2
LOGLINE
After a boxer relocates from New York to Hawaiʻi, a friendship with his coach expands his awareness of purpose, and power. Created on the island of Oʻahu Hawaiʻi.
RUN TIME
12:55�
FORMAT
Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
DCP available on request with English subtitles.�
PRESS�Hawai’i Public Radio �BET Network�RS Podcast�‘Huli of Consciousness Curation’
CONTACT
Daniel Croix
daniel@ringshoutproductions.com
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
3
SYNOPSIS
Sol relocated from New York to Oʻahu Hawaiʻi to start a new life, seeking “home.” He’s a hyper-driven escapist - training as a boxer, living out of his car, and seeking the "American dream" of opulent wealth. While well intended, Sol lacks balance, restraint, and roots.
When a hot-shot boxing manager comes to Honolulu to scout his next star, Sol thinks it’s his chance to prove himself. He trains with his friend, Elijah. To win, he needs to face what’s been holding him back: a disconnection to his roots, and unprocessed intergenerational trauma. Sol’s friendship with Elijah leads him toward an awakening of deeper connection with his ancestors…and with himself.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
4
DIRECTOR BIO
Daniel Croix is an actor and director in film and television. He’s best known for his performances in The Oval on BET, Manhunt on Apple TV+, Love Victor on Hulu, and on stage in Much Ado About Nothing with The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. He collaborates frequently with artists and has work appearing in selected group exhibitions: Interfacial Intimacies, Plimsoll Gallery, Squeaky Wheel Media Arts Center Retrospective, Burchfield Penney Art Center, Our Time Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center. He was born in Buffalo, New York, is based on O'ahu Hawai'i, and is active internationally. He has a BFA in acting from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Theatre Arts and Film.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
5
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
Huli was created with family, neighbors, friends, and community in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. It’s a reflection of conversations between myself and community of dream logic, of life’s fight, of the examination of power, sport, and the remembering and re-remembering of history. It's anchored by my reflections as a Black biracial man from New York who calls Hawaiʻi home, and holds perspectives from communities across Hawaiʻi and the continental U.S. about intergenerational healing, belonging, and identity.
The narrative evokes stories passed to me by elders: Aunty Lorna C. Hill, born in Philadelphia and founder of Ujima Theatre Company, who taught me about sourcing personal power through connection to ancestors, Uncle Dennis "Bumpy" Pu'uhonua Kanahele from Oʻahu, who spoke about "ancestors standing right over his shoulder.” It connects Black American and Native Hawaiian history, people, and perspectives, stewarding a bridge between communities.
The word “huli,” like many words in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, is imbued with a multiplicity of poetry and meaning: to turn, to flip, to curl inward; to change, as an opinion or manner of living. It’s been a gathering call of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement of the 60s and beyond, and has a legacy of rallying our multicultural island population in solidarity with Native Hawaiian rights. From 1971 to 1973 a grassroots organization called Kokua Hawai'i distributed an independent newspaper "Huli" - an intersectional anti-colonial work of community organizing, influenced by international labor unions "in Hawai'i, Black, Indigenous, Puerto Rican, and Chicano struggles in the continental United States" 1. As a symbol, its concrete poetry iteration -- the hanko created by poet/artist Wayne Kaumualii Westlake, is referenced visually in large vinyl installations in the Hawai'i Triennial 2022, UNLV Museum of Art in Las Vegas, curated by Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick, and most recently in the Seoul Museum of Art as a part of Sung Hwan Kim's exhibition, "Ua a‘o ‘ia ‘o ia e ia". It's a reminder of pre-colonial contact, a call for change, a profound remembrance, and much more. Our film Huli continues reflection, turning attention toward a cross-cultural friendship. Sol's Americanized view of the world transforms through his relationship with Elijah and with place, and as a new vision appears before him, he experiences a “huli of consciousness.”��1. Referenced Publication -- "Ka Aina No Ka Poe o Hawaii" by Aaron Katzeman and Drew Kahu'āina Broderick
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
6
TEAM BIOS
Elijah Kala McShane / “Elijah” is a native Hawaiian practitioner of healing arts practices. Born on O‘ahu, he is the founder, alongside Jazmin Young, of Awakened Aloha Healing Arts, a community service rooted in ancestral connection, culture, and the sacred work of healing. As an embodiment of ancestral reclamation, his vision is to share the sacred wisdom of the ancestors and offer healing to humanity through unconditional aloha.
