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HIFF43

The 43rd Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani – An epic wave of global films, exclusive premieres, filmmaker panels, and networking events hit the shores of Hawaiʻi. Read content about the films, filmmakers and conversations that were featured in the program.

Climate gentrification’s DNA explored in THE SETTLERS (Los colonos)

Climate gentrification is omnipresent. With rising sea levels, people are forced to move further inland and the housing market must turn elsewhere. This search for new land to “develop” leaves many minority groups out of a place to live in favor of the upper and middle classes who can afford new, up-to-date housing. And though […]

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MAKAWALU, the current status of Native Hawaiians in the industry & future outlook

This year’s HIFF not only featured a number of films “Made in Hawai‘i” in its programming, but also spotlighted a new filmmaking initiative and shared perspectives on the current status of Native Hawaiians in the industry. One of the films discussed in HIFF’s panels this year is MAKAWALU, a project in development. MAKAWALU is a

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HIFF TALKS PODCAST: Interview w/ Director Hunter Naho‘oikaika (SEEING WITH HAWAIIAN EYES)

HOCCI’s Sean Oketani sits down with filmmaker Hunter Naho‘oikaika to discuss her film, SEEING WITH HAWAIIAN EYES, an official selection of the 43rd Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani (HIFF43) and screened in the Kānaka Maoli Legacy: New Hawaiian Docs program. Here is the film’s synopsis: Lehia establishes an indigenous farm with her partner

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Ka Nani o Lāhainā (The Beauty of Lāhainā) in UNCLE BULLY’S SURF SKOOL & MY PARTNER

The deadly fire in Lāhainā should have never happened. It could have been prevented if the ʻāina (land) had been properly cared for, as it once was before land changes occurred that made the area dangerously dry. Lāhainā is a very important place to Kānaka Maoli, it was once the capital of the Kingdom of

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The Kia’i in KEEPER OF THE BAY

Kia’i, a word in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) that translates to guardian or protector, is a major theme of KEEPER OF THE BAY, an environmental documentary that recently had its Hawai‘i premiere at the 43rd Hawai‘i Interational Film Festival (HIFF43). In a world where development and industrialization have often encroached upon the delicate balance of

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Capturing the Native Hawaiian diaspora experience on-screen through THE ALIʻI KING & KA ʻĀʻUMEʻUME: NAVIGATING HOME

THE ALIʻI KING and KA ʻĀʻUMEʻUME: NAVIGATING HOME are two films presenting Hawaiian diaspora experiences on-screen and told by Hawaiian filmmakers who are in the diaspora (living outside of Hawaiʻi) themselves. THE ALIʻI KING is a narrative short film taking place in the 1960s detailing a Hawaiian-German immigrant family road-tripping from Utah to Anaheim, California

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DECADE OF THE DEAD is the zombie bite that Hawai‘i indie filmmaking needs

Vicious zombies, grisly action set-pieces, and shocking gore are not a regular occurrence in Hawai‘i indie films. If that doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, then DECADE OF THE DEAD is not for you. But for those who are able to stomach such intense visuals, and even enjoy them in a perverse

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Climate Gentrification, Forced Migrations in RAZING LIBERTY SQUARE & ABOVE AND BELOW THE GROUND

In the documentary RAZING LIBERTY SQUARE, redevelopment is pushing out a poor Black community of approximately 700 families in Liberty Square, a neighborhood that sits in the middle of Miami, Florida. And in Myanmar, thousands have been relocated due to the development of the Myitsone Dam, a project funded by Chinese investment for energy production

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Cultivating community in UNCLE BULLY’S SURF SKOOL

Directed by husband and wife filmmaking duo, Todd Soliday and Leah Warshawski, UNCLE BULLY’S SURF SKOOL spotlights a surf instructor in Lahaina, Bull Kotter (Uncle Bully), and his dedication to serving his community amidst the pandemic and following the wake of the August 8th Lahaina wildfire. The documentary begins by showcasing Uncle Bully and the

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