HIFF46 Jury & Audience Award Winners

THE MAN AND THE TREE team accepting the HIFF46 Made in Hawai’i Jury Short Film Award 

The 46th Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani (HIFF46) celebrated its Jury and Audience Award winners at the Closing Event and Awards Ceremony on November 1 at Halekulani, marking the conclusion of the Festival’s Honolulu programming. Honoring outstanding filmmakers from Hawai‘i, the Pacific, Asia, and beyond, the awards recognize exceptional storytelling, emerging talent, and bold cinematic voices that reflect HIFF’s commitment to championing diverse perspectives and international cinema.

The HIFF46 Winning Films were announced exclusively in Variety.

HIFF46 Kau Ka Hōkū Award presented by Hawaiian Airlines
WE ARE ALIENS
(Japan)
Director: Kohei Kadowaki

• Honorable Mention
  THE SEOUL GUARDIANS
  (South Korea)
  Directors: Kim Jong-woo, Kim Shin-wan, Cho Chul-young

HIFF46 Made In Hawai’i Awards presented by Nichols Family Film Fund & Hawai’i Film Office
Feature Winner:
MAKING THE LINE
Director: Zilla Barbosa

Short Winner:
THE MAN AND THE TREE
Director: Justyn Ah Chong

• • Honorable Mention (Feature): LAHAINA: VOICES OF CHANGE — Director: Ty Sanga
  • Honorable Mention (Short): KŪKULU — Director: Aukai Ligairi

HIFF46 Pacific Awards presented by Pacific Islanders in Communications
Feature Winner:
THE NAVIGATOR
(USA)
Director: Jordan Manley

• • • Honorable Mention: LAHAINA: VOICES OF CHANGE
      Director: Ty Sanga

Short Winner:
THE MAN AND THE TREE
(USA)
Director: Justyn Ah Chong

HIFF46 Best Short Film presented by Hawaiian Airlines
FACELESS
(Australia)
Directors: Fraser Pemberton, William Jaka

• • • Honorable Mentions:
      NOBODY #9
      (USA)
      Director: Fritz Bitsoie
    • THE DREAM IS A SNAIL
      (Vietnam)
      Director: Thien An Nguyen

HIFF46 NETPAC Award
A GIRL UNKNOWN
(China)
Director: Zou Jing

HIFF46 Audience Award presented by Hawaii News Now
Feature: DRIFTER (USA) — Director: Sung Kang

Documentary: BEYOND THE SMILES: YANI TSENG (Taiwan) — Director: Frank W. Chen

Short: SONS ARE NOT EARTHBOUND (USA) — Director: Lauren Luke

HIFF46 continues onward at Consolidated Kapolei (November 3-5) and through the Neighbor Islands — Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Big Island of Hawai’i — from November 6-15). For the full schedule, visit the HIFF website.