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Thank You For A Great Spring Showcase!

Posted April 23, 2010 - 4:49pm by HIFF

MAHALO! HIFF's 30th Anniversary Year is off to a tremendous start thanks to everyone's strong support of HIFF's Spring Showcase. A special THANK YOU to our HIFF Ohana Members! I particularly enjoyed talking with Members about your favorite films and HIFF's upcoming Fall Festival. 

MAO'S LAST DANCER was a good collaboration with Ballet Hawaii and a strong audience favorite. Watch for its theatrical release this summer. Several of the films from the Spring Showcase will be in Regal Cinemas in the near future so you will have a chance to see your favorites again and to recommend first-time viewing to your friends.  

THANKS to our Spring Sponsors who helped make the Showcase possible: 

  • Regal Entertainment Group
  • Hawaii Tourism Authority
  • Halekulani
  • Electric Pencil
  • OrangeRoc
  • Castle & Cooke Hawaii
  • Hawaii Pacific Entertainment
  • Liquid Planet Studios
  • Modern Luxury Hawaii Magazine
  • This Week Magazine
  • Aloha Menus
  • Center for Pacific Islands Studies,
    University of Hawaii at Manoa
Chuck Boller, HIFF Executive Director

Silent Auction Items at Oscar Night America 2010

Posted March 1, 2010 - 9:01am by HIFF

Here is just a sampling of the fabulous items that we will have at the Oscar Night America 2010 Silent Auction. We will have over 100 items to bid on. See you at Oscar Night America!

  • Louis Vuitton Monogram Kalahari PM Handbag (retail value $2,500)
  • Hermes "Les Cles" Silk and Cashmere Shawl (retail value $980)
  • Fendi "Selleria" Stainless Steel Watch with Signature Hand-Stitched Grained Calfskin Strap (retail value $875)
  • Halekulani Table One Dinner for 6 at Orchids (retail value $750)
  • Azure at The Royal Hawaiian - Dinner for 4 in a Cabana (retail value $600)
  • Napa Valley Wine Tour (starting bid $4,500)
    • 3 Night Stay at Luxurious Villagio Inn and Spa in Napa Valley
    • Customized 8-Hour Private Napa Valley Wine Tour including luxury car service with personal guide for the day, pre-select your choice of wineries and lunch menu, tour state of the art wine making facilities, gourmet picnic lunch
    • Your choice of Hot Air Balloon Ride and Champagne Brunch or Dinner for two at REDD Restaurant
    • (2) 50 minute wellness massages

HIFF Proudly Congratulates Oscar Nominees Featured at 2009 Festival

Posted February 12, 2010 - 8:22am by HIFF
HONOLULU, HI (February 11, 2010) – The Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) is pleased to announce that six films featured at the 2009 fall festival have been nominated for Academy Awards garnering a total of 12 Oscar nominations.

“Every year we strive to bring the best films to share with our audiences in Hawaii and we are so pleased that several of the films from HIFF 2009 are being recognized by the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences,” says HIFF executive director Chuck Boller.  “We were thrilled at last year’s HIFF Oscar Night® America party to experience DEPARTURES’ win as Best Foreign Language Film, since the only place one could have seen the film in the entire United States prior to its Oscar win was at HIFF 2008, which presented DEPARTURES’ US Premiere.  We hope a HIFF film wins again this year.”

The 2009 Oscar nominated films include THE YOUNG VICTORIA, which received 3 nominations for art direction, costume design and makeup; PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE, which received 6 nominations for best actress in a leading role for Gabourey Sidibe, best actress in a supporting role for Mo'Nique, director, film editing, best picture and adapted screenplay; MIRACLE FISH, which received a nomination for best live action short; and FOOD INC. and BURMA VJ, each of which received a nomination for best documentary feature.

HIFF Hosts Official Oscar Night® America Party at Royal Hawaiian Hotel

Posted January 12, 2010 - 1:11pm by HIFF
HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL HOSTS OFFICIAL OSCAR NIGHT® AMERICA PARTY AT ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT
Tickets Now on Sale

HONOLULU, HI (January 7, 2010) – The excitement and glamour of Hollywood’s biggest night is coming to The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, A Luxury Collection Resort, on Sunday, March 7th as the Hawaii International Film Festival hosts HIFF’s Oscar Night America party. Guests are invited to experience the thrill of the 82nd Academy Awards® and black tie affair during an advanced telecast, which will allow party guests to see the ceremony before anyone else in the Islands.

Oscar Night® America benefits HIFF, which is dedicated to the advancement of understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific and North America through the medium of film. HIFF’s celebration in Honolulu is one of 50 official Oscar viewing parties in cities across the country and is the only official Oscar Night® America party in Hawaii.

2009 Award Winners

Posted October 20, 2009 - 5:56pm by HIFF

Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for Best Narrative Film: Empire of Silver (directed by Yao Shuhua)

Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for Best Documentary Film: Petition (directed by Zhao Liang)

Maverick Award: Maggie Q, Warrior and the Wolf

PUMA Emerging Filmmaker Award: Children of Invention (directed by Tze Chun)

NETPAC Award: Castaway On The Moon (directed by Hey-Jun Lee)

City and County of Honolulu Vision in Film Award: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse, LOST

Mahalo Nui Loa Award: Jack Bender & Jean Higgins, LOST

Video-on Demand Award: Ajumma, Are You Krazy? (directed by Brent Anbe)

Audience Awards for Best Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Short will be announced Monday, November 2nd.

Filmmakers: How do you see Honolulu's Chinatown?

Posted September 13, 2009 - 7:25am by HIFF

Hawaii International Film Festival, Showdown in Chinatown and the Chinatown Film Project present a challenge to local filmmakers: to create an original short film 5-7 minutes in length that addresses the question, "How do you see Honolulu's Chinatown?". All entries are welcome, films are due September 18th.

SIFF Opening Night Video Clip

Posted August 25, 2009 - 7:36pm by HIFF

Here's a short video clip of our Executive Director Chuck Boller, Anne Misawa (Academy for Creative Media - University of Hawaii), Smart eXchange students (from UH) and members of the New Zealand Film Commission walking the red carpet on Opening Night of the 12th Annual Shanghai International Film Festival, in front of the Shanghai Grand Theatre. The opening film that night was "Wheat", a Chinese historical drama directed by He Ping.

"I ♥ HIFF" Open House - August 13, 2009

Posted August 10, 2009 - 9:43am by HIFF

Come to our open house event at SOHO Mixed Media Bar on August 13th, from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. This event is FREE and open to the public (21+). Learn more about the benefits of HIFF Ohana membership, get the latest information and programming updates about October's festival and enter a raffle to win prizes (including Interisland round trip tickets with go! airlines). If you join or renew your membership at this event, you'll get a 5% discount off the total amount.

Screening of PARK Chan-wook's new film THIRST: July 26

Posted July 17, 2009 - 12:30pm by HIFF

As a benefit for HIFF Ohana members*, we are hosting a special sneak preview of Korean director PARK Chan-wook's new vampire film THIRST at the Dole Cannery Theaters on Sunday, July 26th at 6:30pm. This film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. PARK will be in attendance and will have an extended Q&A session after the film. We will also be presenting him with this year's Vision in Film Award.

HIFF+NGN Summer Film Series On Demand

Posted July 17, 2009 - 10:35am by HIFF

Starting August 1st, Nippon Golden Network (NGN) is featuring 10 subtitled films from Japan in their "HIFF" category on channel 680. These films are available on a Pay-Per-View On Demand basis for the month of August. Titles include past HIFF favorites and others. Please click on the "read more" link to see the list of films available.