack Thompson; as well as news personalities Kim Gennaula and Guy Hagi.

WITH HOLLYWOOD veteran Chris Lee at the helm, the University of Hawaii Academy for Creative Media has partnered with "Lost" producers to create a student internship on the ABC show. Ten UH students have been chosen to rotate through the production, art, locations, assistant directors and wardrobe departments, giving them valuable hands-on experience for future careers in film and television.

"Screen Time" is an occasional feature in the Today section. E-mail knichols@starbulletin.com.