Regal Kapolei Commons 12 Partnership Supports Aspiring Filmmakers

UH

Regal Kapolei Commons 12, Hawaiʻi's first luxury movie theater, is partnering with the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu, with support from UH’s Academy for Creative Media System, to bring more student-produced films to theater audiences.

The centerpiece of the agreement is the annual creation of a community trailer—written, produced, and directed by UH West Oʻahu students—to debut at the luxury theater every spring. The trailer will run exclusively at Regal’s flagship venue in Hawaiʻi for three months. 

The partnership is an offshoot of the successful West is Best trailer that premiered on Regal Kapolei Commons 12’s big screen during its grand opening in April. Students from the Academy wrote, scored, directed and edited the short, community-centric film, which was a celebration of the Leeward way of life.

“West is Best was an enormous success. Residents had an overwhelmingly positive response to seeing their local landmarks and activities featured in such a creative, high-profile way,” said Duncan MacNaughton, chairman of The MacNaughton Group which is one of the owners of the theater along with Kobayashi Group and Craig Realty Group. “This new partnership between Regal Kapolei Commons 12 and the ACM will give young filmmakers an ongoing platform for their talents.”

Earlier this year The Regal Foundation donated $25,000 to the academy via proceeds from Regal Kapolei Commons 12’s April preview events. The donation will support student scholarships, student workshops with industry experts, and new equipment and supplies for Creative Media faculty and majors. Additional contributions to the academy will further support the program’s mission to enable students to develop unique skill sets for continued educational and professional development.

“We are deeply grateful for the generous donations to the ACM on behalf of Regal Kapolei Commons 12,” said Doris Ching, University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu interim chancellor. “We are proud of these exceptional students, and this new partnership will further empower them to tell their own stories in their own way.”

“Regal Kapolei Commons 12, led by The MacNaughton Group and Kobayashi Group, cares about the community,” said Chris Lee, director and founder of ACM. “This is UHWO ACM’s first corporate partner and solidifies industry’s commitment to supporting programs that benefit education and the arts. We are delighted they have agreed to continue to showcase the work of our young, homegrown filmmakers.”