If you haven’t been to view the lava flow at Kalapana recently, pack a bag, jump on a plane, and Go! Thereʻs a reason why literally thousands and thousands of people are making the journey to the current flow every week.
The good fun folks at KapohoKine Adventures took us out to this spectacular demonstration of Madame Pele’s handiwork just last night, and just to get you in the mood of things, check out this amazing sneak-peak (footage shot just last night - Friday, Aug. 22). Watch for the full segment in the next episode of Kama‘āina Backroads™.

We’re pleased to let our ‘ohana of KBR viewers know about a new development where Roland Joseph Torres, executive producer of Kama’aina Backroads™, has signed on to co-produce the documentary project “Living Pono,” a film currently in production for broadcast on public television, exploring the amazing life changes undergone by actor Jason Scott Lee. The film’s producer & director, Rick Bacigalupi, is an Emmy-Award winning filmmaker with a long list of outstanding work to his credit.

LIVING PONO: An internationally acclaimed film and stage actor leaves the glamor of stardom behind on an intentional journey toward simpler, more righteous living.

Now more than ever, excellent kama’aina specials are making an on-island adventure the akamai choice. Learn more online at http://www.bigisland.org/getaway

And that’s always a good time to GO!

Here’s one for the “its a small world” file:
•Our friend Bonnie Kim, the talented and incredibly hard-working executive director of a creative non-profit called Bare and Core Expression, is directing the stage play “Kāmau,” opening this week at the Ulua Theater. We posted some info about this production just a few days ago.
•Unbeknownst to me, the lead in Kāmau - Christian Pa - is actually Kapono Pa, son of Tracy & Kimo Pa, grandson of June & Richard Ha, our dear friends who run Hamakua Springs Country Farms. In classic local style, Iʻve only known Christian as Kapono, and while Iʻve actually seen his name, had no idea who this Kamehameha Schools graduate was. Or so I thought.
•About a month ago, the E Mālama ‘Āina Festivalʻs website received a “Keep Me Posted” registration from a San Francisco-based filmmaker with whom I chatted a few times, beginning way back at the height of the Bay Area dot-com rush, named Rick Bacigalupi. Turns out Rick has been working on a documentary project with Hawai‘i Island’s Jason Scott Lee called Living Pono. The doc’s short description reads: An internationally acclaimed film and stage actor leaves the glamor of stardom behind on an intentional journey toward simpler, more righteous living.
•”Living Pono” is also the name of the series of Big Island segments Gloria Baraquio produced for the Oceanic Time-Warner OC16 series “Living Local,” along with her sisters.
•Gloria Baraquio and Rick Bacigalupi are both joining me in organizing the E Mālama ‘Āina Fetival Talk Story & Digital Shorts Festival, taking place Nov. 7 at the Palace Theater.
•And this just in: Rick just got word that the 28th Annual Louis Vuitton Hawai‘i International Film Festival is inviting him to do a work-in-progress screening of his documentary, Living Pono, at this yearʻs film festival.
Small world, no?