Exhibition includes free year-round community screenings, the spring ‘Ōpio Fest focusing on the Future of Film, and the annual Fall Festival. The Fall Festival is HIFF’s anchor event which has run consecutively for 45 years across Hawai’i, showcasing over 200 films on 6 islands. HIFF is the sole event in Hawai’i that brings international attention to Hawai’i’s creative industry, storytellers, and local creative economy as the only Academy Award®-qualifying festival in the world that focuses on Kānaka Maoli and Hawai’i-made content.

Education offers multiple programs that are free to students across the state, serving over 10,000 annually. These initiatives serve to equip and inspire the next generations of creatives and promote media literacy for students on all islands. These completely free programs include guest filmmaker visits, exclusive student screenings, and student film showcases. Nowhere else do students of all ages have access to high-level local, national, and international filmmakers; thought provoking, culturally engaging films; and exciting cross-cultural discussions and networking opportunities.

Industry through HIFF’s “HIFILM” wing provides unparalleled professional development opportunities for creatives, local filmmakers, and underrepresented voices served by HIFF. Through HIFILM, HIFF hosts dozens of panels and networking events every year and also directly supports local film productions through Fiscal Sponsorship and Filmmaker Labs. Additionally, HIFF’s MAKAWALU Project, co-directed by eight Native Hawaiian filmmakers, is currently in production as the largest independent project entirely created by Kānaka Maoli talent.