- West Maui has majestic mountains, the
historic town of Lahaina, as well as beaches, pine forests, pineapple and sugarcane
fields, and some of the best resorts and golf courses in the world. Central Maui, the
commercial hub of the island, is home to the twin cities of Kahului and Wailuku. Rounding
out Maui's landscape is the sunny, cactus strewn, arid southwest coast and the lush lands
of east Maui. The southwest coast has 320 days of sunshine annually in addition to opulent
resorts. Tropical east Maui features the fertile rolling hills of Upcountry which are home
to Maui's cowboys, eucalyptus and redwood forests, and the fabled road to Hana, which
boasts one of the most scenic drives in Hawai'i.
The weather in Maui County can only
be described as spectacular. The average temperature ranges between 70 and 80 degrees
fahrenheit year round. Maui's rainfall varies as much as its scenery. Along Maui's north
shore, the annual average rainfall is a little over 120 inches. On the southern shore,
however, the average rainfall is a scant 15.68 inches, while West Maui falls somewhere in
between.
Maui's technological facilities are
state of the art. The entire county can be linked to the rest of the globe by
high speed T1,
T3, and T4 lines. The Maui High Performance Computing Center is home to one of the fastest
supercomputers of its kind today. The IBM-SP2 400-node supercomputer is located in a $21
million facility and is capable of rendering graphical data of all kinds at incredible
speeds. The Maui Research and Technology Park is also the home of a video-teleconferencing
facility, digital labs, as well as video and film production facilities. The Park is
connected via fiber optic cable to deliver wide band transmission of graphic data from
East to West.
Maui is home to a population of just
over 120,000. 48 miles long and 26 miles across, Maui County has all the capabilities of a
large city and yet still retains the aloha spirit of old Hawai'i. Maui is a true melting
pot and can offer talent of almost any ethnicity. The County is home to Hawaiian,
Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, African American, Puerto Rican, and Samoan
peoples. Maui also boasts a thriving arts community and features talented painters,
sculptors, actors, dancers, writers, musicians, and filmmakers.
There are no freeways on Maui. Simple
and picturesque roads connect the islands quaint towns including the turn of the century
whaling village of Lahaina, the European/Caribbean flavored Paia, the thoroughly
western
town of Makawao, and, of course, heavenly Hana.
Deep water harbors facilitate easy
shipping of equipment while the many non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Maui allow
dailies to leave Maui on the redeye and be back by mid-day the next day for viewing.
FedEx, DHL, and UPS all offer overnight service from Maui to the mainland.
Lodging facilities are plentiful with
rooms ranging in price from budget to luxury. Restaurants and caterers abound. All the
major auto companies offer hundreds of vehicles, including limos and even some vintage
cars and motorcycles.
Moloka'i offers a whole different
Hawai'i. Boasting 14 miles of sweeping cliffs that are over 1,000 feet high, Moloka'i's
northeastern shore is home to the world's tallest sea cliffs. Moloka'i has some of the
highest waterfalls in the world as well, some of which cascade 1,750 feet. The river in
east Moloka'i's Halawa Valley meanders through an almost prehistoric jungle. If it's the
plains of Africa or the old Wild Wild West you're looking for, Moloka'i is the place.
Moloka'i's westside is home to cattle drives, tentalos, and the longest beach in the
islands.
And, let's not forget Lana'i. Over
90% privately owned, Lana'i has a population of 2,800 who revel in its 47 miles of
shoreline and pristine uncluttered beaches. There are no hi-rises, and the town doesn't
even have a traffic light. But, just minutes away is the giant red
other-worldly area known
as Garden of the Gods as well as the Munro Trail which easily doubles as the battlefields
of Southeast Asia, and Club Lana'i is a virtual Polynesian
style movie set waiting to be
dressed. Lana'i features two world class resorts, one in the mountains and the other on
the beach, as well as production facilities.
At the Maui County Film
Office, we are here to help you find the perfect locations, crew, and services to
facilitate your production. Maui County is blessed with an abundance of resources and I
hope that you will join us soon and explore the riches of Maui County -
Paradise that's Picture Perfect, for yourself.
Mahalo,
- The Maui County
Film Office
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