A new film competition aimed at fostering local creativity made its debut on Maui last month, drawing filmmakers and community members to Lahaina for a showcase of original short films on March 29.

Hisako Film Lab launched its inaugural Fast Kine Maui 4-Day Film Challenge from March 25-29, culminating in a premiere event at The Fuzz Box.

The challenge invited high school, college and adult filmmakers to write, shoot and edit short films within four days. Participants worked individually or in teams of up to five and were given a prompt at the start of the competition.

Seventeen entries were submitted in the inaugural event, highlighting a range of storytelling styles and perspectives from across Maui.

“Fast Kine is a high-energy, full-throttle, weird, wacky and delirious film challenge, it’s the most fun you’ll ever have making a movie,” Hisako Film Lab Co-Director Brad Kester said. “It was incredible to see how many people jumped into the challenge and turned out at the premiere party. The atmosphere was electric. I think people were eager for something like this — just an excuse to have fun and make something.”

The premiere featured screenings of the films along with food, photos and prizes for participants and attendees.

Joe Abella won the $500 grand prize for his film “Is That My Plate Lunch?” created with actress Alohi Vega Alvarado. The audience choice award went to Manuel Dukelow and actor Kaiku Ferreira for their film “The Mattverse.”

All participating filmmakers also received a waiver code to submit their films to the upcoming Wailuku Film Festival this June.

Maui Film Commissioner Brian Kohne said the event reflects growing interest in filmmaking on the island.

“Hisako Film Lab provides vital infrastructure for our nascent motion picture industry by finding the high school students motivated to tell story, and empowering their voices with mentorship and opportunity,” Kohne said. “Maui’s hunger to collaborate and originate regional work is far more profound than one might imagine.”

Organizers said the challenge was designed to provide an accessible opportunity for filmmakers of all experience levels to collaborate and share their work.

The event was supported by the county and the Maui Film Office.

Hisako Film Lab is now accepting applications for its annual Summer Lab program for high school students eager to elevate their filmmaking skills from June 9-July 3. Applications are available at hisakofilmlab.org.

In May, Fuzz Box Productions will be launching Game-On Maui, the first ever island-wide Super Mario Kart tournament, hosting a series of “hometown” competitions in Lahaina, Wailuku, Hana, Kihei, Makawao and Paia before culminating in a grand finale in Kahului. Registration is available at fuzzboxproductions.com.