Photo Caption: The HIFF team at the 79th Cannes Film Festival (L to R): Aaron Hansen, Melina Coumas, Roma Lerner, Jen May Pastores No two film festivals are the same. Building on the foundation she developed as a HIFF intern, Roma Lerner—a Hawaiʻi native and Film and Environmental Studies student at Colgate University—set out
Inside the Festival Circuit: Takeaways from a HIFF Intern Read More »
Set against the lush beauty of O‘ahu’s windward side, REELING follows Ryan, who returns to his family’s longtime homestead after a life-altering accident for a birthday lū‘au meant to reunite family and friends. But beneath the warmth of music, laughter, and torchlight, old wounds and unspoken tensions resurface. As the night unfolds, Ryan is forced
REELING opens at Consolidated Ward—with director Yana Alliata Read More »
Cover photo by: Jen May Pastores – Cast members and team of New Zealand TV series TANGATA PAI (GOOD PEOPLE) attending HIFF’s inaugural HIFILM Industry Conference, October 26, 2025 In the fall of 2025, rolls of film were dedicated to documenting the people, places, and moments at the 45th Hawai‘i International Film Festival. The resulting
HIFF45, Shot on Film: A Photo Essay Read More »
