LAST CHANCE ROMANCE

The Rainbow Film Festival wraps up a weekend of 24 films from 15 countries with two films that hit totally different notes.

"The People I've Slept With" (right) is a comedic journey that will appeal to a wide audience, gay and straight. It focuses on Angela (Karin Anna Cheung), a promiscuous party girl who loves sex so much that she has to create baseball cards to remember the men she's been with and what they were like.

She's pregnant, but due to her track record, has no idea with whom. Was it the Five Second Guy? Or the Mystery Man? Perhaps the Nervous Guy? With the help of her cards and her best gay male friend Gabriel (played by Wilson Cruz), she tracks down her most recent lovers to figure out who the father is — and what she wants for herself in a relationship.

Others looking for more serious drama and a look into the Jewish culture may want to see "Eyes Wide Open," a serious drama about a gay university student who falls in love with a respected — and married — ultra-Orthodox butcher shop owner. The subtitled film explores the consequences and the thought processes behind such forbidden love in a strict community and culture.

"Eyes Wide Open" shows at 3:30 p.m. today, and "The People I've Slept With" shows at 6:30 p.m. today at the Doris Duke Theatre; $10.

The film fest wraps up with a closing-night gala, themed "Haute," at Ka Nightclub from 8 tonight featuring pūpū, a select host bar, entertainment and prizes. Tickets are $20 at the door, or $25 for the gala and "The People I've Slept With." Attendees can meet the actors from the films, including Cruz and director Quentin Lee of "The People I've Slept With."

Tickets for the movies and the gala are available at www.hglcf.org.

— Melissa Chang

TRES MAGNIFIQUE

We all know how much the French love wind surfing. Pā'ia residents sometimes think they should learn French as a second language. One welcome result: Wind surfer Fabrice Valeri and designer Isabelle Cachot, a talented French couple, have combined their passions for the sport and its aesthetic into Oxbow Surfwear Co., originated in Normandy and now making inroads into the Island surfwear scene.

Oxbow offers both technical and fashion-forward clothing for men and women. About one-third of their beachwear is now made of organic cotton or recycled polyester, with a goal to increase that greatly.

Watch for an Oxbow-sponsored film featuring Laird Hamilton on July 28 at the Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Oxbow clothing sells for $20 to $75 and can be found on O'ahu at Surf & Sea in Hale'iwa, and at Tropical Blends, Hawaiian Water Sports and Aloha Board Shop in town. For more information visit www.oxboworld.com.

— Paula Rath

SALES & BARGAINS

• All-out Alliway fans will be glad to know that a portion of the store is dedicated to the bargain hunter, in the "Cheap Thrills Section." We found an Alliway original gold-plated glam necklace from her "Heavy Metal" collection for $29; the original price was $58. Stop in to this dog-friendly store and say hello to the owners' cute pooches. Alliway, Ward Warehouse; 589-1141, www.alliway.com.

• Nordstrom is having its Half-Yearly Sale for women. You'll find major sales on handbags, shoes and fashion jewelry. We found some amazing $90 dresses for $40, and Michael Kors and Kate Spade handbags discounted by 40 percent and more. Nordstrom, Ala Moana; 953-6100, www.nordstrom.com.

• I love it when I see red dots at Nordstrom Rack — that means sales, deals and more sales! I found a pair of Dolce Vida open-toe ankle boots for $49 (regular price $88) and a black maxi-dress for $17 (regular price $48). You don't get buyer's remorse for those deals. Nordstom Rack, Ward Centre; 589-2060.

• By the light of the big, round May moon ... take a look at this new boutique called Silvery Moon, with tons of cute items, including eco-bags, purses, organizers and Baby-G watches. Check out their cozy and stylish Shoul; it's not quite a shawl because it's uniquely designed to sit and stay on the shoulders. Perfect for chilly offices, movies and romantic evening walks. It's super versatile and can be worn with day or night looks. Silvery Moon, 1125 S. King St., suite 101; 593-9883, www.silverymoonhawaii.com.

— Amanda Stevens

MASTER OF DISASTER

We've had air disasters, sinking ships, volcanoes and visitors from outer space. Could a tsunami movie be in our future? Tom Miller's "The Wave" (Sherman Asher), released last month, has script rights written all over it, with blurbs from Leonardo DiCaprio and Damon Wayons in the press materials. It describes a tidal wave, caused by a massive undersea landslide, that leaves little of Hawai'i except Haleakalā, Mount Ka'ala and Maunakea above water and decimates the California coast. Watch out for the bad pidgin and misplaced jokes, but the action is big-screen ready.

Miller will be in Hawai'i for a book tour: 7 p.m. July 23, Borders, Ward Center; 2-3 p.m. July 24, Borders, Maui; 2-3 p.m. July 25, Borders, Kona; 7 p.m. July 23, Borders, Ward Center.

— Wanda A. Adams

RUNAWAY BRIDE

You don't have to know Maria Yoon to be a part of her 46th wedding today at Magic Island. In fact, you can attend her pre-wedding reception at The Manifest, as well.

No, Maria isn't a serial bride — or unlucky in love. She's a performance artist from New York who is traveling the country as "Maria the Korean Bride," holding ceremonies in every state.

Yoon, who is single, has been dealing with pressure and guilt from her parents and society to be married since she turned 30. Through this cross-country journey as a Korean bride, in traditional Korean bridal garb, she challenges and explores what "marriage" is, both as an artist and as an Asian woman in her 30s. When complete, Maria the Korean Bride will be a feature documentary with highlights from these ceremonies.

"At first glance, these weddings as performance art seem a little bizarre," explained art consultant Trisha Lagaso Goldberg, who is also Yoon's Hawai'i wedding coordinator. "When you look deeper into the process, however, you see her addressing identity, family values, and what it means to be married or single. The performance itself questions traditional values."

Maria the Korean Bride has been married 45 times to a variety of wedding partners — men, women, animals, inanimate objects — that are tongue-in-cheek representatives of each location, including a dog musher from Alaska; a pork BBQ lover from North Carolina; a prize-winning, 700-pound Black Angus from Nebraska; a show girl dressed as Diana Ross in Nevada; and a Miller Light collar shirt in Wisconsin. On Sunday, she will get married to a groom named Spam.

Check out the pre-wedding reception, 4 to 5:30 p.m. at The Manifest, with a slide show of Maria's 45 previous weddings, and you can ask Maria questions yourself. There will be light refreshments and, yes, a no-host bar.

The sunset wedding performance is from 6 to 7 p.m. at Magic Island. Both events are free; www.mariathekoreanbride.com.

— Melissa Chang