Stuart Yamane, former producer at PBS now doing indie work, directed a documentary on the Kamaka 'Ukulele 'ohana for Alpha Media, titled "Heart Strings: The Story of the Kamaka 'Ukulele," a one-hour film shown at the Hawai'i International Film Festival. A half-hour broadcast version, picked up by PBS for likely national airing next year, will have its world premiere at 8:30 p.m. Thursday on PBS here.

"Anyone who knows the Kamakas know what great people they are; humble, hard-working and genuinely full of aloha," said Yamane.

The film includes interviews of and performances by Gordon Mark, Jake Shimabukuro and the late Aunty Genoa Keawe. With its distinctly Hawaiian point of view — the film telescopes a genuine mom-and-pop family institution — you come away with traditional Hawaiian values like malama (to serve and care for) and pono (doing what's fitting and proper). ...

Yamane, meantime, has been involved in commercial directing; that splendid Hawaiian Airlines spot for Laird Christianson Advertising, with Mapuana De Silva and her Halau Mohala 'Ilima prepping for last year's Merrie Monarch Festival, is his work. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Keeping up with the Joneses, musician Steve Jones and his wife are back from a New York trip to help son Sean Jones, the local actor, settle into his Bronx apartment for his freshman year at Hunter College. The Jones 'ohana took in "South Pacific" at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre to renew ties with and root for Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary. The Tony nominee and hubby David Sayre had dinner with the Joneses at O'Neal's across from the theater.

Meanwhile, Sean has aligned with expat Kaitlyn Kiyan, daughter of Paul and Carol Kiyan, who has been a tribe member in "Hair," a hit in a revival that just closed Sunday at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, but reopens earlier next year on Broadway.

Sean's front-desk job at the Equinox Gym in Greenwich Village had a sight 'em moment: He thanked a woman as she was leaving, then realized it was Oscar winner Hilary Swank. Sweet! ...

Pere Jones was a musician in Raiatea Helm's "Hawaiian Blossom" concert at the Hawai'i Theatre, where her dad, Zachary, joined in on a closing duet of "Kalama'ula," prompting chicken-skin responses.

NEXT UP FOR STEVE JONES: a 10-city Japan tour, culminating with a two-night stand at the Tokyo Blue Note with songbird Amy Hanaiali'i, whose "'Aumakua" CD is now No. 1. ...

HITHER 'N' YON: Singer Nohelani Cypriano is back from a month's tour of Hong Kong, Vietnam and Malaysia — a goodwill gig that included lu'au shows for a hotel chain in Vietnam and Malaysia. The entourage included musicians, hula dancers and a knife dancer — folks like Kinau Hicks and her mother Aunty Pualani Paoa (widow of Uncle George Paoa) from Lana'i, Dennis Graue, Hoapili Jingao, Jasmine Ornellas, Michele Deguzman, Lafoai Brown and Chad Pa.

The lu'au kau kau was by Kevin Chun, who is executive sous chef at Roy's Waikiki Beach Walk. There was an emotional moment in a Kuala Lumpur hotel lounge when Aunty Pualani heard the recorded voice of her late hubby, touching her immensely because it also happened to be on his birthday. ...

ABOUT PEOPLE: That singing real estate man, Joey Caldarone, is in the midst of recording a CD, "That's What Friends Are For," with Kit Samson providing the music and Pierre Grill producing. Caldarone plans to debut the disc at a future benefit for publicist Lisa Josephsohn, who is undergoing a second bout with cancer, to help with her medical expenses.

Caldarone, who played The Engineer in Army Community Theatre's "Miss Saigon" a couple of seasons back, talked story with visiting Kevin Gray, who was The Engineer in the Toronto debut of the musical, at a party at Josephsohn's home for The Three Phantoms — Gray, Craig Schulman and Cris Groenendaal, who gave three concerts last weekend at the Hawai'i Theatre. ...

The Friday-only Augie T comedy show — a fixture since February at the Pagoda Hotel — will be pau after Sept. 26. ...

FISH 'N' BOY: Mel and Lynn Tanioka, of Tanioka Seafood and Catering in Waipahu, greeted their first grandchild, a boy named Ethan Christian Lum, when their daughter Jasmine Lum gave birth Sept. 8 — sharing a birthdate with grandpa. Mom endured a long and tedious two-day labor at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children. Ethan weighed 7 pounds, 13.9 ounces and measured 20 inches long. Though it was a long wait, the Taniokas kept the Kapi'olani nurses well fed, with ample poke and sushi from their headquarters. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.