PBS Hawaii to air Kamae documentaries

“The Films of Eddie and Myrna Kamae: From the Heart,” an unprecedented airing of 10 documentaries by the prolific island filmmakers, will air April 6 to 9 on PBS Hawaii. The films also will be available for on-demand streaming.

A follow-up online showing of all 10 titles will run April 10 to 17, at no cost. This marks the first time all titles will air together and provides the Kamaes broad global exposure.

“It is awesome that PBS Hawaii is doing this Eddie & Myrna Kamae Film Festival for the Hawaiian Legacy Foundation,” said Myrna Kamae. “Eddie’s whole dream is to share with all the children of Hawaii so that they will always remember who they are and where they came from.”

Leslie Wilcox, president and CEO of PBS Hawaii, said she views the Kamaes as “film warriors, exploring the past and finding the future.”

Wilcox also reported that she went to Washington, D.C., to advocate for continued federal funding of public media and found strong bipartisan support in Congress, despite the devastating cuts proposed in President Trump’s budget plan.

Eddie was excited when Wilcox informed him of the planned screenings before he died Jan. 7 at age 89, according to Myrna. He told Wilcox, “I have finished my work. I have done what I came here to do.” But he added, “It is up to us to hoomau (to perpetuate).”

Further, Myrna told me, “there are several projects that still need to be finished, but he gave me guidance on what to do. And there is still a lot of (Eddie’s) music that has not been heard. The other day I came across a couple of beautiful songs that Eddie recorded in a studio but have not been published.”

So apparently it’s not yet pau hana for the Kamae franchise.

PERSONALITIES

>> Golden girl: Auli‘i Cravalho, the Hawaii-based animated voice of Disney’s “Moana,” has earned her first gold digital-single certification for “How Far I’ll Go,” the Oscar-nominated Lin-Manuel Miranda song she performs in the film and on CD. The Recording Industry Association of America confirmed 500,000 downloads for the tune (each unit means one paid download, or 150 streams). Alessia Cara’s version also is on the soundtrack.

>> Unreal estate: Taizo Braden, a morning traffic reporter on KHON’s WakeUp2Day show, had a rude awakening a few weeks back: His contract was not renewed, while he was on vacation. He also had been co-hosting “Living808” with Trini Kaopuiki.

Braden, who earned a real estate license in 2001, will support mom Sachi Braden’s Sachi Hawaii Pacific Century company, coincidentally located above the KHON studios in Hawaiki Tower on Piikoi Street. “But I’d be lying to say that I didn’t miss the TV business,” he said. Job-hunting starts when he returns home from a Japan vacation.

>> Travel log: Pals of Jack Cione donated more than $3,000 for a designated trip fund as part of his recent 90th-birthday bash.

And that’s “Show Biz.”

Wayne Harada is a veteran Honolulu entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0926 or email wayneharada@gmail.com.