Hawaii A Voice For Sovereignty Announces Nyc Premiere At Prestigious New York Film Festival

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 22, 2009 -
Award winning feature documentary “Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty “is pleased to announce it will be making its New York City debut at the prestigious New York Film & Video Festival on October 23rd. Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty is the first of its kind documentary about the native Hawaiians plight to preserve their culture and its connection to the land and their spirituality, as it shows that the Hawaiian native experience is universal; and it demonstrates that we are all connected and depend on the land and natural resources of the planet for survival.

Award winning feature documentary “Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty “is pleased to announce it will be making its New York City debut at the prestigious New York Film & Video Festival. Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty is the first of its kind documentary about the native Hawaiians plight to preserve their culture and its connection to the land and their spirituality,as it shows that the Hawaiian native experience is universal; and it demonstrates that we are all connected and depend on the land and natural resources of the planet for survival.

This epic documentary contains rare interviews, 2005-2009 with Native Hawaiians such as Professor Haunani-Kay Trask, one of Hawaii’s Native leaders and scholars, Senator J. Kalani English, Willie K, Grammy nominee and award-winning musician Na Hoku Hanohan, and grass roots voices of the people throughout the islands. Included is also an interview with, NY Times bestselling author Gregg Braden, of Fractal Time: The Secret of 2012and a New World Age who explains in the film, "The key to our future lies in the wisdom of our past".

The film has already earned some prestigious nominations including Best Feature Documentary and Best Environmental Documentary in the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (NYIIFVF). Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty has already won the Audience award earlier this year for Best Hawai'i film at the 2009 Maui Film Festival. It has already had screenings at Capitol Hill, Iolani Palace the official residence of King Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani, who were the last in a long line of ruling Hawaiian royalty and has had a theatrical tour across the Islands of Hawaii. The film has garnered international coverage as well as press in Voice of America, Pasadena Weekly, USA Today and Honolulu Advertiser.

Filmmaker Catherine Bauknight’s exploration of cultural identities has its origins within her photojournalist background. A professional photographer for over two decades, Bauknight’s work has been featured in such distinguished publications as The New York Times, cover of Time Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek Magazine, USA Today, Rolling Stone, and People Magazine. She was one of five international photographers who risked their lives to cover the Tienanmen Square massacre. She has always been drawn to document the culture of people. She says it’s the identity of the people and the heart of communication within cultures and with other cultures. Bauknight was compelled to uncover the true story of the Hawaiian indigenous people as she saw the first sign to be the lack of presence in their homeland “I knew there was a reason Native Hawaiians were not visible and I felt I had to find out what their pain was”. Bauknight eventually gained the trust of local Hawaiians and committed to telling the documentary in the words of the indigenous people. “It is very important to give people with a connection to Hawaii this opportunity to come together and learn about the history and communicate with each other,the indigenous, through the film. One may know about Hawaii as a tourist destination but the documentary is a vivid sensory experience of the Hawaiian’s lives and what remains important to them to maintain their people and their culture today and become sustainable for future generations,” says film director Catherine Bauknight who has been tirelessly working on this groundbreaking documentary four years.

Here's what critics and industry professionals are saying about Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty.

“I think “Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty” should be required viewing for every school child in Hawaii and every tourist should see it on the plane
”writer Paul Janes Brown Maui Weekly


"Catherine Bauknight has beautifully captured a timeless moment in the unending struggle of the Hawaiian people to restore their Sovereign Nation. "Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty" is a thought-provoking documentary that respectfully canvasses their journey,
hopes and dreams."
- Actor Kris Kristofferson.

“Hawaii A Voice for sovereignty brought home like a bullet the plight of the Native Hawaiians that has never been revealed, Ms Bauknight captures the astounding connection the indigenous people have to their land and what it means to be displaced in your homeland. It was breathtakingly moving”-
Kira Kaplan Vegas Buzz

“I’m very impressed by "Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty!" It is important and informative and beautifully captures Hawaii. Director Catherine Bauknight is talented, passionate and certainly not afraid to take risks.Audiences will enjoy the film and we really look forward to giving the
film the exposure it richly deserves."
Stuart Alson Independent Film Quarterly

The much-anticipated New York Fall edition of The NYIIFVF will run from October 22nd-29th at the Village East Cinema 189 Second Ave New York, NY 10003. NYIIFVF is a competitive event that screens the latest indie films from all around the globe. Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty will be screening on Friday afternoon October 23rd at 2.00PM. Film Tickets are priced at $12 in advance at www.nyfilmvideo.com. Or $15 at the door. Tickets will include an exclusive after party. This film made possible by the fiscal sponsorship of International Documentary Association. A portion of proceeds generated by the film will be donated to The Pasifika Foundation Hawaii. Press and distributors can obtain an all-access pass by faxing a request on company letterhead to (702) 361 6309 or via e- mail at Nicolefilms1@aol.com - Attn. Nicole Holland.

For all interview and review requests, and invitation to the New York premiere of Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty please contact publicity manager Renata Lorenc at 917 690 1275 or email her at renata@rulapr.com

For further information about Hawaii A Voice for Sovereignty , please go to www.catherinebauknight.com or contact Catherine Bauknight email at cbauknight@othilamedia.com

Official Sponsors for the 2009 festival include Roomorama.com, BLVD., City Cinemas Village East, Ecotulum Resorts and Spa, Azulik.com, Bollywood Acting & Film Institute (BAFINY) www.bafiny.com , Dark Twisted Karma, Mark7 Studios www.mark7studios.com, 20th Century Wolf Horror Films, ITN Distribution Inc., Independent Film Quarterly (IFQ), JTs talent and casting,

ABOUT NYIIFVF: The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival was founded in 1993 by entertainment impresario Stuart Alson and is recognized as the largest competitive independent film event in the world. Passionate about exposing the latest independent films from all over the globe, NYIIFVF is a unique platform for emerging and established filmmakers to network and screen their work in the hope of getting exposure and a distribution deal. Past festivals have included the work of Cameron Diaz, Eva Herzigova, Guy Pearce, George Clooney, James Hanlon, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Rod Steiger, Sean Lennon, Tippi Hedren,Willem Dafoe and Vin Diesel. Indie guru Abel Ferrara famously quoted in MovieMaker, "This festival is the real deal: Everybody else just talks about doing it, these guys just do it!"