Hawaii International Film Festival 2009

Directed and produced by Anne Misawa (TREELESS MOUNTAIN, HIFF 2008), STATE OF ALOHA traces the journey of Hawai'i's fifty years of statehood through over thirty key interviews. Interviewees cover a representative span of the Hawai'i population, including witnesses from the political arena, arts and entertainment, business, and academia. STATE OF ALOHA represents the culmination of a larger research project entitled the Hawai'i Statehood Project, prepared by the University of Hawai'i's Academy for Creative Media back in 2004. In addition, the film provided an opportunity for ACM students to work alongside professionals on all aspects of production. Anchored by personal stories, the motivating paths toward statehood are addressed as well as the legacy left behind.