Submissions open for the 46th annual hawai‘i international film festival presented by halekulani

HIFF is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization driven to entertain, enlighten, and inspire through film and creative content from around the world with a special focus on Hawai’i-made, Asian, and Pacific Rim cinema. HIFF is a year-round organization that hosts Hawai’i’s only major film festival, which is the only Academy Award® qualifying film festival in the world with a focus on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander content. 

Select Narrative and Documentary Features across all categories from 1st or 2nd time feature-length directors will be eligible for the Kau Ka Hōkū Award. Additional competition awards include awards for Made In Hawai‘i feature and short films, and short films across all categories.

“HIFF is a must attend” (Entertainment Weekly), “the premiere American showcase for Asian cinema” (Hollywood Reporter), one of MovieMaker Magazine’s 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, and “a launching pad for early films by younger directors” (Roger Ebert). Now in its fourth decade, HIFF is the festival of record for emerging works from the Pacific Rim, a destination of award winning films from major film festivals around the world, and an incubator for Hawai‘i-based and Native Hawaiian works that come from the vibrant and local creative industries.