Kirsten Dunst, star of "Melancholia" and Sam Raimi’s "Spider-Man" movies will receive the Pathfinder Award at this year’s Maui Film Festival, which begins June 12 with a Celestial Cinema screening at the Gold & Emerald Golf Course in Wailea. Dunst, who has made more than 25 films, next will be seen in "Anchorman 2." The award honors a performer "whose eclectic choices and charismatic performances encourage us all to expand our definition of what it means to be human."
Actor Brie Larson of "21 Jump Street" will receive the Rising Star Award.
Dunst’s boyfriend, Garrett Hedlund ("On the Road"), is a previous Pathfinder honoree along with Jake Gyllenhaal, Andrew Garfield, Olivia Wilde, Megan Fox and Zac Efron. …
ON STAGE: Sarah Wayne Callies, the actress from "The Walking Dead," co-stars as The Actress in Ferenc Molnar’s "The Guardsman," a Kennedy Center production that opened this weekend at the Eisenhower Theatre. Tony-winning director Gregory Mosher cast Callies though not aware of the "Walking Dead" phenom. Callies’ mom, Valerie Wayne of the University of Hawaii, and her stepdad, Richard Tillotson, were in the opening-night audience, bringing lei and a taste of aloha. …
IN REMEMBRANCE: Dulce Ligaya Reyes Takase, an island entertainer better known as Dulce Reyes, died of cancer last Dec. 8. Maui services were held, but Oahu friends will gather for "Love Songs for Dulce," a celebration of her life featuring Pauline Wilson, Rachel Gonzales, Kanoe Cazimero, Mitch Hazama and Jim Howard from 6 to 10 p.m. today at BambuTwo Cafe/Martini Lounge at 1144 Bethel St. Dulce’s dream was to celebrate daughter Elise Takase’s graduation (last weekend) from Baldwin High School in Wailuku; now the event, with pupu and no-host cocktails, will help Elise with expenses at California State University East Bay in Hayward. Checks payable to Elise Takase/Emme Tomimbang Burns may be sent to Emme Inc., 111 Hekili St., No. 193 Suite A, Kailua HI 96734. Information: 947-6677. …
THE LOCAL ANGLE: In mentioning "Dress," the film that Loretta Ables Sayre was filming here this month, I made an error. Its writer is Susan Soon He Stanton, though the story premise is by Ian Cusick, who directs and acts in the film. Susan is the daughter of UH writer-professor Joseph Stanton and AARP Hawaii state director Barbara Kim Stanton.
A graduate of Punahou, New York University’s Tisch School for the Arts and the Yale School of Drama, Susan is yet another islander with an active presence on the New York theater scene. She’s a member of the Public Theatre’s Emerging Writers Group for 2012-13 and her "Takarazuka!!!" drew sellouts and raves last summer at the Clubbed Thumb Theater. …
ALOHA ON ‘TODAY’: When NBC’s crew from the "Today" show descended on our shores last week, the tube radiated with aloha, with celebs like Jake Shimabukuro and Jack Johnson featured. But it was the Polynesian syncopation from the Tihati ohana that provided the meter, measure and magnitude of island culture. Afatia Thompson and wife Nicole were visibly part of the dancing and sharing, which made Tihati founder and patriarch Jack "Tihati" Thompson beam with pride. "Reminded me so much of when Cha and I used to do the same thing years ago," Jack said. His performers rocked with authenticity, expertise and charisma and extended the aloha spirit well beyond the reef. …
Matt Lauer could not blow the conch shell, but Willie Geist could; Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales did an East Coast brand of hula; Morales got surfing tips from Carissa Moore. And the Royal Hawaiian, as host hotel, provided premier service — all of which should ramp up visitor traffic and boost our economy. …
And that’s "Show Biz." …
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.
