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Dinner and a movie Maui-style

Along with life-affirming films, Maui Film Festival tantalizes the tastebuds with dining ‘Tastes’

By CATHERINE KENAR 10 min read

As the sun slows its daily journey across the sky signaling the return of summer, Maui throws back its heavy blanket after a dreary, rainy and quite chilly winter season, and rouses from its quaint island lifestyle and pace to host what is endearingly known as a "jewel-box festival" among those in the entertainment industry.

For five glorious days this month, June 12 through 16, Maui Film Festival presents hand-selected films for residents and visitors alike as it has done for the past 19 years. These life-affirming films remind audiences that despite all of our differences, humanity is still pretty wonderful.

That said, those in the know understand tickets to these films are not the only ones worth tendering. Along with 23 feature films and 24 shorts screened at the renowned Celestial Cinema in Wailea and Castle Theater at Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, and two free premieres open to all at Toes in the Sand Cinema at Wailea Beach on Friday, June 14, MFF throws three of the best shindigs found anywhere in the world.

"Life should be a celebration. And from year one, we've dovetailed the two things that nearly any film festival around the world that becomes a household name celebrates -- both brilliant cinema and life well lived," shared MFF Founder and Director Barry Rivers. "We wanted to create the most relaxing, refreshing and rejuvenating film festival we could."

Launching the festival from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, Taste of Summer is hosted by Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort. Be sure to enter with an empty stomach and loose-fitting clothes (de rigueur attire for all MFF food fetes). Executive Chef Ryan Urig and his staff have prepared a "feastival" presented at stations around Chapel Lawn grounds. Enjoy 24-hour smoked brisket sliders kissed with kiawe bean molasses barbecue sauce, nestled on butter rolls and topped with summer slaw; Malama Farm pork belly topped with mango, green papaya and finger lime; and Kauai shrimp tostada, accented with Kula avocado, Tiger's Milk sauce and cilantro. For vegetarians or those just wanting a lighter bite, try the Kula beet and peach salad, with Surfing Goat cheese and mint, or the summer salad of local tomatoes, cucumber, fennel and herbs. Sushi by Tadashi offers assorted rolls and nigiri, along with assorted poke and a crudo action station.

Leave room for dessert. Executive Pastry Chef Fabrice Benezit will delight the sweet tooth with pineapple flambe rum cake, served with a side of coconut sorbet; lilikoi tart; mango verrine; and an indulgent petit-four chocolate financier.

"There's not a better way to launch the Maui Film Festival than to be a few dozen yards away from the ocean reconnecting with longtime friends and meeting new ones from all points on the compass," enthused Rivers. "Better yet, doing it with pitch-perfect Hawaiian music filling the air and a fresh as could be farm- and ocean-to-table nouvelle cuisine 'luau' to let you know where you are -- Maui!"

Ticket and pass holders to all Taste events are allowed entry to that evening's luminary tributes, films and festivities at Celestial Cinema.

After TOS, beginning at 7:30 p.m., the Nova Award Tribute will be presented to actor Paul Rudd and the Visionary Award to award-winning cinematographer, director and producer Louie Schwartzberg, prior to the start of the night's two films, "Fantastic Fungi: The Magic Beneath Us," directed by Schwartzberg, and "Stuffed."

On Thursday, Taste of Chocolate attendees can experience the awarding of the Navigator Award to Peabody Award-winning actress Gina Rodriguez, best known for her lead role in "Jane the Virgin." You'll even have time to view the first film at Celestial Cinema, "Wild Rose," before making your way to Four Seasons Resort Maui for TOC from 10 p.m. to midnight. Wend your way down to the dream-like entrance of a dessert fantasyland, which welcomes those ready for chocolate overload -- as if that is such a thing.

Executive Pastry Chef Riccardo Menicucci and his pastry team have pulled out all the stops for this year's TOC, embracing the inspiration sparked by Guittard chocolate.

"I can't wait to show attendees what we've been working on, spark their curiosity and excite their palates," relayed Menicucci. "Expect the unexpected -- with some desserts inspired by my Italian heritage, but with a modern twist. It will be really fun, and of course, delicious. This event is a pastry chef's dream."

Four dedicated stations line the periphery of TOC. Station No. 1 will present a "Fake Donut" of milk chocolate, strawberry, caramel and vanilla ice cream. Station No. 2 offers a milk chocolate souffle served with banana ice cream. Moving to Station No. 3, enjoy a dark chocolate semifreddo with hot coffee sauce and a chocolate half-sphere. Station No. 4 is where you'll find a liquid nitro lollipop, composed of white chocolate creme fraiche, lemon and blackberry.

Additional buffet tables placed around the space will be lined with a variety of bites including chocolate tortino with salted caramel and peanuts; an atlas of praline with three chocolates; a white chocolate and raspberry semifreddo; a lilikoi tortino with dark chocolate; a Grand Marnier and dark chocolate baba; a Black Forest cherry mousse with dark chocolate; a milk chocolate and hazelnut sable; dark chocolate and coconut millefoglie; and a lemon, strawberry and white chocolate torta.

Beverage Manager Ben Yabrow will create a special cocktail with Maui Brewing Co. Coconut Hiwa Porter, aged rum, Campari, passion-fruit honey, cacao and lime -- yummy.

If you hear the sound of running liquid, make haste to the chocolate Zen garden with edible gray rock (pistachio), blue-gray rock (coconut) and black rock (vanilla and lilikoi). For those not interested in eating "rocks," there will be a traditional chocolate fountain with plenty of fresh fruit, a strawberry dipping sauce, lilikoi and coconut for garnish.

