Project Will Incubate and Support Eight Native Hawaiian Filmmakers In the Production of One Collaborative Feature Film (November 15, 2021) Honolulu, HI — The Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF) presented by Halekulani announced today the launch of MAKAWALU, HIFF’s first production project that will bring eight kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) directors together to make one …
This review contains spoilers to Justin Chon’s BLUE BAYOU – A work of art (film in this instance) can be broken up into two intersecting concepts: form and content. While content is the subject of the artwork, form deals with the different ways the artist utilizes their respective tools (camera work, costumes and set …
HIFF recently hosted a special advance screening of Justin Chon’s BLUE BAYOU, which will open nationwide on September 17 only in theaters. This is Justin’s 4th film as a director. His first film, MAN UP, which is a bromance black comedy that he shot entirely in Hawai‘i with YouTube star KevJumba some years ago, …
We are honored to provide a special for-your-consideration (aka FYC) screening of KAPAEMAHU, which won the HIFF40 Made in Hawai‘i Award for Best Animated Film, and is currently short listed for Academy Award consideration in the Best Animated Short category. In the long and storied history of the Academy Awards, Hollywood and the entertainment industry …
FYC: Watch award-winning KAPAEMAHU on HIFF Streaming Service through February 20 Read More »
WAGON, a documentary feature directed by Maui-born and raised Aniston Eyre, received the HIFF40 Documentary Audience Award. This is significant because Eyre is the first student filmmaker to win the award in the Festival’s 40 years. Now 19, Eyre is currently attending Columbia University (remotely from Maui because of the pandemic). We recently sat down …
HIFF HANA HOU Spotlight: Q&A with Aniston Eyre, Director of Audience Winner WAGON Read More »
Within the creative confines of a classroom setting, one is expected to perform to a certain standard, while also contributing to the peer learning experience. This becomes especially challenging when the assignment requires students to empathize with texts and search introspectively in order to form a response with substance and actual stakes. In WIRUN, lead …
HIFF HANA HOU Spotlight: Best Actress Ebony McGuire for WIRUN Read More »
Peering into an unfamiliar moment, without influencing its procession is a rare privilege. This space, often explored in immigrant-made films, is a powerful one recognized by both HIFF and The Vilcek Foundation, who together formed the New American Perspectives program (NAP). NAP is a slate of impactful films created solely by immigrant filmmakers. The collaboration …
HIFF40 Recap: A Multitude of Cinema Through the Immigrant Lens Read More »
Extended reality or XR encompasses various modes of immersive media not limited to virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Virtual reality blanks out the real world, placing users in an artificial 3D space, augmented reality uses the real world as a backdrop with virtual items implanted throughout, while mixed reality enables users to manipulate …
HIFF40 Recap: XR and Engaging the Space Around Us Read More »
Tuning in to Zoom calls of casually dressed film directors, sharing laughter and conversation with HIFF staff members portrayed these brilliant minds as human, just like us. The utilization of video-chat in bridging the gap between fiction, documentary, and life as we know it has been a gift in this year’s festival. The mosaic of …
As part of our HIFF 40 For 40 Fundraiser, where our goal was to raise $40,000 by the end of HIFF40, some of our major sponsors culled together an amazing sweepstakes awards package to encourage donations. The awards package included 120,000 Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles, a two night suite stay at the premier Halekulani Hotel in …
We Have a HIFF40-For-40 Fundraiser Giveaway Winner! Read More »
With aloha, HIFF acknowledges its occupation of ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Native Hawaiian people, the Kānaka Maoli.
With gratitude, we honor the ʻāina itself and the generations who steward it.