TINĀ was more than just a film for me. It felt like going home. I’ve probably started this a gazillion times because every time I try, I can’t control my tears. On HIFF’s opening night, I sat in the theater and watched a Samoan film. It had our language, our cheeky humor, our culture, our songs, […]
TINĀ, A Return Home Through Spoilers Read More »
If you enjoy films that explore dual identities, such as THE PARENT TRAP (1998), THE HOT CHICK (2002), or even the television show HANNAH MONTANA, which plays with themes of identity exploration and social contrast, then SEOUL SWITCH is a must-add to your watchlist. This short film, just over 12 minutes, captures the fun and
SEOUL SWITCH and the Cost of Fame Read More »
Reflecting what you don’t want to see. GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS (2024) depicts the complex relationship between mothers and daughters as a power struggle. Directed by Shuchi Talati, this coming of age piece centers around the exploration of self and awareness for others. Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) feels trapped under the stifling, attentive watch of her
GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS – Power in reflection Read More »
A samurai who time-travels to modern-day Japan has to learn to become a fake samurai in a TV period drama. You will love A SAMURAI IN TIME, a well-thought-out indie comedy that achieved huge success in Japan and is now circulating through international film festivals (you can see how “indie” this film is when you
An Unexpected New American: a Samurai in HIFF Read More »
As the dust settles from the just concluded 44th Hawai‘I International Film Festival presented by Halekulani (HIFF44), the festival staff is currently going through wrap-up reports, crunching numbers, and analyzing data. On the programming side, it’s several post-mortems as we reflect on some of our personal film favorites, in the hopes that we can amplify
HIFF44 Post-Mortem: Programming Teams’ Picks Read More »
HIFF44 had many shorts programs this season, so we’re not surprised that our loyal patrons may have missed a film or two due to scheduling conflicts. So with the help of our head of short programming, Melina Kiyomi Coumas, we’d like to recommend a handful of films that may have escaped your attention on the
Spotlight on HIFF44 Short Films Worth a Second Look Read More »
This year at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, I watched some of the best films in indigenous cinema and representation of the local community here in Hawaiʻi. HIFF44 featured the premiere of its centerpiece presentation, Alika Tengan’s MOLOKA’I BOUND. I had been anticipating this film since seeing the original short a few years ago. Before
MOLOKA’I BOUND: The journey from short to feature Read More »
Disclaimer: There are NO bad films on this list, all of them are 5 stars in their own right. A reminder that this is just my opinion as a viewer who watches stuff for fun. You do NOT need to agree with me. HIFF44’s START MOTION SHORTS is a selection of animated shorts from around
Review of the START MOTION SHORTS Read More »
The first time I saw CHAPERONE, written and directed by Zoe Eisenberg, I felt like such a basic bitch. I just could not move past how much I hated the film’s main protagonist, Misha played by Mitzi Akaha. Misha was an incredibly awful woman who can best be described as: uji. Of course, to have
Misha, Misha, Misha – a CHAPERONE review Read More »
V/H/S BEYOND is . . . hard to describe. It is a → found footage / forced perspective, science-fiction, horror, anthology → film It is the seventh installment in the series (but ninth overall) in the V/H/S franchise. The film takes up a feature film block of time, but operates more like a shorts program,
V/H/S BEYOND: Playing the Game of Horror Read More »