Kauai Film Commission

07/26/2026

Celebrating five years of Disney’s Jungle Cruise!

This month marks 5 years since audiences were taken on a thrilling ride down the Amazon. But did you know the movie was filmed right here on Kauaʻi?

Production crews constructed a fully functioning Amazonian port town from scratch right on the banks of the Kapaia Reservoir near Līhuʻe. The production also heavily featured the Kauaʻi Plantation Railway at the historic Kilohana Plantation for the film's train sequences, alongside breathtaking shots of Wailua Falls and the Hulēʻia River.

07/22/2026

https://www.sagaftra.org/kauai-sag-aftra-hawaii-curious-about-union-membership-join-us-coffee

Whether you're an experienced actor, background performer, or just starting out in Hawaii's vibrant film, television, and commercial industry, you might have questions about SAG-AFTRA. We’re here to help!

07/22/2026

? During the production of the Academy Award-winning film The Descendants, a key interior scene was filmed entirely on location within a historic, family-owned establishment in Hanalei that has operated on the North Shore for decades.

To maintain a grounded atmosphere, the production hired local Kauaʻi residents to serve as background extras rather than using standard talent. Additionally, local musicians were used to perform live on camera.

07/18/2026

It’s , and we’re looking at the unique role Kauaʻi played in creating the fantasy world of Cittàgazze for the series His Dark Materials (2019)!

While the physical streets of the city were constructed on a studio backlot in Wales, the visual effects team needed real-world tropical landscapes and coastal textures to complete the environment. A specialized production unit spent six days on Kauaʻi capturing aerial and ground-level footage to build the show's parallel world.

The accompanying photo shows a local crew setting up a specialized camera rig on a dual-ladder platform directly on the shoreline. This setup allowed technicians to capture stable, unobstructed background plates of the horizon and water over the low treeline. These elements were later combined with digital models to give the fictional city its signature coastal backdrop.

Have you seen this series?

07/13/2026

It’s ! Can you guess which famous actor used to be a Jungle Cruise skipper? 👇🏼

07/10/2026

Wishing you a Happy and a wonderful weekend from Kauaʻi’s West Side!

07/08/2026

? A real-life Hollywood coincidence helped rescue the cast and crew of Jurassic Park from Kauaʻi after Hurricane Iniki hit in 1992?

When the Category 4 storm stranded director Steven Spielberg and his team at their hotel in Nāwiliwili, producer Kathleen Kennedy rushed to the airport to arrange an evacuation flight. The first commercial pilot to land on the island to assist turned out to be Fred Sorenson.

Sorenson was the same pilot who had stepped in front of the camera more than a decade earlier to play Jock, the biplane pilot who rescues Indiana Jones in the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sorenson recognized Kennedy on the tarmac, coordinated a massive cargo plane, and successfully flew the exhausted crew to safety!

07/07/2026

Hope everyone enjoyed a safe, relaxing, and beautiful Fourth of July weekend with family and friends, taking care of each other and looking out for our beautiful beaches!☀️

06/29/2026

: Did you know that the striking limestone formations on our South Shore set the stage for an action sequences in the late '90s?

In the 1998 adventure-comedy Six Days, Seven Nights, characters Robin and Quinn find themselves cornered by a crew of modern-day pirates. With their backs against the wall, their only option is to take a dramatic leap of faith right off the edge of the breathtaking Māhāʻulepū Cliffs and into the ocean below.

Today, this rugged stretch of coastline remains an undeveloped sanctuary.

06/25/2026

: A Look Back at Pagan Love Song (1950)

For this week's throwback, we’re traveling back more than seven decades to when MGM brought the world of Technicolor to Kauaʻi’s shores for the musical romance Pagan Love Song.

While the film's story is set in Tahiti, producers knew exactly where to look for paradise. The production moved into the island’s stunning North Shore, using the lush landscapes of Hanalei to create the South Seas escape.

The shoot was a massive event for the Garden Island community, bringing "Hollywood’s Mermaid" Esther Williams and the golden-voiced Howard Keel right to our backyard. Many local residents even got to join in on the movie magic, appearing as extras in the lively music and dance numbers filmed right on the sand.