Dances With Films Selection Cabali and the Tiki Mug Obsession Explores Tiki Culture Through the World of Collectible Tiki Mugs Documentary Features Appearances by The Office Star Kate Flannery, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Todd Rundgren, and painter/designer/illustrator SHAG
The feature documentary Cabali and the Tiki Mug Obsession, an Official Selection of the 2026 Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles, examines the history, artistry, and resurgence of Tiki culture through the collectors, artists, and enthusiasts who helped preserve it during a period when much of the culture was disappearing.
Directed by Josh Dragotta, the documentary focuses on the evolution of Tiki mug collecting from a niche hobby into a worldwide community rooted in design, craftsmanship, nostalgia, and preservation. The film also follows Doug “Fini” Finical, a longtime Tiki collector whose extensive collection inspired the creation of Cabali, a modern speakeasy-style Tiki bar in Oro Valley, Arizona.
By the early 1990s, many classic Tiki bars had closed, while ceramic Tiki mugs were often relegated to thrift stores, swap meets, and flea markets. In Venice Beach and throughout Southern California, however, collectors and artists began rediscovering these objects and documenting the larger culture surrounding them. Boutique publishing, conventions, and early internet forums helped fuel renewed interest in Tiki history and aesthetics.
The documentary places special emphasis on California’s role in shaping the original Tiki movement, from the mid-century explosion of Polynesian-inspired restaurants and bars across Los Angeles and Orange County to the artists and collectors now preserving that legacy.
Alongside Finical’s story, the film features appearances by actress and comedian Kate Flannery (The Office), Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Todd Rundgren, painter, designer, and illustrator SHAG and a wide range of artists, collectors, musicians, and Tiki historians connected to the culture’s ongoing revival.
Shot using a mix of interviews, archival materials, vérité footage, and stylized cinematography, Cabali and the Tiki Mug Obsession explores not only the collectibles themselves, but the community that formed around them.
Dragotta brings an extensive background in film editing and documentary storytelling to the project. His previous work includes the documentary Satan’s Angel: Queen of the Fire Tassels, while his editorial credits include projects tied to La La Land, Bullet Train, Severance, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
“This documentary has consumed the past three years of my life,” Dragotta states in the film’s production materials. “When I met Fini and witnessed his obsession, I knew it would be a wild and fun story to share.”