Max Mooney / Producer & Editor —– is a New York-born filmmaker who makes honest, character driven films. His work has screened internationally and has received diverse accolades, most recently for his documentary “Please Listen.” His work on the documentary “David and the Kingdom” recently made its international premiere at Cinema du Reel. Max also has a passion for organic farming and hopes to continue working in that field (pun intended).
William Rouse / Producer & DP — is a cinematographer, writer and director who works globally. Most recently, he’s worked on BOYS IN BLUE directed by Peter Berg on Showtime, PRODIGIES on Netflix and Rap Caviar on Hulu. He’s also worked on national campaigns (Forever 21, H&M, Nyx Cosmetics, and others).
Phil Schlieder / Producer & AD — is a Director of Photography, Director and Line Producer based on O’ahu Hawaii. He has expert experience working in three film departments (Camera, Direction, Production). He has worked in television, produced multiple films, and built commercial work for a large range of clients. Some notable networks and brands have included National Geographic, NBC, Outside Television, Patagonia, Columbia Sportswear, Marriott International, Nature Conservancy, and PBS to name a few.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
7
TEAM BIOS CONT.
Richard Hamasaki / Co-Producer — is an artist who lives and works on Oʻahu. He’s worked collaboratively with filmmakers, writers, visual artists, musicians, & poets locally, regionally and internationally. He recently exhibited work at the Hawai’i State Art Museum (February - December 2022) for the HawaiʻI Triennial 2022 (HT22). He and his photographer brother Mark Hamasaki were co-recipients of HT22’s Golden Hibiscus award for their collaborative work with Native & non-Native artists featured in their ʻElepaio Press art collective (1976 to present).
Meleokauaapuakea Hamasaki / Associate Producer — is a producer, designer, and educator from Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu passionate about innovation in the realms of storytelling, fashion, and publishing. She serves on the board of Tropic Editions and TOQA while designing systems for Coinbase.
Emily May Jampel / Associate Producer — is a filmmaker and curator born and raised on Oʻahu and based in Brooklyn. She recently curated The Short List for Metrograph, and was Allies in Arts’ 2021 guest curator for Reel Her In, an annual screening of short films directed by BIPOC, female, trans, and non-binary filmmakers in partnership with SONY. She’s worked as a development executive at the production company Department of Motion Pictures (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Patti Cake$, Monsters & Men).
Jarvis Abrazado / Costume Designer — is a Hawaiʻi based artist and film photographer who focuses on capturing beauty in simplicity. He offers perspectives through clothing, film, and conceptual art.
Taylor Kondo / Production Designer & Props — is a multidisciplinary artist who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
8
Q: As an actor born and raised in New York, how did you find yourself creating film in Hawaiʻi? What brought you down this journey?
A: My relationships brought me to Hawaiʻi – first, with my partner in college who was born and raised on Oʻahu. We visited often and ultimately moved here. I came for love and stayed for love, and now live in Makiki with my partner & favorite collaborator, Mele Hamasaki.
I’m inspired by the multi-cultural community here, the ‘āina, the ocean. There’s a wave happening in Honolulu – some call it a continuation of the Hawai’i renaissance – of distinct, inventive, social/political, film and contemporary arts. It felt natural to create and contribute, and I’m humbled that so many people came together to support this project. I’m inspired by local filmmakers here - notably Justyn Ah Chong and Chris Kahunahana, the contemporary art exhibited at the Hawaiʻi Triennial, my roots in New York notably my late mentor Lorna Hill and Ujima Theatre Company, and the legacy of indie filmmakers like Spike Lee, Oscar Micheaux, Barry Jenkins, and Julie Dash.
