An unexpected box office sensation in Japan, KOKUHO is the long-gestating passion project of director Lee Sang-il, whose previous work is familiar with HIFF audiences like HULA GIRLS and the Japanese remake of UNFORGIVEN. Born from his 15-year fascination with kabuki and the onnagata tradition—men playing women on stage—Lee adapts Shūichi Yoshida’s serialized novel into […]
Set in 1952, when Okinawa was still under U.S. occupation, Hero’s Island traces the turbulent lives of four young rebels who once raided American military bases to feed their community. Their charismatic leader On vanished after a daring heist with a “prize” far greater than planned, leaving childhood friends Gusuku, Yamako, and Rei to divergent
Spanning 150 years of history between the United States and Japan, DIAMOND DIPLOMACY reveals how the shared love of baseball became an enduring bridge between two nations. Anchored by the stories of Japanese pitcher Masanori “Mashi” Murakami—the first Japanese player in Major League Baseball—and American Warren Cromartie, the film traces how sports intersect with racism,
Set in 1859 North Yorkshire, MĀRAMA follows a young Māori woman determined to reclaim her identity in a foreign and hostile world. Blending gothic horror with cultural reclamation, the film explores the collision of heritage, trauma, and the supernatural. Directed by Taratoa Stappard and starring Ariāna Osborne, Toby Stephens, and Umi Myers, MĀRAMA forges a