"From the second year, the Four Seasons Resort Maui stepped up to create the panoramic treat for the senses that is the Taste of Chocolate," attested Rivers. "They have consistently created a virtual 'Cirque du Chocolat' where their culinary arts display mind-bendingly beautiful concoctions with familiar and exotic tastes that speak volumes for why the world is in love with chocolate. All of this, and always a surprising savory treat or two as a palette cleanser to keep things interesting for all."

Saturday, June 15, presents the granddaddy of MFF culinary celebrations -- Taste of Wailea, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Wailea Golf Academy.

"Some of the best chefs on Maui, make that the planet, come together to offer heavy pupu and spectacular flavorful desserts. Located on the promontory above the Celestial Cinema that overlooks the vast Pacific and setting sun --îthe melange of the food and sweets and libations flowing like mana from heaven, make this 'Taste' the crown jewel of the festival's parties and culinary celebrations," enthused Rivers.

Each restaurant offers two selections, and you may have as many of each as you want. For the lucky people who didn't wait to get their highly sough-after ticket, prepare yourself to eat until you are tired or full -- whichever comes first.

The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea is preparing hamachi tataki with smoked brioche and avocado and a butter guava macadamia nut tart. Matteo's Osteria presents a savory lemon cannoli, filled with Hawaiian snapper mousse and pistachio along with saffron carnoroli risotto Milanese, veal ossobuco and gremolata.

Spago offers Puna chicken siu mai dumplings with peanuts and dan dan sauce along with Maui Gold pineapple carpaccio, coconut tapioca and forbidden rice. The Pint & Cork tavern serves Hawaiian-style gazpacho with ahi tartare, and lobster salad spears with butter poached lobster, hearts of palm and roasted red peppers tossed with lavender vinaigrette on Belgian endive spears.

Fairmont Kea Lani delights with Korean-spiced tiger prawns served with micro greens, Kula corn and scallion cakes, and vodka-spiked French macaron, yuzu caramel vanilla bean semifreddo and Kula berry compote. Grand Wailea's Bistro Molokini and Humuhumunukunukuapua'a tempts with popcorn mochiko chicken accented with miso foie gras emulsion, pickled Maui onion and furikake, and sugarcane-skewered shrimp, rubbed with lemongrass and cilantro, finished with calamansi glaze and atsara relish.

Ferraro's Bar e Ristorante treats diners with housemade ricotta tortelloni "cacio e pepe" with smoked peppercorn, and tomato water risotto "arrancini" with tonnato sauce. Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman satisfies taste buds with pulled pork sandwiches, topped with housemade barbecue sauce, crispy fried onions, butter lettuce and MPK slaw, and poisson cru ceviche, mixed with Zuhair tomatoes, cucumber, lime juice and coconut milk.

Ruth's Chris Steak House entices with beef ravioli with barbecue butter, and its famous white chocolate bread pudding with sweet cream. Tommy Bahama serves New Orleans seafood gumbo filled with Kauai shrimp, Kona lobster, andouille sausage and dirty rice, and hamachi poke finished with Hawaiian chili pepper water, ogo, avocado, Ho Farms tomatoes and wakame.

Fabiani's Italian Restaurant rounds out the list and delights palates with homemade ravioli aragosta with spicy crema rosa and Kula zucchini ragout, and its acclaimed ube macarons with white chocolate ganache and s'mores macarons with chocolate ganache and vanilla bean toasted marshmallow.

"While there are a few key people who pull the puzzle pieces together to mount each year's Maui Film Festival, to be clear it literally takes hundreds and hundreds of talented filmmakers, Wailea Resort executives and their staffs, nut and bolts mavens of all stripes, talents and skill sets who make the 'trains,' so to speak, volunteers, independent contractors, assorted whizzes and geniuses and the spectacularly talented Jeanine [Thomason], Bob [Craver] and Keith [Ranney], and I wouldn't want to and couldn't do all this without any of them," thankfully acknowledged Rivers.

After TOW, head down to Celestial Cinema for Saturday's Shining Star Tribute for Awkwafina, best known for her scene-stealing performances in "Ocean's 8" and "Crazy Rich Asians."

This year's libations sponsors for the festival are Grey Goose vodka and Maui Brewing Co. All Taste events are for those 21 and older only.

For a schedule of films to be screened or to purchase tickets and passes, go online to www.mauifilmfestival.com.

Maui Film Festival at Wailea

June 12 to 16

Taste of Summer: Early evening launch party kicks off official opening from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 12 at Grand Wailea Chapel Lawn. Entertainment provided by Ah Tim.

Taste of Chocolate: A dessert fantasyland with an express ticket to chocolate nirvana from 10 p.m. to midnight, Thursday, June 13 at Four Seasons Resort Maui. Entertainment provided by Indio & Avi

Taste of Wailea: "Granddaddy" of MFF culinary celebrations offers food, sweets and libations like mana from heaven from 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday, June 15 at Wailea Golf Academy. Entertainment provided by Brazilian Duo Maui

All Taste events are for those 21 years and older.

Note: Single tickets are available for Taste of Summer and Taste of Chocolate but they are going fast. Single tickets for Taste of Wailea have sold out, but MFF has started a waitlist. Interested parties may send an email to boxoffice@mauifilmfestival.com to add their name to the waitlist. You may still attend the Tastes by purchasing inclusive passes which entitles holders access to unlimited movies at both Celestial Cinema and the MACC, one or more Taste events, filmmakers panel and brunch and more. Visit www.mauifilmfestival.com for more information.

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