Q&A WITH DIRECTOR DANIEL CROIX
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
9
Q: Speaking of Tyler Perry, you’re known for your role on his series “The Oval.” on BET as the president's son. This feels like a departure from network TV. How does it feel transitioning from acting to also being a writer-director?
A: Tyler Perry’s example taught me the power of a DIY approach. I saved up from being on The Oval to self-fund Huli. I knew that drawing from my personal life and communities was important - and knew that nobody would make this particular film if I didn’t step into it. I feel a responsibility to build on what our ancestors and elders have began, and connected with Elijah who felt the same way.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
10
Q: How did you cast this project and bring together your team?
A: We cast people I’d met naturally through community here in combination with a street-scout approach. We used social media to invite people to apply. Aunty Mamo was my next-door neighbor. Devin is my friend who introduced me to boxing. Elijah and I met at a music festival – where we started having conversations about intergenerational healing, spirituality, and identity. My partner Mele and her family got heavily involved – at first over dinner conversations we would discuss the film… and then we all ended up collaborating. I’m so grateful for their tremendous support!
I also called on friends and family who have been in my life for years - K. (aka Charle Wallace), our composer is my sister, my childhood friend Max Mooney produced, edited, cast, and was my ride-or-die creative partner throughout it. In true indie-film fashion, the film was born out of community, shared values, friendship, and a special season of alignment.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
11
Q: How did boxing become a part of this story?
A: In Huli, boxing is a metaphor for personal power – but there’s also a deep rooted fight community throughout Hawaiʻi. I got interested in boxing when my friend Devin – who’s in the film – invited me to do some drills at the local gym in Hilo during the height of the pandemic. I got hooked. I felt that boxing was an interesting tapestry to explore deeper themes, and I also knew it’d be inherently cinematic.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
12
Q: There’s reference to social movements [BLM, Mauna Kea, etc.] throughout the film. What inspired these choices?
A: I think the movements are connected. I’m inspired by Haunani-Kay Trask referencing Malcolm X. I’m inspired by the lei on MLK during the Selma march. I’m inspired by Black & Indigenous intersectionality – and I haven’t seen many films that center those connections in the Pacific Islands.
When we listen to each other we grow and heal. I feel that that the friendship between Sol and Elijah seems simple but has profound depth. I hope this film creates bridges of love, community, and empathy.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
13
Q: The film is visually distinct – how did you find its unique look?
A: I’m grateful to collaborate with my friend William Rouse, who is a phenomenal DP and person. We went back and forth a lot to achieve the look of the film. I found references in all sorts of places – in Nancy Amaka’s work, an artist in Honolulu from Nigeria whose work taps into the ancestral realm. I was inspired by Mereba’s music videos, by time alone with the land, by dreams and visions. I also love the vocabulary of Chris Kahunahana’s feature film WAIKIKI, and felt that it beautifully subverted the “tourist view” of the islands to uncover something more dark, complex and inquisitive. We drew from these and many more references to build our own distinct world.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
14
Q: Can you talk more about the word “Huli?”
A: The word “huli,” like many words in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, is imbued with a multiplicity of poetry and meaning: to turn, to flip, to curl inward; to change, as an opinion or manner of living. It’s been a gathering call of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement of the 60s and beyond — and has a legacy of rallying our multicultural island population in solidarity with Native Hawaiian rights. It’s a reminder of pre-colonial contact, a call for change, a profound remembrance, and much more. Our film Huli turns attention toward a cross-cultural friendship, and asks us to consider the journey toward a “huli of consciousness.”
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
15
Q: What’s next for this work? What do you hope this film moves toward?
