A tour of Hawaii on Lido Theater screen

Through the portal of the big screen at the Lido Theatre, the 2006 GeoCinema film festival is giving locals a chance to travel the world without leaving their seats.

The festival kicked off Saturday at the Newport Beach theater, where a full house of people left sunny Newport and journeyed to a different paradise: Hawaii.

Filmmaker Dennis Burkhart’s film, “Hawaii, the Pacific Paradise,” took viewers to the Hawaiian Islands and offered them a glimpse of the real Hawaii, beyond hotel luaus and the crowded Waikiki strip.

“I think a lot of people have a concept of Hawaii that’s been sold to them by tourism,” Burkhart said.

The festival, in its third year at the Lido Theater, is centered on travel and adventure documentaries, said festival producer Lewis Williams.

“This is very noncommercial, it’s just an incredibly exciting meet-the-filmmaker film festival,” Williams said.

Burkhart, a Portland, Ore., resident, has shot films and documentaries for the Travel Channel, the Discovery Channel and PBS. “Hawaii, the Pacific Paradise” has been shown in the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest, Burkhart said.

“It’s fun to be here with an audience when they watch the show,” Burkhart said.

This is not Burkhart’s first film about Hawaii; he’s produced others and has spent nearly 25 years filming footage on the Hawaiian Islands.

“It’s the most beautiful place in the world,” Burkhart said.

In the film, Burkhart intentionally leaves behind the tourist side of Hawaii, instead opening up some of the secrets of the island.

Hawaii’s indigenous culture has been submerged for more than a century and is just starting to emerge, Burkhart said.

Instead of focusing on famous hotels or restaurants, the film steps away from Oahu’s crowded beaches of Waikiki, and shows the audiences the history of the most populated city in Hawaii. The film also features history about each Hawaiian Island, including the smaller and less-frequented Lanai and Molokai.

The GeoCinema Festival will show four additional films on various dates through April 29. For show times and ticket information, call Lewis Williams (760) 946-4841.