The 2026 HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program, powered by Critical Minded, supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai‘i through mentorship and paid career opportunities. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden and strengthen film criticism culture in Hawaiʻi across a new media multi-disciplinary approach–via online (blog, magazine) review writing, but also via more
Introducing the 2026 HOCCI Cohort Read More »
“Tell me about a complicated man.” Those are the first words of Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey, lauded for its strikingly inventive interpretation of a thousand-year-old text—so much so, in fact, that in eight years it’s already become the definitive edition of Homer’s epic. You’ve got a copy, I have one sitting at home;
Christopher Nolan Sees THE ODYSSEY With One Eye Read More »
Through heart-wrenching interviews and first-person footage, LĀHAINĀ RISING delivers an earnest account of the tragic wildfires that broke out on August 8th, 2023. When state, federal, and military entities failed to provide necessary disaster relief, residents from across Hawaiʻi gathered in Lāhainā to distribute essential resources. Thoughtfully crafted and brimming with emotion, LĀHAINĀ RISING captures
LĀHAINĀ RISING – Beyond the Flames Read More »
DEPEYIZÉ is a short film that screened as part of ON THE OTHER ISLAND: New Films and New Visions from the Dominican Republic at the 45th Hawai’i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. In this short form video review, HOCCI mentee Curtis Wilmington III talks about the short film, DEPEYIZÉ, one of the shorts in the
DEPEYIZÉ Review | Video Read More »
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. In this video essay, HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) mentee D’Elle Martin sits down and reviews 24 FLAVORS, the directorial debut of Chinese filmmaker Elaine Huang. 24 FLAVORS was inspired by Huang’s own family history,
24 FLAVORS | Video Essay Read More »
PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK premiered at the 45th Hawai’i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. Over the past two years, during Israel’s most recent genocidal campaign against the people of Gaza, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military, and 170,000 have been wounded, with 40,000 of those
PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK Review Read More »
A USEFUL GHOST premiered at the 45th Hawai’i International Film Festival. In this short form video review, HOCCI mentee Curtis Wilmington III talks about the absurd, yet multifaceted feature film, A USEFUL GHOST. This film was one of several film screenings for the HOCCI cohort this year, which featured extended discussions with guest film critics
Are All Ghosts Useful? A USEFUL GHOST REVIEW | Video Read More »
CLIMBING FOR LIFE premiered at the 45th Hawai’i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. CLIMBING FOR LIFE is a stunning Japanese film that dives into the life of Junko Tabei: the first woman to summit Mt. Everest. Directed by Junji Sakamoto, the film is based on the autobiography, Life with its Ups and Downs, written by
Reflecting on Relationships and Legacy with CLIMBING FOR LIFE Read More »
THE GOLDEN SPURTLE premiered at the 45th Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. Where do I begin? Ah, the title! I must admit, before watching I had no idea what a spurtle was. An adorable creature came to mind. A quick Google search and seconds later I found out that a spurtle is a
THE GOLDEN SPURTLE – Who Said Porridge is Bland? Read More »
INDIGENOUS NAʻAU premiered at the Hawaʻi International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. “If we fail to remember where we come from, who we are, and the places that shape us, then we are already lost. But our kūpuna have always left breadcrumbs for us to pick up whenever we’re ready.” –Kuʻulei Kaili, Director of INDIGENOUS
INDIGENOUS NAʻAU – Guiding Us Home Read More »