Friday August 29, 2025 // Honolulu, Hawai‘i — The 45th Annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani (HIFF45) will light up screens across the islands with an exhilarating program of screenings, the inaugural HIFILM Industry Conference, special events. The festival runs October 15–26, 2025 in Honolulu; October 28-30 in Kapolei; November 1–2 on Kaua‘i; November 8–9 in Waimea, Big Island & Maui; November 14–16 in Hilo, Big Island and November 15-16 on Moloka‘i.
HIFF45’s programming team has worked tirelessly to curate a lineup that is bold, dynamic, and deeply rooted in the festival’s spirit. At HIFF, films are more than just movies—they are bridges across cultures and oceans, reminders of the power of storytelling to connect us all. This year’s festival reaffirms that vision: Cinema without borders. Stories without limits. Rooted in aloha. Open to all.
The complete HIFF45 lineup will be unveiled in mid-September. Until then, the festival is thrilled to share a first wave of premiere titles to spark anticipation.
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Norway, France, Germany, Sweden, UK)
Renate Reinsve reunites with director Joachim Trier (THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD) in SENTIMENTAL VALUE, winner of Cannes’ Grand Prix. Sisters Nora and Agnes reconnect with their estranged father Gustav, a charismatic but fading filmmaker planning a comeback. When Nora refuses a starring role, Gustav casts a young Hollywood actress instead, igniting tensions. What follows is a tender yet biting portrait of fractured family ties and clashing ambitions colliding on and off the film set. Hawai‘i Premiere
LEFT-HANDED GIRL (Taiwan)
A single mother and her two daughters return to Taipei after several years living in the countryside to open a stall at a bustling night market. Each of them must adapt to this new urban environment in her own way, struggling to make ends meet while trying to preserve the fragile unity of their family. When the youngest daughter—I‑Jing—is left‑handed, her traditional grandfather condemns her “devil hand,” triggering the revelation of long‑buried secrets spanning three generations. The directorial debut of Shih-Ching Tsou (a constant collaborator of Oscar winner Sean Baker, who also co-wrote and edited). Hawai‘i Premiere
BEFORE THE MOON FALLS (Hawai‘i, USA)
In May 2024, news of a murder in the Polynesian nation of Samoa rocked the Pacific. The perpetrator—Sia Figiel—was a trailblazing novelist and poet who won international acclaim for being the first to write about the difficult realities Samoan girls and women face. The victim was her friend, who was also a poet. BEFORE THE MOON FALLS is the latest documentary from award winning, local filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford. North American Premiere
PROJECT Y (South Korea) 
Rock bottom drives Mi Seon and Do Gyeong to risk everything for a final shot at freedom. Best friends bound by survival in one of Gangnam’s most dangerous neighborhoods, they’ve spent years scraping together enough to escape their perilous lives. Just as their dream nears reach, betrayal shatters it completely. Cornered with nothing left to lose, they uncover a hidden stash of dirty cash and gold buried deep in Gangnam’s underbelly. In a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble, the women set their sights on stealing millions—knowing it could be their ticket out… or their last move alive. U.S. Premiere
SIRĀT (Spain, Germany)
A father and his son arrive at a rave deep in the mountains of southern Morocco. They’re searching for Mar — daughter and sister — who vanished months ago at one of these endless, sleepless parties. Surrounded by electronic music and a raw, unfamiliar sense of freedom, they hand out her photo again and again. Hope is fading but they push through and follow a group of ravers heading to one last party in the desert. As they venture deeper into the burning wilderness, the journey forces them to confront their own limits. Hawai‘i Premiere
PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK (France, Palestine, Iran)
Sepideh Farsi’s latest film offers an intimate, first-hand perspective on life under siege in Gaza, captured through video calls between Farsi and young Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona, who was tragically killed in an airstrike on her home, just one day after the film’s Cannes selection was announced. Combining raw immediacy with deep humanity, the film portrays daily life during the conflict through the eyes of a generation caught in an endless cycle of war and living under siege. West Coast Premiere
KOKUHŌ (Japan)
One of Japan’s biggest box-office successes of the year, KOKUHŌ is a sweeping epic spanning five decades starting from 1964 Nagasaki. The story follows Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa), the son of a slain yakuza boss, taken in by a revered kabuki master (Ken Watanabe) and raised alongside his heir, Shunsuke (Ryusei Yokohama). Their brotherhood-turned-rivalry drives a saga of ambition, sacrifice, and devotion, culminating in the emergence of a living “national treasure.” U.S. Premiere
FOOD DELIVERY: FRESH FROM THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA (Philippines)
A gripping documentary that follows Filipino fishermen, the Philippine Coast Guard, and Navy personnel as they defend the West Philippine Sea. At its heart is Arnel Satam, a fisherman pursued by the China Coast Guard near Scarborough Shoal, whose story underscores the peril of life at the frontline of geopolitical conflict. With rare access to Coast Guard missions and intimate testimonies from the sea, the film captures quiet heroism, solidarity, and sacrifice. Temporarily banned for its unflinching portrayal of territorial tensions, this urgent film is visually arresting and deeply human—a timely, urgent portrait of courage and community amidst rising global stakes. U.S. Premiere
RESURRECTION (China)
In a future where dreams have vanished from human life, only one creature still drifts through the fading visions of the dreamworld. Invisible to all but a rare few, these illusions go unnoticed—until a woman with the gift to see them appears. Choosing to step into the creature’s dreams, she embarks on a mysterious journey to uncover the hidden truth within, where reality and fantasy intertwine in haunting and unexpected ways. The latest from Chinese filmmaker Bi Gan (KAILI BLUES) who continues to test the limits of his cinematic sandbox. West Coast Premiere
HEDDA (USA)
Transplanted to mid-century England, CANDYMAN and the upcoming 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE director Nia DaCosta’s adaptation is a bold reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s play. Hedda (Tessa Thompson, in a magnetic performance in a fresh, feminist game of power) is a woman trapped in a loveless marriage, as she navigates repressed desires and a past love while manipulating those around her, leading to manipulation, betrayal, and ultimately, tragedy. West Coast Premiere
About Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani (HIFF)
Established in 1981, the Hawai‘i International Film Festival is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of cultural exchange and media in the Pacific Rim. HIFF is a premier international film event that has won the praise of international filmmakers, scholars, educators, governments, programmers, and film industry leaders across the globe. HIFF’s programming has two particular mandates: to be a festival of record for emerging films from Asia, the Pacific, and North America and to present the top festival films from around the world, annually screening films from over forty-five countries. HIFF’s Industry and Education programs present free content and panels in the fields of film, virtual reality, new media entertainment, and more. These programs reflect HIFF’s commitment to exhibiting innovative creative content coming from the Asia Pacific Rim and commitment to establish a pipeline of creative industry talent in Hawai‘i. HIFF is an Academy Award®-qualifying Festival in both its Best International Short Film and Best Made-In-Hawaii Short FIlm award categories. For more information, visit www.HIFF.org.
HIFF’s key presenting sponsor is Halekulani. Major sponsors are: Hawaiian Airlines, Middle Management, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF).
###
