"LOST" Update

SPOILER ALERT: Filming for the sixth and final season of "LOST" began on Monday, but most of the lensing so far has taken place at the Hawaii Film Studio on Diamond Head. But today, thanks to visiting "LOST" fan, blogger and podcaster "TheODI" and film industry watcher Tim Ryan, there's finally a couple of tidbits to report.

As a vacationing fan, "TheODI" has enjoyed visiting a number of "LOST" locations, including the beach set at Papailoa (still standing by) and Camp Erdman (a.k.a. Othersville). Thanks to some especially friendly people, he was able to get good leads on where they might be found. And indeed, we were both able to check out what looks like the first location shoot of the season, way out on the west side of O'ahu.

The set was unmistakable: the beach temple where Jacob lived, and atop which once stood the "four-toed" Egyptian statue. Nearby, the remnants of a large bonfire.

The actors said to be attached were Michael Emerson (Ben) and Terry O'Quinn (Locke... or Not Locke), the implication being that the beach shoot provides the exterior to the interior scenes filmed early this week. This fits with what a friend mentioned to me last week, suggesting that Brad Henke (Bram) was on deck early. It seems Season 6 will quickly pick up right where one of the Season 5 timelines left off.

Note: The ever intrepid "TheODI" ventured much further than I dared, and will soon be publishing some great up-close-and-personal photos on his blog.

Meanwhile, Tim Ryan's Reel Hawaii has early word on a "premier event" once again pairing the Hawaii International Film Festival with "LOST." Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, Ryan says it will be:

"a multi-tier, marathon Lost event that will include open-to-the-public seminars with cast, crew and executives, an in-depth, two-hour discussion in the evening of the hit show’s progression over the last five years that includes a question-and-answer segment with at least two of the show’s producers followed by an invitation-only after party."

There'll also be "Master Classes" on Saturday, a private advance reception in Waikiki, and — as we saw at Comic-Con — displays of "LOST" props that will ultimately be auctioned off next year.

In years past, there had been two previous "LOST" events included in HIFF's fall program, and I was desperately hoping there'd be at least one more before the series wrapped in 2010. This year's event is framed as a fundraiser, and tickets probably won't be cheap, but for hardcore local "LOST" fans, it's probably impossible to resist.