HAWAII PREMIERE — A Revolution started on Maui
Director Stephen Strout was on Maui this week putting the finishing touches on his film, Revolution Green, a documentary about Mauian Bob King’s vision for community-based biofuels, which makes its Hawaii debut at the Maui Film Festival on Wednesday, June 13 at 5:00 p.m. at the McCoy Theater. The film was shot extensively in Maui, Hawaii, and features singer/actor Willie Nelson, friend and business partner of King, with narration taped on Maui by actor Woody Harrelson, who has a strong connection to the film.
“I use Pacific Biodiesel fuel,” Harrelson notes, “and I support the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance.” The Kings explain that the actor was the first Maui celebrity to use their fuel, and they have always been grateful for the early support, when the company was trying to create awareness of biodiesel. “There were times that the struggle just didn’t seem worth it,” remembers Bob King. “Then, you think about someone like Woody Harrelson cheering you on, and you know you have to go on!”
King started Pacific Biodiesel over a decade ago before biodiesel was hardly a concept in the U.S. King and his wife Kelly run the company with the mission of keeping biodiesel production local and sustainable. To date, Pacific Biodiesel, Inc. has built 10 community biodiesel plants, in the U.S. from the east coast to the west, with one in Nagano, Japan.
Director Strout and Producer Jessica Kelly will be present at both screenings of the film, along with the Kings, with whom they have become fast friends.
“Making this film has been the most incredible journey,” exclaims the director, whose credits in film editing include the Discovery Channel’s, Peabody Award-winning documentary Black Sky: The Race for Space. “Jessica and I have been so inspired by the deep commitment and strong vision of the whole Pacific Biodiesel staff. I put my life savings into this effort, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat!”
To further their mission, last year the Kings founded the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, a non-profit organization which seeks to focus the biofuels industry on recognizing the vast benefits of locally-produced, sustainable biodiesel. Co-chaired by Daryl Hannah and Annie Nelson (Willie’s wife), the group has attracted the attention of international environmental groups such as Worldwatch Institute, IATP, 25 x 25 Group, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels and Friends of the Earth, among others. Honorary Board members include Nelson, Harrelson and Jack Johnson.
The film is also scheduled for a free second screening Friday, June 15 at 9 p.m. at the SandDance Theater on the beach in Wailea.
For more information visit:
The Maui Film Festival
Revolution Green
The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance