HIFF44 ANNOUNCES FEATURE FILM SELECTIONS, HONOREES, AND SIGNATURE PROGRAMMING
The Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani celebrates its 44th year (HIFF44) as the premiere cinematic film festival in the Pacific with the theme “Creating New Traditions” highlighting the best in new cinema from Hawai‘i, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the world while blending the rich cultural heritage of the islands with innovative storytelling techniques and diverse perspectives. This year’s festival will present 92 feature films, 114 shorts, 40 world premieres, and 31 U.S. premieres.
HIFF44 presented by Halekulani runs October 2-13 in Honolulu and October 15-17 in West Oʻahu, followed by screenings October 19-20 on Maui, October 21-23 on Lanaʻi, November 1-3 on Kauaʻi, November 2-3 on the Big Island (Waimea), November 7-8 on Molokaʻi, and November 7-10 on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi (Hilo).
HIFF44 GALA PRESENTATIONS:
TINĀ (MOTHER) — OPENING NIGHT FILM
HIFF44 opens at the Consolidated Theatres Kahala with the World Premiere and directorial feature debut of Miki Magasiva’s nuanced drama TINĀ (MOTHER) from New Zealand/Aotearoa. Samoan actor Anapela Polata’ivao (ONE THOUSAND ROPES, OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, SHORTLAND STREET) portrays Mareta, a well-respected and gifted vocal coach in her community, who finds herself at a crossroads, needing to find work after the tragic death of her daughter, a death she is still processing. Mareta goes out of her comfort zone to become a substitute teacher at an elite, all-white private school and forms a choir that begins her healing as a matriarch and caregiver. Director Miki Magasiva and actress Anapela Polata’ivao are scheduled to attend HIFF44 Opening Night.
New Zealand/Aotearoa 2024 | English, Samoan w/English Subtitles | 124M
MOLOKA‘I BOUND — CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION
HIFF44’s centerpiece film is the Hawai`i Premiere of director Alika Tengan’s MOLOKA’I BOUND, based on the director’s 2019 short film of the same name. The drama follows the life of Kainoa (played by actor Holden Madrial-Santos), a wayward Hawaiian man, recently paroled after years of incarceration trying to reconnect with his family, in particular with his son. Kainoa has difficulty acclimating to normal life in Hawai`i and ends up doing all the wrong things for all the right reasons for his family. Through his native heritage, he is able to find meaningful employment and find a path to reconciliation and redemption. This film will be presented at the historic Hawaii Theatre in downtown Honolulu. Alika Tengan, Holden Madrial-Santos, producer Nina Yang-Bongiovi and other cast and crew are scheduled to attend.
United States 2024 | English, ‘olelo Hawai‘i w/English Subtitles | 112M
HAKKENDEN: FICTION AND REALITY — CLOSING NIGHT FILM
HIFF44 will close with the World Premiere of director Sori Fumihiko’s HAKKENDEN: FICTION AND REALITY, a part biopic, part fantastical tale of good versus evil about legendary pulp writer Kyokutei Bakin, played by actor Koji Yakusho (SHALL WE DANCE, 13 ASSASSINS, PERFECT DAYS) as he recounts his epic fantasy masterpiece entitled Satomi Hakkenden to his dear artist friend Hokusai. The film is set during the late Edo period, dividing its story between the master writer’s life and his novel about a group of warriors who, each carrying a magical prayer orb, embark on a harsh journey to fight the curse laid upon the Satomi samurai clan. The serialization of this story becomes Bakin’s life work, but after nearly three decades, as his novel finally approaches its climax, he begins to lose his sight. Director Sori Fumihiko is scheduled to attend.
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 149M
HIFF44 HONOREES:
HIFF HALEKULANI VISION IN FILM AWARD – Stanley Nelson
Stanley Nelson is the foremost chronicler of the African American experience working in nonfiction film today. His documentary films, many of which have aired on PBS (POV and American Masters) and ESPN (30 For 30) combine compelling narratives with rich and deeply researched historical detail, shining new light on both familiar and under-explored aspects of the American past. A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Nelson was awarded a Peabody for his body of work in 2016. He has received numerous honors over the course of his career, including the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts Sciences. In 2013, President Barack Obama presented Nelson with the National Medal in the Humanities. Nelson founded Firelight Films, a production company and non-profit that produces documentary films, develops strategies, partnerships, and materials to reach and engage diverse audiences. Select filmography: WOUNDED KNEE (2009); THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION (2015); MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF COOL (2019); SAN JUAN HILL: MANHATTAN’S LOST NEIGHBORHOOD (2024)
HIFF HALEKULANI MAVERICK AWARD – Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo
Justin Marks is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and television Creator and Executive Producer. In feature films, he was most recently a writer on the worldwide box-office hit film TOP GUN: MAVERICK for producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, and Paramount. The film has earned nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. He also wrote the Walt Disney Company’s hit film THE JUNGLE BOOK directed by Jon Favreau and earned nearly $1 billion in worldwide box office. In television, Justin is the Co-Creator and Showrunner of the FX epic series SHŌGUN based on the novel by James Clavell. Previously, Justin created the Starz drama COUNTERPART that starred JK Simmons and ran for two seasons.
Rachel Kondo was born and raised on Maui. Her writing has appeared in Electric Literature, Ploughshares Solos and Indiana Review. In 2019, her story “Girl of Few Seasons” was included in The O. Henry Prize Stories and selected as a juror favorite by Elizabeth Strout. She co-created the FX television production of SHŌGUN, adapted from the novel by James Clavell. She is a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers. Both Marks and Kondo currently reside on Maui.
HIFF HALEKULANI MAVERICK AWARD – Charles Yu and Jimmy O. Yang
Charles Yu is the author of four books, including his latest, “Interior Chinatown,” which won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction, was shortlisted for the Le Prix Médicis étranger, and longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. He has received the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Award, been nominated for two Writers Guild of America awards for his work on the HBO series WESTWORLD, and has also written for shows on FX, AMC, Facebook Watch, and Adult Swim. His fiction and non-fiction have appeared in a number of publications including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Wired, Time and Ploughshares. Hulu ordered the TV adaptation of INTERIOR CHINATOWN to series with Yu as executive producer alongside Taika Waititi (who directed the pilot); Rideback’s Dan Lin (now Netflix Head of Film), Lindsey Liberatore and Elsie Choi; Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Miura Kite; and Dive’s Garrett Basch. The entire series will be released November 19th on Hulu in North America.
Jimmy O. Yang is an actor, comedian, writer and producer who is best known for his roles in LOVE HARD, SILICON VALLEY, CRAZY RICH ASIANS and SPACE FORCE, where he also served as a writer. He just wrapped filming Hulu’s INTERIOR CHINATOWN where he has the starring role of Winston Wu. As a standup comedian, Jimmy’s newest standup comedy special GUESS HOW MUCH? premiered on Amazon Prime to millions of views on the platform and socials. Jimmy’s debut standup comedy special GOOD DEAL, also on Amazon Prime, likewise quickly became some of the most viewed standup comedy clips on social media. Jimmy is also the author of HOW TO AMERICAN, a memoir where he shares his early experience of coming to America as an immigrant from Hong Kong, only to later disappoint his parents by becoming a standup comedian. Along with partners Jessica Gao and Ken Cheng, Jimmy is a founding member of Crab Club Inc., a production company dedicated to fostering original, authentic, and diverse voices in both TV and Film projects.
HIFF SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG FILMMAKER IN PROFILE AWARD – Sandra Ng
Sandra Ng is an award-winning actor and a mainstay of Hong Kong cinema, from her iconic comedic performances reaching back to the 1980s through to more serious roles and recent work as a director and producer. A household name as Hong Kong’s ‘Queen of Comedy’, her films have been consistent box-office smashes throughout the decades, in both Hong Kong and China, and her versatility has also been recognized at the Golden Horse and Hong Kong film awards for her powerhouse dramatic performances. She both produced and starred in ZERO TO HERO (2021), Hong Kong’s submission to the 2021 Academy Awards, and was honored to be the Filmmaker In Focus at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in 2022 in recognition of her outstanding artistic and commercial contribution to her native film industry. In the same year, Ng made history as the first Hong Kong actress to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
HIFF LEANNE K FERRER PASIFIKA TRAILBLAZER AWARD – Temuera Morrison
Temuera Morrison is a New Zealand born, multi-faceted entertainer, who has long been an international cultural icon; not only as one of the nation’s foremost actors but as a leading proponent of Māori culture and performance. Born in Rotorua, of Te Arawa and Ngati Maniapoto Ngati Rarua descent, Temuera’s membership in a famous entertainment family ensured an early interest in performance art. At home and internationally, his career breakthrough came in 1994, playing Jake “The Muss” Heke in the groundbreaking movie ONCE WERE WARRIORS, and its follow-up WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED?, for which he earned a Best Actor award from the New Zealand Film Awards. Some of Temuera’s most iconic roles include Jango Fett and Boba Fett of the Star Wars Universe, Chief Tui in Disney’s MOANA and upcoming MOANA 2, and Tom Curry in the Aquaman movies. He co-starred in KA WHAWHAI TONU: STRUGGLE WITHOUT END, which broke box office records in New Zealand this past summer. His most upcoming projects are CHIEF OF WAR, THE WRECKING CREW, and THE BLUFF.
PRESTIGE TV SERIES PANORAMA:
HIFF44 is proud to present three programs that mark significant milestones in the Prestige TV landscape as part of our programming.
GETTING LOST
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
United States 2024 | English | 130M
DIRECTOR: Taylor Morden
From 2004-10, O‘ahu was a stand-in location for a mysterious island that was a pivotal point of an episodic sci-fi television series that captured the pop culture zeitgeist internationally and built a rabid fan community. ‘Losties’ will be enthralled by this documentary that tells how a hastily greenlit ABC pilot put into motion one of television’s groundbreaking series. Discussion to follow screening.
SHŌGUN — SPECIAL PRESENTATION
AN EVENING WITH SHOWRUNNERS JUSTIN MARKS & RACHEL KONDO
Panorama | HIFILM
United States 2024 | English, Japanese w/English Subtitles | 60M
DIRECTOR: Jonathan van Tulleken
The first episode of the critically praised, highly rated prestige series (racking an unprecedented 25 Emmy Award nominations including Outstanding Drama Series) will be screened, and will include a Q&A with festival guests and the drama’s showrunners Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo.
INTERIOR CHINATOWN — SPECIAL PRESENTATION
with Showrunner Charles Yu & Actor Jimmy O. Yang
Panorama
United States 2024 | English | 60M
DIRECTOR: Taika Waititi
INTERIOR CHINATOWN is a clever and adventurous book adaptation – a satire of Hollywood and the TV industry – that spotlights themes of invisibility, assimilation, and immigration in the Asian American experience. Based on novel (2020 National Book Award for Fiction Winner), HIFF is honored to present this advance screening of the pilot episode (directed by Taika Waititi). The book’s author and showrunner Charles Yu and series lead Jimmy O. Yang will be in attendance to discuss the adaptation from novel to series. INTERIOR CHINATOWN will premiere on Hulu in the United States on November 19.
A-Z HIFF44 FEATURE FILMS OFFICIAL INFORMATION:
A SAMURAI IN TIME
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 131M
DIRECTOR: Junichi Yasuda
During the Edo period in Kyoto, a samurai prepares to fight a ronin when a flash of lightning hits him. Waking up, he learns he’s been transported through time to the present day, and the dual location is now a film set for a jidai-geki movie! Still, in his samurai garb, he’s mistaken for an extra and immediately thrust into the world of film production.
ABOUT FAMILY
WORLD PREMIERE
Spotlight on Korea
South Korea 2024 | Korean w/English Subtitles | 109M
DIRECTOR: Yang Woo-seok
Middle-aged and surly, Mu-ok runs a tight ship at his traditional restaurant, famous for its mandoo. All he really wants are heirs, but alas his only son has left to become a Buddhist monk. Meanwhile, siblings Min-guk and Min-seon suddenly find themselves orphaned after their parents suffer a fatal accident. But when Min-guk and Min-seon discover their real father is Mu-ok’s son, they show up at the restaurant setting off a chain of events that give Mu-ok newfound hope for the future….
AGENT OF HAPPINESS
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
Bhutan, Hungary 2024 | Dzongkha, Nepali w/English Subtitles | 94M
DIRECTOR: Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó
How is happiness measured? Can satisfaction with one’s life be rated on a 1 to 10 scale? The Kingdom of Bhutan’s famous–and highly exoticized–government policy measuring its nation’s Gross National Happiness operates on the idea that the basic tenets of fulfillment can and should be quantified when calculating their nation’s development. A ‘Happiness Agent’ embarks on a journey throughout the Himalayan mountains to survey the contentment of citizens from different households and lifestyles.
ALL SHALL BE WELL
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR China | Cantonese w/English Subtitles | 93M
DIRECTOR: Ray Yeung
When the partner in a loving lesbian couple in their sixties suddenly dies, the survivor (Patra Au) initially receives comfort from friends and the dead woman’s family. But since she has no legal claim to the apartment they shared for 30 years, soon there are disputes over estate claims as well as the funeral. She then finds comfort and help with her chosen LGBTQ family. This award-winning drama directed by Ray Yeung is a spiritual sequel to his award-winning film TWILIGHT’S KISS.
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on India
France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg 2024 | Malayalam, Hindi w/English Subtitles | 118M
DIRECTOR: Payal Kapadia
The winner of the runner-up Grand Prix award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, director Payal Kapadia’s narrative debut is a sensitive and subdued portrait of the lives of two hospital workers finding their way through the urban sprawl that is Mumbai, and how they deal with complicated affairs of the heart. Lead actors Kani Kasruti and Divya Prabhal are excellent and expressive in their performances.
AN UNFINISHED FILM
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on China
China 2024 | Mandarin w/English Subtitles | 105M
DIRECTOR: Lou Ye
January 2020. A film crew reunites near Wuhan to resume the shooting of a film halted 10 years earlier, only to share the unexpected challenges as cities are placed under lockdown. SUZHOU RIVER’s Lou Ye’s inventive docufiction film is a haunting but life-affirming chronicle of the early days of COVID. It’s also a part lockdown thriller that soon morphs into an ode to the resiliency of the Chinese people.
AND SO IT BEGINS
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
New American Perspectives | Documentaries
Philippines 2024 | English, Filipino w/English Subtitles | 115M
DIRECTOR: Ramona S. Diaz
A follow-up to her award-winning documentary on the trials and tribulations of Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, director Ramona Diaz looks at the months leading up to the country’s 2022 presidential election, as a tidal wave of marginalized citizens take to the streets in support of a change from the reign of Rodrigo Duerte to help the campaign for the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
ASHIMA
RETURN ENGAGEMENT
New American Perspectives | Documentaries
United States 2023 | English, Japanese w/English Subtitles | 84M
DIRECTOR: Kenji Tsukamoto
An inspirational film that captures a moment in time when the lithe and self-aware Ashima Shiraishi, who at 13 was considered an elite rock climber in the sports world, attempts the most difficult boulder climb for man or woman in a remote area of South Africa during a summer break from school, only accompanied by a documentary crew and her demanding father and coach.
