Level 33 has acquired Christopher Kahunahana‘s “Waikiki” for theatrical and digital release. The film will be released in theaters across the country on Oct. 27.
“We are excited to share ‘Waikiki’ with audiences across North America. This is an emotional and potent narrative that comments on the enduring, stereotypical image of paradise to reveal a vulnerable and authentic portrait of indigeneity,” said Andreas Olavarria, president and CEO of Level 33 Entertainment.
“Waikiki,” which is Hawaiian filmmaker Kahunahana’s feature debut, won the Grand Jury Award at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. The logline reads: “When a Native Hawaiian hula dancer escaping her abusive boyfriend crashes her beat-up van into a mysterious homeless man, she finds herself flung into a surrealistic journey of self-exploration and enlightenment.” The film explores the generational trauma of postcolonial cultures through the mixing of genre conventions, experimental storytelling and perspectives, according to the release.
“I’m thrilled that ‘Waikiki’ has landed with Level 33 and will be able to reach audiences in cinemas. In reality, Hawaiʻi is far different than the glossy misrepresentation presented in Hollywood films,” Kahunahana said in a statement. “It’s been a long and very personal journey with this film, which wrestles with the repercussions of colonialism and land dispossession. For me, cinema has been a means of exploring individual and National agency and sovereignty through story and image. I am so grateful to Level 33 and can’t wait to share it with people on the big screen.”
Level 33 is a Los Angeles-based global content sales and distribution company dedicated to promoting diverse voices in independent film.
Watch the trailer for “Waikiki” below.