Harry, a British Afghan war vet crippled by depression and PTSD, arrives at an animal rescue program deep in the Peruvian jungle and finds solace while nurturing an orphaned baby ocelot whom he is preparing for reentry into the wild. He’s assisted by the project’s creator Samantha—-a brilliant, academically trained American conservationist with her own …
Three decades ago, there were no waka hourua (Māori watercraft), no ocean going waka/canoes and no surviving knowledge of celestial navigation in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Oral history and carved artifacts were all that remained of the ancestral Pacific voyagers. Sir Hekenukumai ‘Hek’ Puhipi Busby has helmed this renaissance in Aotearoa/New Zealand. He reached out across the …
At this critical moment in our history, stopping the climate crisis is a question of political courage, and the clock is ticking. A sequel to 2019’s KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, TO THE END follows the intersecting stories of four women of color who are key players in the rise of the Green New Deal—an ambitious …
THE STORY OF EVERYTHING, a theater performance written and conceived by Hawai’i Poet Laureate Kealoha, and now a film produced and directed by Engaging the Senses Foundation, illuminates the intersection between science, the environment, the arts, and mindfulness. The film explores humanity’s rich and diverse explanations for the origins of life, and presents powerful solutions …
In the mid 1990s, eccentric Russian scientist Sergey Zimov made the startling discovery that melting arctic permafrost threatened to release huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, potentially creating a feedback loop that will lead to runaway climate change. Impatient with the world’s slow reaction to this news, Zimov has a plan: to restore the …
The daughter of environmental activists who raised her on a remote eco-friendly homestead, Mother of Pearl designer Amy Powney has always felt out of place in the fashion world. FASHION REIMAGINED follows Powney’s trajectory from outsider to industry leader as she sets out to create a collection that’s ethical and sustainable at every level, from …
Amidst the tropical rainforests and sprawling turquoise oceans of Palawan, Philippines, a brutal war is waging on two fronts. The first, a physical conflict between volunteer environmental protectors and those who exploit the island’s trees, fisheries, and mountains for profit. In this ongoing battle, the threat of death by violent, greed fueled resistance looms ever …
An indigenous environmental film for all ages from animation team Jose Zelada and Richard Klaus, welcome to the world of AINBO: SPIRIT OF THE AMAZON. Ainbo was born and grew up in a village in the deepest jungle of the Amazon. Her mother died when she was small, but she has led a happy life …
With aloha, HIFF acknowledges its occupation of ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Native Hawaiian people, the Kānaka Maoli.
With gratitude, we honor the ʻāina itself and the generations who steward it.