BALOTA
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Southeast Asian Showcase
Philippines 2024 | Tagalog w/English Subtitles | 102M
DIRECTOR: Kip Oebanda
During the 2007 elections, a former movie heartthrob and a land-grabbing tycoon are in a tight race for mayor. Emmy (Pinay superstar Marian Rivera), a strict yet popular teacher in a small town, is assigned to the Board of Election Inspectors for her local precinct. When violence breaks out, Emmy runs into the woods with the last copy of the election results and must use her wits to outsmart those who want to sabotage the election.
BIRD
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
United Kingdom, France 2024 | English | 119M
DIRECTOR: Andrea Arnold
Twelve-year-old Bailey lives with her single dad Bug (a wild Barry Keoghan) and brother Hunter in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kid and Bailey, who is approaching puberty, seeks attention and adventure elsewhere. Director Andrea Arnold (FISH TANK, AMERICAN HONEY) returns and upends her gritty council-estate drama milieu, intertwining brutality and transcendence into a modern fairy tale that is very much her own.
BLACK BOX DIARIES
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 107M
DIRECTOR: Shiori Ito
Journalist Shiori Ito turns the camera on herself in chronicling the investigation into her own sexual assault by a well-connected man in Japan. Bravely documenting her fight for justice, she risks her life and livelihood by speaking out. Ito’s quest–a grueling eight-year process–becomes a landmark case that exposes Japan’s outdated judicial and societal systems, as well as the corruption of its legal system.
BLACK DOG
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on China
China 2024 | Mandarin w/English Subtitles | 116M
DIRECTOR: Hu Guan
Man befriends stray dog: That’s the basic premise for this wide-scope film that was a hit at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Director Hu Guan and a charismatic Eddie Peng tell the story of a former convict who returns to his desolate desert hometown in Northwest China. Many have already left, leaving behind abandoned dogs that have to be herded. The pacing and framing of the film are flawless, rich in detail and visually arresting.
BLADE RUNNER 2049 with Roger Deakins
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
New American Perspectives
United States 2017 | English | 164M
DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott
Young Blade Runner K’s discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who’s been missing for thirty years. Join HIFF for a Special Presentation of BLADE RUNNER 2049 with Academy Award winning cinematographer Roger Deakins and partner James Deakins in attendance for an extended post-screening discussion. Presented as part of the New American Perspectives program in partnership with the Vilcek Foundation.
BLITZ
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
United Kingdom 2024 | English | 114M
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen
The latest film from Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen (12 YEARS A SLAVE) follows the epic journey of a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother sends him to safety in the English countryside. The boy, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught mother searches for her missing son.
BONA
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Southeast Asian Showcase
Philippines 1980 | Tagalog w/English Subtitles | 86M
DIRECTOR: Lino Brocka
A pioneer of Philippines cinema whose work was recognized early on by the festival, director Lino Brocka gave popular actor/entertainer Nora Aunor her most challenging role to date back in 1981, playing a starstruck girl who drops out of high school to live with and take care of a bit actor who treats her like his personal servant, but offers no complaint. HIFF will screen a newly restored 4K version for the big screen.
CAUGHT BY THE TIDES
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on China
China 2024 | Mandarin w/English Subtitles | 111M
DIRECTOR: Jia Zhang-ke
One of the festival’s more ambitious films, director Jia Zhang-ke uses footage shot more than 20 years ago with more recent film in this bold, impressionistic blend of fiction and documentary that tells the story of a country transitioning out of Communist rule under Chairman Mao up to a COVID-era time of economic and cultural uncertainty. Helping illustrate this is the intertwining story of a rocky romance between a young working-class woman and the club manager she works for.
CHAIN REACTIONS
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
HIFF Extreme
United States 2024 | English | 103M
DIRECTOR: Alexandre O. Philippe
Documentarian and “King of Cinephilia” Alexandre O. Philippe returns to HIFF with CHAIN REACTIONS, an exploration of the legacy of Tobe Hooper’s classic THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. He interviews five luminaries–Stephen King, Takashi Miike, Karyn Kusama, Patton Oswalt and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas–who give their unique, and at times, disparate takes on the subject. His film’s release is apropos, coming out the 50th anniversary (HIFF44 is also screening the original film in a newly 4K restoration).
CHAPERONE
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Made In Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i, United States 2024 | English | 102M
DIRECTOR: Zoë Eisenberg
Alienated by friends and family for her lack of ambition, 29-year-old Misha finds a dangerous acceptance in a bright 18-year-old athlete who mistakes her for a fellow student. Shot entirely in Hilo, CHAPERONE, from filmmaker Zoë Eisenberg, recently had its world premiere at Slamdance, where it won the Grand Jury Breakouts Award.
