Shaka Film Press Kit

“Shaka, A Story of Aloha”

“Shaka, A Story of Aloha” is a feature length documentary film set for release in late 2022 and features an award-winning team of production artists including Henry Kapono as Music Director (Grammy-nominated Hawai‘i music legend), Alex Bocchieri as Director (Hawaiian film director), Bryan Spicer as co-Executive Producer (producer/director of Hawaii Five-O and Magnum PI) and Steve Sue as executive producer, producer and writer.

The project has been in development since 2019 when first funding and cultural experts were provided by Kamehameha Schools. Since that time, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced multiple production breaks, but the project continues on toward completion.

This quest to understand the meanings and origin of the Shaka gesture considers many competing theories and stories. In the end, there may be no definitive single story, and if so, multiple credible theories will be presented. Says producer Steve Sue, “The titling of the film as ‘A Story…’ represents our documentary’s findings as only one group’s best efforts, leaving room for others to tell their versions of the story.” For more, see Filmmaker’s Statement »

The film has spawned several Shaka initiatives including a free Shaka Sticker program, a thought leader summit series, a school curriculum program, a Shaka Contest and a Shaka Monument program. These programs and the film are collectively integrated as Project Shaka. See projectshaka.com »

Production is calendared to continue through October, 2022 with the final shots staged as a Huikau and Shaka Contest in La’ie, Hawai’i.

Media Contact: Email Steve Sue »