The 2008 Maui Film Festival, to be held June 11-15, 2008 at the Wailea Resort and the state-of-the-art Maui & Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, will open with the film Bottle Shock and close with Down the Barrel at its under-the-stars Celestial Cinema. The Festival will also honor Pierce Brosnan, Felicity Huffman, Virgina Madsen and Dennis Quaid, who will attend to accept their awards. Now in its 9th year, the Maui Film Festival will carry on its tradition of presenting great film and great film artists, events, panels and more on one of the world's most beautiful islands.

Festival Director Barry Rivers said, “All of us on Maui are greatly honored to have this year’s ‘ohana (family) of luminaries, Pierce Brosnan, Felicity Huffman, Virginia Madsen and Dennis Quaid grace the Maui Film Festival at Wailea’s Intimate Conversations and Tributes. Their combined talent, energy and charisma will truly be a night to remember.”

AWARDS
The Festival will honor Pierce Brosnan, Virginia Madsen and Dennis Quaid on Thursday, June 12 at a tribute and intimate conversation at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Brosnan (Mama Mia, Die Another Day) will receive the Maverick Award, which honors a film artist for their commitment to making movies that matter and their efforts to work for both environmental justice and the triumph for all Life on Earth. Academy Award nominee Madsen (Sideways, The Astronaut Farmer) will receive the Navigator Award, which honors a film artist for carving a path of distinction through the turbulent waters of the entertainment industry without sacrificing their fundamental commitment to excellence. Past recipients include William Hurt and Greg Kinnear. Quaid (Far From Heaven, Vantage Point) will receive the Galaxy Award, which honors a film artist whose ongoing delivery of star-making performances forever guarantees a spotlight in the constellation of cinematic stardom. Past recipients include Joan Allen.

Academy Award nominee Felicity Huffman (Transamerica, “Desperate Housewives”) will receive the Nova Award on Friday, June 13. This award honors a film artist who’s stunningly original and seamless performances consistently infuse each character they play with unique insight and wisdom. Past recipients include Claire Danes. The Festival will also screen the film Phoebe in Wonderland which Huffman also stars in with Elle Fanning, Patricia Clarkson and Bill Pullman.

FILM SCREENINGS
Bottle Shock, will open this year’s Festival at the under-the-stars Celestial Cinema, an open air, Dolby Digital equipped outdoor theater, with a 50-foot wide screen, located at the Wailea Gold & Emerald Golf Course, on Wednesday, June 11. Based-on-a-true story, this dramedy recreates the early days of the California wine industry and the now infamous 1976 “Judgment of Paris,” a ‘blind’ wine tasting where California wines trumped the French and shocked the world. The film stars Bill Pullman, Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez, Eliza Dushku and Dennis Farina,

The Festival will close with the Celestial Cinema screening of Down the Barrel on Sunday, June 15. The film follows Kelly Slater's pursuit of an unprecedented eighth World Championship Tour title, Kalani Robb's insight into the North Shore's miracles, Joel Parkinson's demonstration of Australia's obsession with surfing, and Rob Machado's Zen approach to the sea from North Short Oahu to Tahiti, Australia, California and France in this spectacularly photographed adventure.

Other films screening as part of the Celestial Cinema program include: Encounters at the End of the World, director Werner Herzog’s documentary on Antarctica; The Fall directed by Tarsem; The Great Buck Howard starring John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt and Tom Hanks; Miss Conception starring Heather Graham; Young @ Heart, the documentary of the Young @ Heart choir whose average age is 82; and the world premieres of Hawaiian Starlight, a seven-years-in-the-making cinematic symphony shot in time-lapse using the telescopes on top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii and Water Man, a documentary featuring surfing legends Laird Hamilton and Gerry Lopez among others on an Indonesian journey in search of perfect waves.

For a complete list of films see the attached.

In addition to the Celestial Cinema, The Maui Film Festival offers four other distinct venues for attendees to enjoy. Additional outdoor venues are the oceanside SandDance Theatre on Wailea Beach, below the Four Seasons Resort and The Maui SkyDome on the rooftop of the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Indoor screenings take place at The Castle Theater and the McCoy Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) in Kahului.

EVENTS:
Maui Film Festival attendees will also continue to enjoy its signature culinary events. On Wednesday, June 11, there will be the Taste of the Islands Opening Night Twilight Reception at The Fairmont Kea Lani Maui. Thursday, June 12, the late night Starry Night MoonDance will take place at Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe at the Shops at Wailea. On Friday, June 13 the Taste of Chocolate will be held at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. Then on Saturday, June 14, the culinary artists of Wailea Resort will also present the Taste of Wailea overlooking the Celestial Cinema at the Wailea Gold & Emerald Golf Courses. Finally on Sunday June 15, Makana will performa a special Father’s Day Concert at the Celestial Cinema.

The 2008 Annual Maui Film Festival at Wailea will be held June 11-15, 2008. For additional information, call the Film Festival Headquarters at (808) 572-3456 or visit www.mauifilmfestival.com.

The 2008 Maui Film Festival sponsors are PREMIER SPONSOR: Starz; OFFICIAL SPONSORS: Hawaii Tourism Authority, Heineken, Ameriprise; MAJOR SPONSORS: Wailea Golf LLC, The Fairmont Kea Lani Maui, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa, Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Baccarat Wailea Resort & Residences, Diamond Resort Hawaii, Destination Resorts Hawaii, The Shops at Wailea, and Alexander & Baldwin; INDUSTRY SPONSORS: Maui Film Office, Hawaii Film Office, Variety, Picture Mill, FotoKem, The Hollywood Reporter, Dolby, The Friedman Group and Netflix; SPONSORSHIP 'OHANA: Tommy Bahama, Capische?, Mana Foods, Fiji Water, Hawaii Organic Ocean Vodka and SeaWatch Restaurant; KAMA'AINA 'OHANA: Hawaii Style Magazine, Modern Luxury Hawaii, Roberts Hawaii, Rising Sun Solar, HILuxury, Wailea Beach Villas, Maui Economic Development Board, Spectracolor, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, 101 Things to Do, This Week Maui and Roots.