Makana, a young Native Hawaiian man, struggles with his tenuous connection to his Hawaiian culture. When his girlfriend dies during childbirth, he is forced to complete a traditional indigenous birthing ritual with his girlfriend’s overbearing father. Together, they go on a journey that takes them down the long and winding roads of Hawaii island and up the tallest peaks of Mauna Kea in order to fulfill a promise and pave the path toward their uncertain future.
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MEET THE FILM MAKER - BRYSON KAINOA CHUN
Bryson Chun is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker who has produced award-winning short and feature films in Hawai’i that have gone on to screen for PBS, The Smithsonian Institution, The Criterion Collection, and at festivals all over the world. He was a writing fellow for Sundance, imagineNATIVE, LA Skins, and ‘Ohina Labs where he developed his Greenlight award-winning short Other People under the mentorship of Thor Ragnarok writer Eric Pearson. His tel
Sundance Labs: 20 Up-and-Coming Directors and Screenwriters Named for 2021 Fellowship
Signature workshops include 12 fellows for directors and screenwriters labs and nine fellows cultivating Native artists
Diane Haithman | May 10, 2021 @ 2:55 PM
Sundance
The Sundance Institute named on Monday the artists and projects for the first group of its upcoming summer labs. The group includes 12 fellows for the directors and screenwriters labs and nine artists participating in the Native and Indigenous lab which focuses on the development of storytellers from those backgrounds through feature film, episodic work and other pursuits. One artist will participate in both labs.
Elements of this year’s labs will take place digitally via Sundance Collab.