CHINATOWN CHA-CHA
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Spotlight on China | Documentaries
China 2024 | English, Chinese w/English Subtitles | 85M
DIRECTOR: Luka Yuanyuan Yang
Former nightclub dancer Coby Yee who, at 92 years of age, decides to get back on stage again after joining the senior dance troupe Grant Avenue Follies. In their heyday, they were all part of the golden age of San Francisco Chinatown, expertly captured in Arthur Dong’s seminal FORBIDDEN CITY, USA. In their advanced ages, they band together to go on tour for the last time, bridging once isolated Chinese communities in the US, Cuba, and China.
THE CIGARETTE SURFBOARD
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
United States 2024 | English | 93M
DIRECTOR: Ben Judkins
Yes, the titular surfboard in question was a prototype invented by Taylor Lane back in 2017 made up mostly of thousands of carelessly discarded cigarette butt filters for a creators contest cosponsored by Jack Johnson’s Surfrider Foundation. What happened to that winning entry makes up the bulk of this fascinating documentary as Tate continues to use the items of pollution as inspiration and statement to make a lighter, functional surfboard with the help of professional shapers and surfers.
CLOUD
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 123M
DIRECTOR: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Renowned director Kiyoshi Kurosawa returns to form with CLOUD. An homage to the classic thriller genre, CLOUD follows the ill-fated Yoshii, a seller of used goods, who finds himself on the receiving end of a series of escalating anonymous attacks. After several suspicious encounters, Yoshii retreats from Tokyo to a country house on a lake. But his problems are only beginning…A swarm is coming.
CONFETTI
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 80M
DIRECTOR: Naoya Fujita
Yuki has been in and out of high schools constantly, a result of living on the road with his father, who leads a traveling theater troupe. As they move to a new town, Yuki is resolved to not make any friends and focus instead on his goal to become a full-fledged actor … until he meets Ken, a bored and teen-angsty truant. CONFETTI is a fresh, sweet-spirited take on the venerable seishun eiga (youth film) genre.
DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Taiwan
Taiwan ROC 2024 | Mandarin w/English Subtitles | 110M
DIRECTOR: John Hsu
Being dead isn’t easy. Spirits must prove themselves worthy of becoming ghosts through a rigorous selection process of auditions and contests and avoid being condemned to eternal damnation. For a newly deceased young woman only known as ‘The Rookie’ (Gingle Wang), she soon learns that it’s a dog-eat-dog underworld and she must avoid being condemned to eternal damnation. DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY is a hilarious new dark comedy from director John Hsu (Taiwan horror sensation DETENTION).
DESERT OF NAMIBIA
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 137M
DIRECTOR: Yoko Yamanaka
Noted Gen Z director Yoko Yamamoto’s second feature is a slice-of-life portrait of an aimless young woman who leaves the passionless security of being with her longtime boyfriend for the initial excitement of another man she first met casually on a night-out with a friend. Yuumi Kawai holds the film together with her casually magnetic performance.
DIRTY MONEY
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Spotlight on Korea
South Korea 2024 | Korean, Chinese w/English Subtitles | 100M
DIRECTOR: Kim Min-su
Myung-deuk and Dong-hyuk are two detectives on the take–the former covers for gangs and takes bribes to cover mounting medical bills for his sick daughter, while the latter is ensnared to pay off his desperate partner’s gambling debts. One day, they get a tip that a Chinese gang is transporting laundered money, and they decide to rob them. But things go wrong, and now they’re being pursued by ruthless gangsters and their colleagues, the police.
DON’T CRY, BUTTERFLY
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Southeast Asian Showcase
Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia 2024 | Vietnamese w/English Subtitles | 97M
DIRECTOR: Dương Diệu Linh
Set in the early 2000s, the drama revolves around Tam, a middle-aged homemaker, who discovers that her husband is having an affair. Devastated and desperate to pick up the pieces, Tam decides to use voodoo to make him fall back in love with her. But instead of getting her desired result, she accidentally summons a mysterious supernatural force into her home.
EMILIA PÉREZ
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
France, Spain 2024 | Spanish w/English Subtitles | 130M
DIRECTOR: Jacques Audiard
Rita, a lawyer working for a large law firm more interested in getting criminals out of jail than bringing them to justice, is hired by a feared cartel boss. She has to help him retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the woman he’s always dreamed of being. This French-Spanish musical extravaganza, based in Mexico City, stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Edgar Ramirez, and Karla Sofía Gascón.
ESCAPE FROM THE 21ST CENTURY
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on China
China 2024 | Chinese w/English Subtitles | 98M
DIRECTOR: Li Yang
What if a sneeze could transport your 18-year-old soul into your 20-years-older self? What if, by chance, this led to saving the world? Three middle-aged individuals with the soul of 18-year-old high school students embark on a world-altering journey 20 years into the future, creating a bizarre, entertaining and heartwarming adventure story.
THE FALLING SKY
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Indigenous Lens | Documentaries
Brazil 2024 | Brazilian Portuguese w/English Subtitles | 110M
DIRECTOR: Eryk Rocha, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha
A bold, immersive film that is more than just an observant documentary, as we enter the world of the Indigenous Yanomami people of Brazil through their leader and shaman Davi Kopensawa. The Yanomami lived in relative isolation until the early 1970s, when the junta built a highway through their territory and brought with them a devastating combination of pollution, violence, and diseases. It’s a searing indictment of the curse of colonialism.
