International Filmmakers of Kaua‘i This Friday and Saturday

Still Serving, by Edwin Sawyer

The International Filmmakers of Kaua‘i is back.

Teaming up with Kilauea Bakery and Tiki Iniki on the North Shore, and with Galerie 103 in Po‘ipu, this month’s IFOK will feature six to eight curated submissions from members and the general public Friday and Saturday.

The events are free and open to the public.

On Friday, the Kilauea Bakery will feature last month’s films starting at 7 p.m. Also on Friday, Tiki Iniki showing, featuring new films, starts at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, the Galerie 103 showing begins at 7 p.m.

IFOK mastermind Tony LeHoven said last month’s IFOK was a fun filled event with eight locally produced films ranging from funny (Anywhere by Charlene Dyer) to heavy (Still Serving by Edwin Sawyer).

Pro surfer Brianna Cope, featured in a movie by Keith Ketchum

The films were made by a gamut of people ranging from professional surf photographers to Kaua‘i High School kids. Some of the filmmakers were present and the audience had an opportunity to interact with them. These movies are available at http://www.ifok.co/i-missed-it/.

At Tiki Iniki the selected submitters will receive fifteen “IFOK Bucks” good towards food and drinks at Tiki Iniki.

At galerie 103 there will be free popcorn for all.

This is a curated event. This month’s featured curators are Emmy Award winning L.A. director Larry Einhorn, and Michael Stillwater, an international award winning filmmaker. They reviewed all submissions from their respective locations.

LeHoven said he started IFOK, “a great, fun project,” to help out Kaua‘i’s local filmmakers and bring some cultural exposure to the island. It is also a great opportunity for local filmmakers to get their films seen by industry professionals, he said.

“Lately, I’ve been mentoring young filmmakers and thought to myself, ‘What if I created a virtual space where someone could see the work of all our artists in one place?’” he said. “That thought materialized into IFOK.”

Adventures Collected, by Sam Potter

LeHoven said the name IFOK, “a perfectly legitimate acronym,” is specifically implemented to keep kids, religious zealots and concerned parents away.

“Simply put, we believe in freedom of expression in our filmmaking and some of our films may contain nudity,” he said. “Some of them definitely contain profanity.”

IFOK’s mission statement is:

“To give Kauai’s independent filmmakers a venue for exposure.

“To encourage the art of a visual experience, be it a story, an abstract, a joke, a feeling, a message.

“To share experiences and techniques amongst peers.

“To empower new visual artists by providing a supportive community.

“To have fun.”

Kilauea Bakery is in the Kong Lung center in Kilauea, Tiki Iniki is in the Princeville Shopping Center, and Galerie 103 is in The Shops at Kukui‘ula in Po‘ipu.

Visit www.ifok.co for more information.