Announcing the Upcoming Release of "Perfect Days" Animated Film Shorts Collection

Every place has stories that shape it. Some are passed down around dinner tables, some are remembered while walking familiar streets, and others live deep in the memories of those who have called a place home for decades.

Perfect Days is a new collection of animated film shorts by acclaimed animator Richard O'Connor and Ace & Son Moving Picture Company that brings those stories to life. Inspired by conversations recorded through Hui Moʻolelo: Lāhainā, the films transform lived experiences into public artworks that celebrate the people, places, and relationships that continue to define Lāhainā.

Hui Moʻolelo is an intergenerational storytelling initiative presented through the County of Maui Public Art Program in partnership with Maui Public Art Corps. Together, this public-private partnership serves as Maui County's Local Arts Agency, as recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts. Each year, community members participate in an intensive Hui Moʻolelo training before pairing with elder kamaʻāina and longtime residents to record meaningful talk-story conversations that preserve local history, culture, and sense of place while inspiring future public art across Maui County.

Many of the storytellers featured in Perfect Days participated in the program's most recent Lāhainā-focused cohort, led by Kaliko Storer, whose thoughtful mentorship helped cultivate a new generation of story collectors and community stewards.

The stories inspiring this collection come from conversations featuring Trinity Scalan, Kyla Nahoʻoikaika, Nayah Smith, Kanoelani Kenolio, Hōkū Delatori, Noelle Storer, Cornelio Bancaco Jr., Tom Fujita (Lahainaluna High School Class of 1962), and Dean Tokishi of the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission. Together, they reflect a wide range of experiences, from childhood memories and family traditions to environmental stewardship and deep connections to ʻāina and ocean.

For Maui Public Art Corps, the recordings are more than scripts to be illustrated; they are invitations to listen. Richard O'Connor's team began by immersing themselves in each conversation, identifying the emotions, imagery, and moments that resonate most deeply before translating them into hand-crafted animation. Throughout production, the creative process remains rooted in dialogue, allowing the films to evolve through continued engagement with the community. That collaborative process extends well beyond the original storytellers.

As Perfect Days enters production, Maui Public Art Corps is inviting classrooms and community groups to become part of the creative process. Participants will listen to selected excerpts from the Hui Moʻolelo recordings and create original drawings inspired by what they hear. These drawings will be shared with the animation team as a source of inspiration, expanding the circle of authorship and helping shape the visual language of each film. Participants are invited to listen carefully, imagine freely, and respond creatively. The resulting artwork becomes another layer of interpretation—another voice contributing to the final public artwork.

This approach reflects Maui Public Art Corps' philosophy of public art. Public art is not simply art placed in a public space. It is created through a public process, rooted in a sense of place, and developed in direct dialogue with the community. Perfect Days embodies each of these principles, demonstrating how storytelling, listening, and artistic interpretation can come together to create works that belong to everyone who helped shape them.

The completed films will premiere in August 2026 as an immersive multi-screen installation, offering audiences an opportunity to experience Lāhainā through the memories of those who know it best. More than animated films, Perfect Days represents an ongoing conversation that reminds us that our stories are among our most valuable cultural resources. Because the most meaningful public art isn't created for a community. It is created with one.