FLOW
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
Latvia, France, Belgium 2024 | English | 85M
DIRECTOR: Gints Zilbalodis
This captivating, animated feature with CG rendered animals and beautiful paint-like natural backgrounds tells the story of a great flood that overwhelms a mystical landscape that a cat and other creatures must navigate in order to survive. Latvia’s official Academy Awards submission, FLOW is a dialogue-free take on THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY with the steam-punk mysteriousness of MYST.
FLY ME TO THE MOON
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR China 2023 | Cantonese, Mandarin w/English Subtitles | 112M
DIRECTOR: Sasha Chuk
Rising filmmaker Sasha Chuk wrote, directed, and co-stars in this award-winning feature debut adapted from her own semi-autobiographical novella. She plays the wife of a Hunanese man who she reunites with in Hong Kong. The husband (Wu Kange-ren), however, is caught up in drug smuggling and is an addict himself. This observant drama is also buoyed by the performances of Chloe Hui and Yoyo Tse, who plays the eldest daughter at different points of her life.
FRIENDLY FIRE
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Southeast Asian Showcase
Philippines 2024 | Filipino w/English Subtitles | 105M
DIRECTOR: Mikhail Red
After taking a lucky sniper shot killing half of the enemy team, Hazel Sales, a female amateur gamer who plays the shooter game Project: Xandata, embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she joins a professional esports team. FRIENDLY FIRE is a hip and energetic coming-of-age sports drama.
GETTING LOST
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
United States 2024 | English | 130M
DIRECTOR: Taylor Morden
From 2004-10, O‘ahu was a stand-in location for a mysterious island that was a pivotal point of an episodic sci-fi television series that captured the pop culture zeitgeist internationally and built a rabid fan community. ‘Losties’ will be enthralled by this documentary that tells how a hastily greenlit ABC pilot put into motion one of television’s groundbreaking series. Discussion to follow screening.
GHOST CAT ANZU
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan, France 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 95M
DIRECTOR: Yūko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita
Stunningly rotoscoped over live-actors, GHOST CAT ANZU is based on a manga about a strong-willed girl who finds herself spending the summer alone in a rural village, where she meets a cheeky, farting, burping, rude-but-loveable man-sized cat who is seemingly immortal and does odd jobs around town. When Anzu accompanies her on an adventure to Tokyo to find her father, they instead find themselves breaking the barrier between the living and the dead, with a band of yokai in tow.
GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Documentaries
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 90M
DIRECTOR: Hisashi Kikuchi
The story of a legendary Taiwanese-style home cooking restaurant in Tokyo called Fumin, where patrons not only fall in love with the food, but also the character of Chef Sai. With her excellent sense of taste and full of love that she got from her parents, she ran her restaurant for 45 years. Now retired at age 70, she welcomes only one group per day at her house to dine. Each dish she prepares has a tale behind it.
THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
Denmark, Poland 2024 | Danish w/English Subtitles | 115M
DIRECTOR: Magnus von Horn
This haunting period piece centers around the life of a wartime factory seamstress in Copenhagen who becomes pregnant by her boss in hopes of escaping her dire situation. But things turn even more nightmarish when she meets and helps a woman who operates an adoption agency for unwanted infants operating under the guise of a candy shop.
GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on India
India | English, Hindi w/English Subtitles | 118M
DIRECTOR: Shuchi Talati
In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, 16-year-old Mira discovers desire and romance, but her rebellious sexual awakening is disrupted by her mother, who never got to come of age herself. A resonant and impeccably written film on generational female awakening, mother-daughter affection and rivalry, and bodily autonomy, GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS is exactly the kind of feminine coming-of-age film (for any age) that we need more of.
GRAFTED
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
New American Perspectives | HIFF Extreme
New Zealand 2024 | English | 96M
DIRECTOR: Sasha Rainbow
When an awkward but brilliant Chinese student wins a scholarship into a prestigious New Zealand University, she finds a new way of achieving the popularity she craves one bloody body at a time. It’s MEAN GIRLS meets FACE/OFF to absolutely wild results in Sasha Rainbow’s gory and uniquely Kiwi black comedy, body horror!
HAPPYEND
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 113M
DIRECTOR: Neo Sora
Neo Sora, director of the heralded documentary RYUICHI SAKAMOTO/OPUS, sets his feature film debut in the near future of Japan. Two rowdy high school best friends pull a prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in their school. Along with a darkening national political situation, the two respond in contrasting ways that challenge their friendship.
HAWAI‘I PONO’Ī 1970
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Made In Hawai‘i
United States 1970 | English | 60M
DIRECTOR: Steve Moore, Carl Lindquist, Eddie Kamae
This year’s ‘Ulu‘ulu Archive screening and panel will focus on HAWAI‘I PONOʻĪ 1970, a documentary of the Hoʻolauleʻa o Hana music festival, which took place on August 1970. This television production emphasized the importance of music in Hawaiian culture and music via the anthem Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī. Archived at the Bishop Museum Media Collection, the film is beautiful and poetic, resonating with the cultural paradigm shift of the Hawaiian Renaissance.
