When the sun sets at the 45th Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani, the real madness begins. This year’s Extreme and Midnight program dives headfirst into the wild, the weird, and the pulse-pounding. From blood-streaked vengeance to surreal comedy, these late-night gems are made for cinephiles who crave adrenaline and audacity.
Leading the charge is LONE SAMURAI, directed by Josh C. Waller and starring Shogen as a violent and reckless samurai who is shipwrecked on a remote island. After undertaking a spiritual journey to appease his aggressive thoughts, he finds himself abducted by external demons taking the form of cannibals, putting his sense of reality and deadly talents to the test.
LONE SAMURAI is screening October 25 at Consolidated Kahala and November 15 at Hilo Palace Theater. Director Josh C. Waller and the “lone samurai” himself, main lead Shogen 尚玄, will be in attendance at the October 25 screening!
SIRÂT is a road movie of survival, aural senses and drug infused extremes in one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. In the mountains of southern Morocco, a father and son search for Mar — their missing daughter and sister — last seen at a rave months ago. Among pounding beats and dust, they follow a group of ravers to one final party deep in the desert. As the journey pushes them into scorching, unforgiving terrain, hope collides with survival in SIRĀT — a visceral, unapologetic cinematic experience of man versus nature’s cruelty, in the vein of SORCERER and MAD MAX!
MAG MAG reinvents Japanese horror with a wickedly comic twist. Directed by comedian and America’s Got Talent alum Yuriyan Retriever, the film blends romance, revenge, and supernatural terror. After Sanae’s lover is killed by the Mag Mag ghost, she vows vengeance—only to uncover a shocking betrayal at the heart of her grief. Part horror, part love story, this delirious genre mash-up transforms heartbreak into a darkly funny, unforgettable spectacle from an exciting new voice in Japanese global entertainment.
Multihyphenate Yuriyan Retriever is this year’s New Vanguard Award recipient, will be honored at the HIFF Honoree Gala on October 17, and will be in attendance for MAG MAG screening on October 18 at Consolidated Kahala.
Rounding out the lineup is THE FURIOUS — When his daughter is snatched off the street, simple tradesman Konggu fights his way through a complex web of criminals in a frantic attempt to win her back by any means necessary. His only ally is tireless journalist Navin. The two men from utterly different backgrounds must learn to trust, collaborate and draw on combat skills from their own hidden pasts.
An all-out martial arts spectacle from action maestro and Donnie Yen pupil Kenji Tanigaki (the main action director for WALLED IN: TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS and live action RUROUNI KENSHIN series). This is straight-up, an ode to ’80s Hong Kong action cinema starring action stalwarts Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian (both from THE RAID), Xie Miao, Brian Le (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE) and Jeeja Yanin (CHOCOLATE). Director Kenji Tanigaki is this year’s recipient of the Maverick Award, which will be presented at the HIFF Honoree Gala on October 17, and will be in attendance for THE FURIOUS screening on October 18 at Consolidated Kahala.
And for those who love their genre in short form, HIFF resurrects its cult-favorite horror shorts program ENDLESS NIGHTS! Settle into the spooky season with these unsettling oddities. Full of screams, laughs and gasps!
ENDLESS NIGHTS Shorts is screening on October 17 (Filmmakers in attendance) and October 24 at Consolidated Kahala.