A: I’m continuing to act in series and films, and am developing film projects as a writer-director-producer in Hawai’i, LA, NY and abroad. Manhunt just aired on Apple TV, and The Oval is on BET now! On the directing side, I was recently part of NAACP Cinematic Short Film director’s cohort where I collaborated with a phenomenal co-director, Jonathan Logan, on a film called Oasis - another grounded drama which blends actors and non-actors, this time in a community in Las Vegas.
In the short-term, I hope Huli sparks further collaborations. I’m dedicated to continuing to create films in community with like-minded artists who have an interest in shining light on overlooked and/or unseen perspectives. It’s a thrilling and beautiful journey, and every day I feel so grateful.
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
16
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
17
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
18
CREW
DIRECTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER
PRODUCER, EDITOR
PRODUCER, 1st AD
DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY, PRODUCER
CO-PRODUCER
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
COMPOSER
COMPOSER
COSTUME DESIGN
PRODUCTION DESIGN & PROPS
HMU
HMU
1st AC
2nd AC / GRIP
GAFFER
GAFFER TRAINING
DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE COLORIST
SOUND OPERATOR
SOUND DESIGN & FOLEY
SOUND MIX
SOUND ENGINEER & STUDIO
"TUNING 1 & 2" ORIGINAL MIX
"TUNING 1 & 2" ORIGINAL MASTER
"TUNING 1 & 2" FINAL MIX & MASTER
ADDITIONAL SOUND ADR RECORDING
STRINGS PERFORMED BY
DRUMS PERFORMED BY
CRAFT SERVICES
STUNT COORDINATOR
STUNTS ASSISTANT
STUNTS ASSISTANT
CASTING
BRAND DESIGN & IDENTITY
PROPS ASSISTANT
TRAILER EDIT
KEY PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT / BTS PHOTO
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
ON SET PHOTOGRAPHY & BTS
WRITING COACHING
WATER SAFETY
BLESSING PRACTITIONER
Daniel Croix
Max Mooney
Phil Schlieder
William Rouse
Richard Hamasaki
Meleokauaapuakea Hamasaki
Emily May Jampel
Charle Wallace
Kamalei Ah Chong
Jarvis Abrazado
Taylor Kondo
Jessie Scolari
Kate Broadhurst
Ivy Lagodlagod
Ricky Santos Jr.
Mike Vidales
Lee Kaneakua
Sam Zook
Kelli Heath Cruz
Luke Mathers
Loren “Lo” Mclean
Richard Hamasaki
Davis Galvin & Charle Wallace
Ali Berger
Kai Hamasaki
Keanu Alop
Asia Doike & Charle Wallace
Kamalei Ah Chong
Jennifer Dang
Darin Fujimori
Jason A. Triplett
Saxon Sawai
Daniel Croix & Max Mooney
Meleokauaapuakea Hamasaki
Erick Melanson
Nicholas Escobar
Jordan Jackson
Olivia Galletta
Izzie Dela Peña
Kai Hamasaki
Chadman Rogness
Robyn Rouse
Shiloh Perkins
K. Henderson & Richard Hamasaki
Devin Brady
Brutus LaBenz & Elijah Kalā McShane
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024
19
CAST
ELIJAH
SOL
BIBI
‘ŌPIO
MAMO
JAZMIN
MAMA TIFFANIE
BABY ELIJAH
LEE
NĀKOA
AARON
NANCY
DESMOND
RADIO V/O
PARTNERS
Elijah Kalā McShane
Daniel Croix
Sequoia Carr Brown
‘Ōpio Keliʻiwaiwaiʻole
Mamo Kawaiaea
Jazmin Diaz
Tiffanie Bush
Elijah Kalā McShane II
Trae Ranson
Walter Bermoy
Theo Coumbis
Faith Fay
Devin Hambright
Thomas Walter Booker
Delphi Cinema
Hawaiʻi Media, Inc.
Mana Maoli
Kaimana Beach Hotel Waikīkī
Hawaiʻi Nature Center
A FILM BY DANIEL CROIX
HULI Electronic Press Kit
2024