HOMEGROWN
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
United States 2024 | English | 109M
DIRECTOR: Michael Premo
HOMEGROWN is a verité portrait of a fractured America, offering an unprecedented look at right-wing activists as they search for purpose and power – with dire consequences. Three of them crisscross the country in the summer of 2020 campaigning for Donald Trump and building a movement they hope will outlast him. When they become convinced that the election is stolen, they take their fight to the streets. The result is a chilling and immersive portrait of a growing movement pushing American democracy to the brink.
HUNTER BROTHERS
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Spotlight on Taiwan
Taiwan ROC 2024 | Mandarin, Taiwanese w/English Subtitles | 109M
DIRECTOR: Su Hung-en
Ma Chih-hsiang, Lin Ching-tai and Hsu Yi-fan, all from Oscar shortlisted SEEDIQ BALE (HIFF 2011), head the cast of this suspense thriller of a once close-knit family torn asunder. Two Indigenous brothers are haunted by the accidental death of their father during a hunting expedition in the mountains. One of them is convicted of the crime. Years later, upon release from prison, he seeks a return to the mountains to settle a score with his older brother.
I’M STILL HERE
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
Brazil 2024 | Portuguese w/English Subtitles | 135M
DIRECTOR: Walter Salles
BRAZIL, 1971 – The country faces the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. Eunice Paiva, a mother of five children, is forced to reinvent herself after her family suffers a violent and arbitrary act by the government. Director Walter Salles returns to the big screen in this adaptation of the true story that helped reconstruct an important part of Brazil’s hidden history.
KA WHAWHAI TONU: STRUGGLE WITHOUT END
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Pacific Showcase
New Zealand/Aotearoa 2024 | Maori w/English Subtitles | 140M
DIRECTOR: Mike Jonathan
The battle of Orakau in 1864 between Māori resistance fighters and British soldiers is told through the eyes of two teenagers: Haki, a captured mixed-blood soldier set to be sacrificed, and Kopu, a girl whose mother makes her a reluctant medium of her people’s war god. They befriend each other in hopes of escaping, only to lead a group of young battle survivors in a final confrontation with Haki’s violent army officer father.
KANASANDO
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 87M
DIRECTOR: Toshiyuki Teruya
The title comes from a beloved Okinawan folk song, which plays a pivotal role in this heartfelt drama that strikes a balance between droll comedy and teary poignancy. A wayward daughter returns to her island home to make amends with her sickly father who cheated on her doting mother. Sure to be a festival favorite, the cast is led by excellent performances by Ruka Matsuda, Keiko Horiuchi, and veteran Tadanobu Asano, better known for his work in SHŌGUN.
KANIELA: THE DANNY KALEIKINI STORY
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Made In Hawai‘i
United States 2024 | English | 68M
DIRECTOR: Michael Lum, Pawel Nuckowski
A loving tribute to the late ‘Ambassador of Aloha’ including interviews with the man himself completed before his passing last year. Born into a large family in Papakōlea, Kaniela began working in Hawai‘i’s tourism industry in the 1950s and grew to be a beloved and internationally known entertainer with over 30 years of performing, not only here, but Las Vegas and Japan as well. One of the last projects he worked on was recording with his grandson Nicholas.
THE LAST DANCE
WORLD PREMIERE
Spotlight on Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR China 2024 | Cantonese w/English Subtitles | 127M
DIRECTOR: Anselm Chan
Starring current Hong Kong comedy king Dayo Wong (A GUILTY CONSCIENCE) and comedy legend Michael Hui, Wong plays a debt-ridden wedding planner who finds unexpected success as a funeral planner, but he has to win over a traditional Taoist priest to stay in the business.
THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Korea | Documentaries
United States 2024 | English, Korean w/English Subtitles | 97M
DIRECTOR: Sue Kim
A spirited portrait of an endangered tradition and a galvanizing plea for better stewardship of our oceans, Sue Kim’s documentary dives deep into the culture of the haenyeo, the South Korean fisherwomen who have been harvesting seafood for their communities for centuries. Their cause now aided by a younger generation through social media, and the power of their story won the support of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who joined the film as an executive producer.
LOVE IN THE BIG CITY
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Korea
South Korea 2024 | Korean w/English Subtitles | 118M
DIRECTOR: Lee Eon-hie
Jae-hee (Kim Go-eun) was never like the others and, in a collective, uniform culture like South Korea’s, embracing her individuality has triggered endless gossip. One day, she meets Heung-soo (Steve Sanghyun Noh), another misfit lost in the big city. But unlike Jae-hee, Heung-soo hopes to hide his true identity. When Jae-hee finds out his secret by chance, the two form an unlikely relationship. Based on the novel of the same name by Park Sang-young — longlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022.
