Celebration of UC Film and Media Arts
The 2026 Celebration of UC Film and Media Arts took place at the TUC Cinema on March 25th. A big THANK YOU to Nancy, the Niehoff Center for Film and Media Studies, and the Office of the Provost. The program of the evening was diverse in formats, lengths, styles and genres, displaying a variety of talent, imagination and skills.
My short film ʻĀina Momona – Hui Makaʻainana o Makana opened the evening, showcasing the importance and impact of community engagement when it comes to preserving the ʻāina (land).
In this 30-mimute documentary, Presley explains that to “mālama ʻāina” (“to care for the land”), is “to care for that which feeds you”. I made this film during the second year of my undergrad, and this message of “taking care of that which feeds you” is more relevant than ever. The Hawaiian holistic approach and belief that humans are part of Nature, not apart from it resonates strongly for me and is at the very center the Forest Calls’ call-to-action to “Reconnect with Nature”.
ʻĀina Momona – Hui Makaʻainana o Makana, premiered in Marseille (France), at theIUCN – World Conservation Congress. This important conservation event, which takes place every four years, had been pushed to 2021 because of COVID. I attended as a Hawaiʻi Youth Delegate, alongside my sister Janique who presented her own short film (Janique Marcil video presentation at the World Conservation Congress).
I would encourage everyone to take a look at IUCN’s website, and in particular, consult The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity.
Special Mahalo to Chipper Wichman, Presley Wann and the entire community of Hāʻena for inviting/allowing me to make this film. The work you have done on Kauaʻi’s North Shore is a very inspiring example of what can happen when a community rallies together to be closer to Nature.
– Ella
