HOMETOWN LEGENDS and ISLAND COWGIRLS are two films that are preserving ʻike Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Knowledge) from nā kupuna (elders) themselves. It is tradition for nā kupuna to pass down knowledge to the younger generations by ma ka hana ka ʻike, learning by doing. In these films, the audience watches as nā kupuna reminisce on their […]
Preserving ʻIke Kūpuna in HOMETOWN LEGENDS & ISLAND COWGIRLS Read More »
In the intricate tapestry of cinematic storytelling, the role of women filmmakers is an essential thread that weaves narratives of diversity, creativity, and perspective. Historically underrepresented in various aspects of the film industry, women have, nonetheless, made indelible contributions that have shaped the cinematic landscape. Their voices, both in front of and behind the camera,
Women on the rise: REEL WĀHINE OF HAWAI‘I Season 4 Read More »
HŌKŪLEʻA: FINDING THE LANGUAGE OF THE NAVIGATOR is the latest film directed by Kanaka Maoli filmmaker Ty Sanga. Having its North American premiere at HIFF43, the film would win the Made in Hawai‘i Best Jury Award for Best Feature, and deservedly so. The documentary centers around a conversation, first started in 2006, between wayfinder and
HŌKŪLEʻA: FINDING THE LANGUAGE OF THE NAVIGATOR – A Symbol of the Hawaiian Renaissance Read More »
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
MAKAWALU, the current status of Native Hawaiians in the industry & future outlook Read More »
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
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
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
DECADE OF THE DEAD is the zombie bite that Hawai‘i indie filmmaking needs Read More »
KĀHULI, SEEING WITH HAWAIIAN EYES, and KEEPER OF THE BAY, all official selections of the 43rd Hawai‘i International Film Festival, are three documentaries bringing awareness to topics such as climate change, rapid extinction and decline of native plants and animals, sustainable Hawaiian practices, and some of the people who are working to preserve this ʻāina.
(L to R) The Rise of Hawa‘i Cinema HIFILM Panelists: Brian Kealana; Ty Sanga; Moses Goods; Ciara Lacy; Kristian “Krit” Fanene Schmidt; Kalikolehua Hurley I had the privilege of attending THE RISE OF HAWAI‘I CINEMA, a HIFILM Panel presented by Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK), which took place on October 9th during the 43rd Hawai‘i
Reflecting on the RISE OF HAWAI‘I CINEMA Panel Read More »
With aloha, HIFF acknowledges its occupation of ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Indigenous Hawaiian people, the Kānaka Maoli.
With gratitude, we honor the ʻāina itself and the generations who steward it.