On Friday June 20th, 2009, Willie Nelson received the Maverick Award Tribute at the Celestial Cinema in Makena during the Maui Film Festival. He sang a few songs and played the guitar (shown in this video) between movies. His music and good spirit were welcomed under the stars by thousands of Maui locals and visitors.
The first film to be shown was Splinterheads about a young man in a small town that falls in love with a beautiful Carnie. The second film as One Peace At A Time (world premiere), a touching film about what we can do for our world in crisis. In this film, Willie Nelson, among notable others, has a short insightful interview. The last film was also a world premiere of Cash Crop. This film explored the many defining characteristics of a booming marijuana economy in Northern California. The Maui Film Festival is an incredible event to experience.
Every year, local Maui residents anticipate the fun and excitement of the festival. Those visitors lucky enough to be here for it all claim that Maui has the best film festival in the world. Enjoying warm weather under the stars with a sunset over the ocean, then watching great movies with friends in the grass can’t be beaten. (One warning though: If you plan on watching more than the first film, we suggest bringing a jacket and/or blanket. It can get a bit chilly later on.)
Willie Nelson was awarded this tribute for “courage in his convictions, the ability and willingness to stand the heat, and protect our collective constitutional rights to artistic and political freedom of expression.”
