Film fest and French star brighten up birthday week

I turned 84 on Oct. 26 and one of the highlights of my birthday week was the Hawai’i European Cinema Film Festival gala Oct. 23 on a beautiful night on the Moana Surfrider’s grassy beachfront grounds. Thanks to festival officers Patrick Gey and Chris Lee, I scored a brief audience with glamorous festival honoree French actress Catherine Deneuve at a roped-off, dining-table area.

Fest founder Princess Dialta Alliata di Montereale and her husband, Prince Vittorio, were at the table. Attending were present and former governors David Ige, Neil Abercrombie, Ben Cayetano and George Ariyoshi, and Mayor Kirk Caldwell. Ige and Caldwell presented Deneuve with proclamations calling Oct. 23 "Catherine Deneuve Day in Hawaii."

The gala was a huge success with classy red carpet arrivals of celebs and guests wearing their finest. They were greeted on the carpet fronting the hotel by Gey, his wife, Marisa, and Erika Kauffman, and then announced by Mahealani Richardson and Ryan Kalei Tsuji. Among the best-dressed couples were tux-clad KGMB-TV meteorologist Guy Hagi and his lovely wife, Kim Gennaula, in a form-fitting black and white gown. You brought us good weather, I told Guy. "I made a few calls," Guy replied with a straight face …

"Bonjour," shouted Mihana Souza over the phone after she and her family returned home from a lengthy trip to France and Portugal last month. Mihana’s family was included in a party of 30 relatives and friends that attended the wedding of her and Chuck Souza’s son, Kamauliola "Ola" Souza, to mademoiselle Sonia Hoksbergen in Cannes, France, Sept 5.

The wedding began at 4 p.m. with Mihana’s son, Kapono, blowing the conch shell. The party ran until 4 the next morning. Hawaii was in the air as there were pikake, shell and head leis, much Hawaiian music and hula. "E Maliu Mai," written by Ola’s grandmother, Irmgard Farden Aluli, was sung as the bride walked down the aisle.

"She was beautiful and we were all crying," Mihana said. The bride’s mom, Isabel Hoksbergen, has a 40-member choir that had recently returned from singing for Pope Francis at the Vatican. The choir sang "Ave Maria" as the couple exchanged rings. The choir also sang "Oh Happy Day" as the crowd of 150 moved on to drink champagne and party.

The Hawaiian musical group included Mihana and son Napali on guitars; her sister, Aima McManus, on bass; and Mahealani McClellan on uke. They sang "Puamana," Aluli’s song about the Farden family’s Maui home, and all of the 14 Hawaii women there danced hula. Napali joined his brothers, Ola, Kapono and Kalama, to dance another Aluli classic, "Boy From Laupahoehoe." Other hulas were by Manalani English, Katie Kaaihue and Candy Lopes. The party closed with the happy islanders singing "Hawaii Aloha" …

Former Miss Hawaii and professional singer Patricia Lei Anderson Murray says she is now a "happy Hawaiian quilter." Besides making quilts, she is teaching people how to quilt and has written two books on the art. Her latest book is "Cherished Hawaiian Quilts" and her earlier work is "Hawaiian Quilt Inspirations," both published by Mutual.

"Both books feature the quilts I have done and the stories that bring them to life," Patricia said. "I love telling the stories because the quilts become more meaningful for the quilter as well as the receiver. I will be doing a quilt presentation, readings and a signing at Na Mea Hawaii, Ward Warehouse, on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. I’ll bring quilts, tell stories and even sing." …

UH should forget about searching for a new football coach and hire June Jones right away. June took over a 0-12 team in 1999 and in 2007 he took a 12-0 UH team to the Sugar Bowl. He’s a man who can develop teams that will win games and bring crowds back to Aloha Stadium. Don’t beat around the bush. Hire June now so he can start recruiting quality players …

Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.