A filmmaker from Maui has landed a major Hollywood contract, good news for Hawaii's film scene and for local students hoping to break in.

• Destin Daniel Cretton signed a three-year deal with Sony Pictures to develop new films through his company, Hisako Films.
• The deal follows his Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which became the highest-grossing domestic release ever.
• Sony says it wants to keep working with him well beyond that film.
• His Hisako Film Lab is teaming with Fuzz Box Productions on a free program for Maui high schoolers to write, shoot, and finish short films.
• The lab runs October through December in Lahaina and ends with a public red carpet premiere; applications close Friday.

Outlook: Expect more Cretton-led projects out of Sony and a growing pipeline of young filmmakers coming out of Maui.