Bishop Museum Partners With Kūmanu Productions and DTL to Offer Free Screening of “Moana 2” in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

# Bishop Museum Partners With Kūmanu Productions and DTL to Offer Free Screening of "Moana 2" in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

The 2024 Walt Disney Animation Studios' 'Moana 2' animated feature starring Auli'i Cravalho will be shown on the Museum's Great Lawn on Feb. 7, 2026.

Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History, in partnership with Kūmau Productions and DTL, announces a free screening of "Moana 2" in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (the Hawaiian language). The 2024 Walt Disney Animation Studios feature starring Auli'i Cravalho will be shown on the Museum's Great Lawn on Saturday night, Feb. 7, 2026.

"Piha ko mākou hauʻoli e hoʻokipa aku ai i ka lehulehu o ke kaiāulu e komo i Ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike o Pihopa a e nānā pū i kēia kiʻi ʻoniʻoni kaulana nō ma ka ʻōlelo maoli o kēia ʻāina nei, ʻo ia nō ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi," wahi a Brandon Bunag, Ed.D, he hope pelekikena o ka papahana kaiāulu. "ʻO ka hōʻike ʻana i Moana 2 ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, he kaʻi hou aku nō mākou e hoʻonohonoho ai i ka ʻōlelo o kō mākou kūpuna ma kēia wahi e like me kekahi mau pāhana i hana ʻia ai ma mua ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi – ʻo Kapaemahu, ʻo Ka ʻUla Wena, a me ʻo Kū A Lanakila. Ke manaʻolana nei mākou e hui pū me ʻoukou e ko Hawaiʻi i mea e hoʻomau i ka ʻōlelo hoʻoheno o nēia ʻāina."

("We are truly delighted to welcome our community to Bishop Museum to experience this beloved film in the native language of this land — the Hawaiian language," said Brandon Bunag, Ed.D., Bishop Museum vice president of public programs and interim director of education. "Presenting ʻMoana 2' in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is another important step in elevating and normalizing the language of our ancestors here, just as we have done with previous Hawaiian-language initiatives such as past exhibitions Kapaemahu, Ka ʻUla Wena, and Kū A Lanakila. We look forward to joining with the people of Hawaiʻi in continuing to perpetuate the cherished language of this ʻāina.")

"He kakaʻikahi nā manawa i loko o ko kākou ola e ʻike i ka waiwai o ko kākou ʻōlelo ma kekahi kahua a puni o ka honua," wahi a Lāiana Kanoa-Wong, he haumana i puka mai ke kula kaiāpuni a me kekahi poʻo a Kūmau Productions. "ʻO ke kaʻanalike ʻana o kēia kiʻiʻoniʻoni i ka mahina ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi he mea koho ʻia me ka manaʻo pono. ʻO ia ka pahuhopu o ka hana nui o ka kākou lāhui e hōʻola i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi."

("There are few moments in our lifetime where we get to witness the power of our language being uplifted on a global platform," said Lāiana Kanoa-Wong, who is a Hawaiian immersion school graduate and co-founder of Kūmau Productions. "Releasing this film during Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi is intentional and meaningful. It reflects the collective effort of our community to ensure ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi continues to thrive.")

Local ʻohana (families) and visitors alike are invited to enjoy the screening in the open air of the plain of Kaiwiʻula, in the ahupuaʻa (land division) of Kapālama, where the Museum has been housed since 1889. Doors will open at 4 p.m. Food and beverages will be available for sale from Highway Inn's Tūtū's Place café as well as other vendors, and the Museum galleries will be open until 5:45 p.m. before the film starts at 6 p.m. The screening will include English subtitles.

Attendees are highly encouraged to pre-register online at BishopMuseum.org/Moana.

About "Moana 2"

Rating: PG. Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

"Moana 2" reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, "Moana 2" features music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foaʻi, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.

About Kūmau Productions:

Kūmau Productions is a Hawaiʻi-based production company dedicated to preserving, advancing, and normalizing Hawaiian language and culture through film, television, and digital media. Rooted in community-driven storytelling, Kūmau Productions collaborates closely with cultural practitioners, language experts, and local creatives to ensure authenticity, integrity, and cultural responsibility across all projects. Its body of work includes the award-winning documentary Hōkūleʻa: Finding the Language of the Navigator, Lahaina: Voices of Change, and translations for Nā Kama Kai: Makaʻala Bay. Through these and other projects, Kūmau Productions continues to elevate Native Hawaiian voices, expand access to ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi media, and create meaningful content that educates, inspires, and strengthens cultural continuity for audiences in Hawaiʻi and around the world.