HERO’S ISLAND premiered at the 45th Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. HERO’S ISLAND, directed by Keishi Ohtomo, is an action-packed historical drama taking place during the U.S. occupation of Okinawa. A mystery unraveling over twenty years, three friends attempt to locate their leader as the film unveils the harsh realities of post-war Okinawa. […]
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THE EYES OF GHANA premiered at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. THE EYES OF GHANA takes viewers on a visually striking journey through the rich and fascinating life of Reverend Chris Hesse, a Ghanaian filmmaker who served as the personal cameraman to Ghana’s first prime minister, Kwame Nkrumah. The film weaves several
Sankofa – An Exploration of THE EYES OF GHANA with Anita Afonu Read More »
In this video, HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) mentee D’Elle Martin sits down and reviews standouts from the Endless Night Shorts (THE LITTLES, DIEU EST TIMIDE (GOD IS SHY), MAGAI-GAMI, FISHMONGER, WHITCH, WANNA DIE WANNA KILL, TAGA) a shorts program in the 45th Hawai’i International Film Festival. Check out D’Elle channel here: youtube.com/@dj3martin
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SOUND OF FALLING premiered at the 45th Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani “Deadline as a word used to fascinate me,” writes Yiyun Li in her novel Where Reasons End, “a word that connects time and space and death with such absoluteness.” Deadlines have fatigued our lives, becoming a banality more disrespected than not
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ON THE OTHER ISLAND: New Films and New Visions from the Dominican Republic was a Shorts Program from the 45th Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani The 2025 HOCCI Cohort Reviews Three Films From ON THE OTHER ISLAND: New Films and New Visions from the Dominican Republic At HIFF45, the short film program ON
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The Brothers Grimm were sadistic perverts in their moral fables for children that in reality were pure, sadistic subterfuge. Hyperbolic? Yeah, sure, but this new take on CINDERELLA, is at times, more brutal than THE BRUTALIST. HIFF is honored to present the Hawai‘i premiere of THE UGLY STEPSISTER, after its wild Sundance world premiere.
Programmer’s Picks: THE UGLY STEPSISTER Read More »
The first-ever Tibetan-language anthology feature film produced is screening in the HIFF ‘Ōpio Fest after its world premiere at the Busan Film Festival. STATE OF STATELESSNESS: TALES FROM THE TIBETAN DIASPORA is comprised of four short segments directed by Tibetan filmmakers living in exile in India, America and Vietnam. Each film delves into the profound
Programmer’s Picks: STATE OF STATELESSNESS is an anthology of Tibetans in exile Read More »
David Cronenberg’s THE SHROUDS is a conundrum of a film. First off, it is a poignant departure from his traditional body horror oeuvre, delving deep into the realms of grief, mortality, and the intertwining of technology with human emotion. This film offers a contemplative exploration of how we confront death in an age dominated by
Programmer’s Picks: THE SHROUDS is David Cronenberg’s most personal film Read More »
Of all the films that I’ve seen at HIFF 44, one of these films that stood out amongst the rest was the animated short THE QUEENʻS FLOWERS. It is an Indigenous Hawaiian animation short directed by Ciara Leinaʻala Lacy. The film is based on a true story and takes place in 1915 Honolulu, it follows
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If you want to watch a short film that is blunt, in-your-face, and smacks you out of nowhere, look no further than the short MANIFESTO [FOR CONCRETE POETRY], directed by Richard Hamasaki, Jody Stillwater & Sebastian Galasso. The imagery, editing combined with the avant-garde archival use of texture and imagery, bring to life the poem