Going Big - TAUBLIEB Films Wins Emmy Award for Documentary on Legendary Hawaiian Surfer and Launches New Big Wave Reality Series for ESPN/ABC

Malibu, CA (PRWEB) May 14, 2014

TAUBLIEB Films continues to make its mark as a leading content and entertainment producer in the world of youth culture and action sports having received a Sports Emmy Award for its feature documentary, "Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau," and is also launching a pioneering reality adventure series on ESPN, "Big Wave Hellmen," following five of the top big wave surfers as they chase monstrous waves around the globe.

"Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau" won a Sports Emmy last week as part of ESPN's award-winning 30 for 30 series for Best Documentary Series, with Paul Taublieb, CEO and Founder of TAUBLIEB Films, who also produced the hit feature film, "The Vow," serving as producer and creative director. Executive Producers include Susan Cooper, Executive Producer for TAUBLIEB Films, Quiksilver founder Bob McKnight, and Academy-award winning actor Josh Brolin, who also narrated the film.

Having premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, and won Best Picture the Maui Film Festival and Best Film at the Malibu International Film Festival, along with Best Documentary at the prestigious Surfer Poll, the film chronicles how a shy young islander battled against cultural and racial bias to become not only one of Hawaii’s most famous surfers and pioneering lifeguard but how, during the epic journey of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokulea to Tahiti in 1978, he gave his “last full measure” to save not only the lives of his shipwrecked crew mates but the soul of Hawaii itself. Today he's remembered with the classic line, "Eddie Would Go."

"To have the surviving Aikau family trust us with the story of their brother, along with the confidence by ESPN and the 30 for 30 executives, to tell this story was a great responsibility," commented Taublieb. "To be recognized with an Emmy is a great and humbling honor."

Of note, TAUBLIEB Films owns the feature film rights to the story and a major Hollywood screenwriter has been attached, and production financing is in the process of being secured.

To see the trailer for "Hawaiian" and a story about Taublieb and the Emmy for the film, click here:
http://xgames.espn.go.com/surfing/article/10907849/eddie-aikau-documentary-wins-emmy-award.

"Big Wave Hellmen" pushes the limit of production skill and flexibility, and breaks new ground for ESPN, as the TAUBLIEB Film production team is ready at a moment's notice to travel anywhere around the globe to chronicle the lives of surfers Shane Dorian, Grant "Twiggy" Baker, Greg Long, Mark Healey and Ryan "Hippo" Hipwood, as they pit themselves against the largest and most lethal waves on earth. "Big Wave Hellmen" will be three-one hour shows premiering on prime time on ESPN, with additional re-airs on ESPN2 and ABC as part of ESPN's "World of X Games" series.

To see the teaser for "Big Wave Hellmen" and story about the series, click here: http://xgames.espn.go.com/surfing/article/10490062/behind-scenes-hell-high-water.

"Our crews are on stand by to follow these hellmen where the surf is going to be truly giant, with cutting-edge cameras and the top cinematogaphers in the world," explained Taublieb. "But at the heart of our efforts is story-telling, and the stories we've found of courage and commitment are amazing." Shooting began in January with coverage of the "100 year" Hercules storm in southwest France, and has included Maui, Northern California, Cortes Bank in the international waters of the Pacific, and Western Australia, with South African, Mexico and the bone-crunching slab of Teahupoo, Tahiti yet to come.

About TAUBLIEB Films:

Headed by CEO and Founder Paul Taublieb, the Malibu, CA-based production company has pioneering force in youth-oriented, action sports and motorsports content and event production. Taublieb served as ESPN's consultant on the creation of the X Games, and has produced competitions and content for the property for over 15 years. Along with producing "The Vow," Taublieb has also produced other dramatic network movies, along with award-winning documentaries including "Fastest" about MotoGP racing. Taublieb has produced shows for ESPN, ABC, NBC, Showtime, and Fox, among networks, and is partners with skate and media legend Rob Dyrdek, along with Dialsmith, Inc., on ISX Scoring, the pioneering real time scoring system for action sports, which Taublieb created (for more on ISX go to http://www.isxscoring.com) and the backbone of Dyrdek's Street League Skateboarding, for whom Taublieb also provides strategic consulting, and airing on Fox Sports 1 in 2014. In addition, Taublieb serves as Monster Energy's content and strategy agency of record, producing long-form television shows, viral videos with millions of organic views, and the just launched national :30 campaign, featuring Ken Block and his Gymkhana series (and can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJq_pofBniE). TAUBLIEB Films is also developing a number of low-budget feature films and will be producing a series of world record stunts under the Evel Knievel brand.

A former award-winning investigative journalist and columnist, Taublieb now lives in Pt. Dume, Malibu, CA with his family and surfs as often as he can.

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