New York defined her- Hawaii changed her. From da Big Island is a senior coming of age, fish out of water story about Ruth, a famous New York syndicated television personality. Following a horrific automobile accident, Ruth wants to be alone and have the peace that she is unable to find in New York City. The allure of Hawaii and the need for change beckons her. She accepts the change, moves to the Big Island of Hawaii, and soon discovers life is vastly different than what she expected and gets what she wished for, to be alone. Will Ruth accept change and adjust to her new life on the Big Island or will she reject it and return to the Big Apple? is based on the screenplay of the same name, which was a 2006 Cecil Award finalist in the Best Feature Screenplay category. The Cecil Awards are in honor of Cecil B. DeMille and awarded to those who achieve academic excellence in specific film industry categories. The screenplay was also a semifinalist in the 9th Annual Scriptapalooza International Screenplay Competition.