HONOLULU (KHON) – A local filmmaker and La Pietra alum is bringing a uniquely Hawaiʻi story to the screen at this year’s Hawaii International Film Festival.
Director Yana Aliata di Montereale’s debut feature, “Reeling,” is nominated for Best Made in Hawai’i Feature, the only narrative film in that category.
Shot entirely in Hawaiʻi, the film captures the emotional depth and beauty of island life through a psychological family drama.
Yana made her first feature film directorial debut at South by Southwest (SXSW) earlier this year, where she says she was honored to share a Hawaiʻi-based story with new audiences.
“I set out to make a tiny movie in my friend’s backyard with my Ohana,” she said. “So I was honored to premiere it at SXSW, where mainland audiences rarely see psychological family dramas set in Hawaiʻi.”
The film follows a young man struggling to reconnect with old friends after an accident alters his memory. As a backyard luau unfolds, the night takes a darker turn, leading him to remember the moment his life changed and uncover who was involved.
“I wrote the script after a real-life luau that inspired the story,” Yana explained.
Cinematographer Rafael Leyva, a Puerto Rican islander, helped Yana capture the unique mood of the film.
“We wanted it to feel timeless, like a memory,” she said. “We aimed for beauty that still carried a sense of unease, like something was lurking behind the foliage of this relaxed aloha Friday setting.”
Yana cast a mix of professional and first-time local actors, including friends and family members, to bring authenticity to the film.
“To tell a local story truthfully, I wanted people who lived it — people who understood the rituals of a luau, the food blessing, the body surfing,” she said. “We used a lot of improvisation to keep it real and organic.”
“Reeling” will screen at Kahala Consolidated Theatres on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. and on Oct. 20 at noon.
Tickets and more information are available at HIFF.org.