Maui, Hawaii – Wednesday, May 4, 2016 - Locally produced, with local talent, “SEARCH Hawaii, Where Food Meets Culture” received TWO Emmy Nominations. The 45th Annual Northern California Area EMMY® Award Nominations were announced Wednesday, May 4th during a live webcast from Sacramento, Cal. The EMMY® award is presented for outstanding achievement in television by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS).

Nominated in the category of Lifestyle – Program/Special, “SEARCH Hawaii” received nominations for their 2015 shows Episode 2-Oahu and Episode 3-Kauai:

Yvonne Biegel, Executive Producer/Producer;
Kathy Muneno Thompson, Producer;
Michael Lofaro, Kainoa Horcajo, Hosts;
William Paris, Director/Director of Photography/ Editor;
Scott G. Culbertson, Sound Engineer.

The winners will be announced at The Emmy Gala in the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco on Saturday, June 4, 2016.

“It truly is an honor to receive recognition for a show that we love and believe in,” said Yvonne Biegel, Executive Producer. “We are just a few friends who respect the Hawaiian culture and like great food. When Kainoa and Chef Mike started talking about a dinner based on the Hawaiian Moon Calendar, Kathy and I knew we had a show.

“Mahalo to KHON2 and our early presenting sponsor Ulupono Initiative and supporting sponsor Grand Wailea for aligning with the story and vision. There is so much more to the story, so we will be launching a summer series and shooting a one-hour special on Hokule`a.”

“Search Hawaii” will air in its new time weekly on Saturdays at 9 p.m. beginning Saturday, June 4, 2016. The one-hour Hokule`a special will air mid-September.

About Search Hawaii
The 30-minute television program aired five shows winter 2015, and will launch a summer series weekly beginning June 4, 2016 in Hawaii on KHON2, Saturday evenings at 9 p.m. SEARCH Hawaii follows a cultural expert and a professional chef on their journey to acquire ingredients found in nature to create a gourmet meal based on the Hawaiian Moon Calendar and Hawaii’s unique culture.

The waterman chef – Mike Lofaro – and a Hawaiian cultural ambassador – Kainoa Horcajo –with a love for the mountains plan and produce a monthly culinary adventure series focusing on the Hawaiian Moon Calendar. KHON2 news anchor Kathy Muneno hosts opening and closing segments inviting the viewer to join Chef Mike and Kainoa as they find inspiration for their monthly culinary adventure series menu.

More than a “farm to table” cooking show, the co-hosts go deep with the diverse but similarly passionate backgrounds of the two. SEARCH Hawaii will inspire the viewer to consider local ingredients while they learn about Hawaii’s cultures and traditions with visually rousing images of our island home, meetings with local heroes farming, fishing and cooking cultural ingredients throughout the Hawaiian islands.

Viewers benefit by learning about the Hawaiian culture, local food sources and the best time to plant and harvest using the Hawaiian Moon Calendar. Each show closes with Chef Mike Lofaro creating the inspired dish in a humble kitchen or outdoors, and serving it to those involved.

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