Finding ‘Ohana is a movie about freindship, family, and adventure — here is a list of some great fun facts I learned during the press event!
Finding ‘Ohana is a really fun family movie that is filled with love, adventure, and important lessons. Take one look at this movie and you will know it is inspired by the classic movie The Goonies. Don’t worry though, it definitely takes its own spin on the classic and tells its own story.
I was able to chat with the cast and filmmakers about this beautiful movie in a press junket, and I learned so many fun facts about Finding ‘Ohana! There is a lot that really made me appreciate the movie more than I did before — and had me itching to watch it again!
Participating Talent
- Christina Strain (screenwriter)
- Jude Weng (director)
- Kea Peahu (Pili)
- Owen Vaccaro (Casper)
- Alex Aiono (E)
- Lindsay Watson (Hana)
Finding ‘Ohana Fun Facts
There are so many things that I found interesting and fun, but in the interest of not making this article one million words long, here are my favorites.
- There was a Big Kahuna on set that would bless each filming site before they filmed.
- They had cultural consultants around while filming to make sure that things were very accurate to Hawaiian culture. Christina Strain said this was very important to her because when she sees inaccuracies of her culture in films and TV shows, she notices them.
- Jude Weng recently found out she is part Polynesian, so she related to Pili and E, who are discovering more about their culture in Finding ‘Ohana.
- Kea Peahu learned more about her native land of Hawaii and culture while filming.
- One of the things that drew Owen Vaccaro to the role of Casper is that Casper is a red head and he really wanted to dye his hair for the first time ever!
- Christina Strain created a scholarship at the University of Hawaii for Creative Writing.
- On the final night of filming, all the kids had a big sleepover at the hotel to say goodbye – after spending two months together traveling.
- Kea, Alex, Own, and Lindsay all helped choreograph the final dance scene in the movie!
- Lindsay Watson says she IS Hana! They are basically the same person so it was very easy to get into the role.
- All of the kids did their own stunts! Kea says she loved doing them so much, that she would do them when they weren’t filming! And Owen said that some of his favorite scenes to film were up in harnesses!
- Finding ‘Ohana was filmed in Hawaii and Thailand.
- Alex Aiono is a musician on YouTube and there is a part in the movie where he gets to show off his singing talents — along with the rest of the kids in the cast. Instead of dubbing, they actually used audio that was recorded in the cave they filmed in!
- Christina Strain really fought to keep “butthole” in the movie. Why? She said one of her favorite parts of The Goonies was kids saying more adult words — because it is hilarious!
- Both Alex Aiono and Lindsay Watson say that they want families to take away the message of family and friendship from Finding ‘Ohana. Kea Peahu says she wants people to take care of their ‘Ohana (family) and the land as well.
- Alex Aiono and Lindsay Watson told me that so much of their back and forth banter was adlibbed! Credit to Director Jude Weng for allowing them to do that!
- Alex Aiono LOVES to celebrate birthdays! The most memorable celebrations on set for him were Kea’s birthday and Jude’s birthday.
About Finding ‘Ohana
A summer in rural Oahu takes an exciting turn for two Brooklyn-raised siblings when a journal pointing to long-lost treasure sets them on an epic adventure with new friends, and leads them to reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage.
Cast: Kea Peahu, Alex Aiono, Lindsay Watson, Owen Vaccaro, with Kelly Hu and Branscombe Richmond, Ke Huy Quan, Brad Kalilimoku, Chris Parnell, Marc Evan Jackson, Ricky Garcia
Watch Finding ‘Ohana on Netflix now!
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.