WAIKAPU – As Maui County continues the search for its next film commissioner, Hawaii State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson stressed the importance of finding someone who will be able to “bridge the gap” for industry producers while still respecting the sensitivities of Hawaiian culture.
“It is important to understand that Maui County is unlike any other county in the state in that it is four distinct islands within one county umbrella. You cannot compare Molokai to Lanai to Kahoolawe to Maui. They are all different and have to be considered differently when it comes to film production,” Dawson said Tuesday night. “You need to have a person who can balance the interests of the industry with the divergent interests of our communities, our culture as Native Hawaiians and our natural environment, and trying to make all those pieces fit together is not the easiest thing in the world.”
Dawson, who manages and oversees the Oahu office, which serves as the first point of contact for all film production throughout the Hawaiian Islands, was the guest speaker at the dinner hosted by the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce and attended by members, county officials and industry professionals.
The opening of Maui Film Studios this year, the annual Maui Film Festival and the “competitive” tax incentive that was increased this year all have helped position Maui to “take this industry to the next level,” Dawson said. The tax credit, which gives the producer back 25 percent of all expenditures on the Neighbor Islands (the tax credit for productions filmed on Oahu is 20 percent) is instrumental in drawing more productions to the islands, she said.
“There is a perception out there that production is difficult on Maui, or that we don’t have the proper infrastructure to handle productions,” Dawson said in an interview after the meeting. “The goal is to reset the platform, and also play to Maui’s strengths by showcasing the diversity that exists here. . . . The focus needs to be on proving to the industry that Maui County is open and ready to do business.”
But attracting the right sorts of productions also is “a fine line” to walk, and one that is ultimately influenced by a film commissioner, Dawson said.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the filming of the first productions in Hawaii – “The Shark God” (1913) and “Hawaiian Love” (1913) – but through the years since, “it has not all been pretty,” Dawson said.
“We have had 100 years of being misrepresented and misunderstood in the media, and I really believe that’s changing, but I think that’s incumbent upon us as Hawaiians to really pay attention to how we are showcased throughout the world,” she said.
A film commissioner, she said, should know how to navigate the high pressures of the film industry but also have the local community’s interests at heart.
Maui County officials announced last week that the county was seeking applicants for the film commissioner position, which pays from $60,000 to $65,000 annually. For the past 2 years, Harry Donenfeld had held the position. No explanation was given by county officials or Donenfeld as to why the position became vacant.
Donenfeld was not named in the county announcement, though Mayor Alan Arakawa did credit “our last film commissioner” with taking “us to the next level by providing a full-service county website for the film community, helping to establish the Maui Film Studio and lobbying the Legislature to increase film tax credits.”
Donenfeld told The Maui News after Tuesday’s meeting that he was “under obligation by the county not to answer” the question of why he is no longer the county film commissioner. He did say that one of his proudest achievements in his role as film commissioner was establishing a protocol for filming on Molokai. Last year, a production company from Germany sought to film a thriller movie on the island, which is laden with sacred and historical sites. The idea was highly contested by the local community.
“One of the greatest challenges, and in the end best reward, was Molokai. . . . We created a protocol for Molokai that if a production wants to film there they have to go through the Aha Kiole (cultural advisory committee) and all the way through the community to be approved. That way, Molokai can benefit from an industry, which means food, money, jobs,” Donenfeld said.
Filming on Molokai, and in Hawaii, is oftentimes a challenge because Mainland producers are not familiar with Hawaii’s fiercely sacred traditions or cultural values, local industry professionals said.
“Dealing with the film industry can be tricky. They can be very powerful and do things that aren’t good for the people or the land,” Maui Film Studios owner Socrates Buenger told The Maui News on Wednesday. “One of the things I’m looking for is someone who knows Hawaii, understands the complex environment and people here. Another priority is having contacts in the industry. In this business, it’s all about who you know.”
Buenger is part of the nine-member search committee that has been tasked with evaluating and interviewing qualified applicants for the county film commissioner position. Other committee members include actor and screenwriter Owen Wilson, USA Network executive Jackie De Crinis, show business industry veteran Shep Gordon, actor Branscombe Richmond and On Location Services owner and location manager Glenn Beadles, according to the county announcement.
The committee also includes Maui County Economic Development Director Teena Rasmussen, Department of Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Brianne Savage and county spokesman Rod Antone, Buenger said.
The committee is hoping to find a commissioner, or at least make a job offer to a candidate, by the end of the month, Rasmussen told The Maui News on Wednesday. Her office has been receiving applications “at a pretty good rate,” some which came in the same day the announcement was sent out. The committee will evaluate each application and then interview the top candidates, she said.
“First and foremost, we’re looking for someone who understands film production, the language, tight deadlines,” Rasmussen said. “We’re looking for that hands-on person that smoothes the way for film projects. Cultural sensitivity, of course, is also very desirable.”
The deadline for applications is Monday. Applicants may send email to econom ic.development@mauicoun ty.gov or call the Office of Economic Development at 270-7710.
For a full job description,visit hi-mauicounty.civicplus. com/jobs.
* Eileen Chao can be reached at echao@mauinews.com.
