Art, Design and Film intersect this year at HIFF43 through the 2023 New American Perspectives program. Featuring 5 new films, 6 filmmakers, and 2 world renowned artists, this year’s program shifts focus to themes of art, design, meaning, and legacy. How does visual storytelling affect the way we assign meaning in our lives? How do art and design connect with us as individuals and create impact in our communities?
Through five insightful films, and a series of post-screening conversations and panel discussions, we pose these questions, and further delve into what it means to be a filmmaker, an artist, and a creative in the United States today, and as foreign-born Americans working in the United States.
Beginning on THURSDAY OCTOBER 19th through SUNDAY OCTOBER 22nd, HIFF will present these films and conversations:
THURSDAY OCTOBER 19th
6:00PM SKIN OF GLASS with Director Denise Zmekhol
SKIN OF GLASS is an intimate posthumous portrait of an architect ahead of his time, a daughter’s journey to connect with her father’s legacy, and a reckoning with harsh reality of poverty and the affordable housing crisis. Join HIFF for a screening and discussion with the film’s director Denise Zmekhol.
8:15PM AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD with Directors Chiaki Yanagimoto and Ben Braun
Many recall the Aum Shinrikyo cult as the masterminds behind the deadly sarin gas attacks in the Tokyo subway in 1995. But in the US, few know the true story of this group, and the ways in which they infiltrated Japanese society in the 1980s and 90s. AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD is an eye-opening deep dive into their origins and legacy. HIFF presents the Hawai‘i Premiere of this film and a post-screening conversation with the filmmakers.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 20th
3:00PM AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD Encore Screening
HIFF will present an encore presentation of AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD with Director Chiaki Yanagimoto in attendance.
8:00PM GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE with A Conversation With Geoff McFetridge | Moderated by Jasper Wong
Geoff McFetridge is a renowned illustrator and artist who has worked with some of the biggest global brands, as well as pioneering filmmakers like Spike Jonze. DRAWING A LIFE dives into Geoff’s career as an artist, while also crafting a holistic portrait of his life from childhood to fatherhood. This screening will be followed by an extended Master Class conversation with the artist himself hosted by Jasper Wong.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 21st
1:30PM DRAWING A LIFE: NEW PERSPECTIVES IN FILM & ART | Moderated by Anna Page
As part of 2023’s New American Perspective’s program presented in partnership with the Vilcek Foundation, HIFF will present a FREE panel discussion with filmmakers and artists spotlighted in this year’s program: Geoff McFetridge, Sing J. Lee, Chiaki Yanagimoto, Till Schauder, Sara Nodjoumi, Nicky Nodjoumi and Denise Zmekhol. The filmmakers and artists will discuss their careers, their works, and their experiences as cultural workers in the United States.
3:30PM SKIN OF GLASS Encore Screening
HIFF will present an encore presentation of SKIN OF GLASS with Director Denise Zmekhol in attendance.
5:45PM A REVOLUTION ON CANVAS with A Conversation with Nicky Nodjoumi, Sara Nodjoumi & Till Schauder | Moderated by Maya Soetoro
A REVOLUTION ON CANVAS is an intimate and complex portrait of Iranian-American artist Nickzad (Nicky) Nodjoumi centered around the artist’s efforts to recover artworks lost in Iran when Nodjoumi was forced to flee the country in 1981. Co-Directed by Nicky’s daughter Sara, the film unpacks Nicky’s life as an artist and activist juxtaposed with his role as a husband and father. HIFF will present this special screening of the film followed by an extended discussion with the artist and the film’s directors, hosted by Maya Soetoro.
8:30PM THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER with Director Sing J. Lee
The only narrative feature in this year’s program, THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER is a drama about identity, meaning, and connection wrapped in a jailbreak thriller. Starring New American Perspectives alumn Dustin Nguyen as a Vietnamese-American criminal on the run. Join HIFF for this screening followed by a conversation with director Sing J. Lee.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 22nd
Catch up on encore screenings of New American Perspectives films on Sunday October 22nd!
12:30PM THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER Encore Screening
4:00PM GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE Encore Screening
6:00PM A REVOLUTION ON CANVAS Encore Screening