LOVE LIES
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR China 2024 | Cantonese w/English Subtitles | 114M
DIRECTOR: Ho Miu-Ki
A gentle drama about two people successful at work who connect emotionally through an online romance scam syndicate. She is a middle-aged widow trying to find love outside of her gynecological practice who takes on the identity of a 25-year-old nurse and he is an awkward young scam employee whose online profile is that of a French widower and petroleum engineer. Hong Kong superstar Sandra Ng will be in attendance as this year’s SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG Filmmaker In Profile.
MARIMARI
WORLD PREMIERE
Pacific Showcase
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea 2024 | Tok Pisin w/English Subtitles | 97M
DIRECTOR: Paul Wolffram
This urgent documentary takes us into the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea and one Indigenous woman’s fight against the insidious influence of sanguma – sorcery violence. A verité style film that provides access to a world in which this new practice wreaks havoc on the lives of many innocent people in the Pacific.
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
Australia 2024 | English | 94M
DIRECTOR: Adam Elliot
After a series of misfortunes, a melancholic, snail-collecting, misfit Grace (voiced by SUCCESSION’s Sarah Snook) learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of everyday life. The Australian stop-motion animation auteur Adam Elliot (MARY AND MAX, Academy Award-winning HARVEY KRUMPET) delivers a prolific (sometimes of epic proportions), grotesque story of puppets in suffering, instilling in every corner, a sardonic, morbid sense of humor. Snook is joined by other stalwart Aussie talents like Jackie Weaver and Jodi Smit-McPhee (POWER OF THE DOG).
THE MOTHERLOAD
WORLD PREMIERE
New American Perspectives
United States, Vietnam, Canada 2024 | English, Vietnamese w/English Subtitles | 92M
DIRECTOR: Van Tran Nguyen, Alex Derwick
An imaginative telling of the story of a Vietnamese American mother-daughter duo who, in their attempt to heal the rift between them, reenact and satirize scenes from celebrated Vietnam War films while depicting a diasporic reality.
THE MOUNTAIN
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Pacific Showcase
New Zealand/Aotearoa 2024 | English, Maori w/English Subtitles | 89M
DIRECTOR: Rachel House
A lively and inspirational coming-of-age tale from Rachel House as three kids–a cancer patient, a friendless boy honoring the memory of his mother, and a self-appointed “guardian of Mother Earth”–go on an adventure to try to ascend, off the beaten track, Mt. Taranaki, the second highest mountain on North Island.
MYTHS AND MAIDENS
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Pacific Showcase
New Zealand 2024 | English | 56M
DIRECTOR: Lisa Taouma
We’ve all seen her: the hula girl swinging from the dashboard, the sultry South Seas siren smiling languidly in postcards, and the alluring topless native telling you to come to the “friendly Islands.” The documentary explores the impact of the colonial gaze on “native beauty” through the ages and looks at how the idea of beauty is being re-defined in the Moana.
NO OTHER LAND
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
State of Palestine, Norway 2024 | Arabic, English, Hebrew w/English Subtitles | 95M
DIRECTOR: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist from the West Bank, has been fighting the mass expulsion of his community by Israel’s occupation since childhood. He documents the slow-motion eradication of the villages in his home region where soldiers deployed by the Israeli government are gradually demolishing houses and driving out their residents. At some point, he meets Yuval, an Israeli journalist, who supports him in his efforts. An unlikely alliance develops.
NOBUKO MIYAMOTO: A SONG IN MOVEMENT
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
United States 2024 | English | 60M
DIRECTOR: Quyên Nguyen-Le, Tadashi Nakamura
A solid hour-long documentary from PBS Southern California that chronicles the life and artistry of this Japanese American performance artist and activist. From her beginnings as an accomplished dancer on stage and screen (including the original WEST SIDE STORY) to her political activism beginning in the late 1960s, Miyamoto brings her art into her community work.
PLAYS WITH:
BECAUSE OF YOU, I AM
DIRECTOR: Doug Menuez
ONCE WERE WARRIORS
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Pacific Showcase
New Zealand/Aotearoa 1994 | English, Maori w/English Subtitles | 102M
DIRECTOR: Lee Tamahori
In this powerful drama depicting an Indigenous culture in crisis, a Māori woman tries to heroically mend a life torn by domestic violence resulting from a disconnect from her native roots. The aimlessness also affects her combative, alcoholic husband and children, who are also facing their own challenges by trying to find solace in their native culture. HIFF is honored to present this special presentation for the film’s 30th anniversary with HIFF44 Trailblazer Honoree Temuera Morrison in attendance!
ONE MILLION DOLLA
WORLD PREMIERE
Made In Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i, United States 2024 | English | 99M
DIRECTOR: Stefan C. Schaefer
In this Maui-set mockumentary, Big Island content creator Alex Farnham plays the Guy, a houseless buffoon with a heart of gold. He chases chickens and sells coconuts in his happy-go-lucky existence. However, everything changes when he’s unexpectedly gifted one million dollars and a documentary crew decides to follow him. Before Guy knows it, people come out of the woodwork, latching on to become his posse and he soon finds out who his real friends are.
THE PARADISE OF THORNS
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Southeast Asian Showcase
Thailand 2024 | Thai w/English Subtitles | 131M
DIRECTOR: Boss Kuno
Rising Thai stars Jeff Satur and Engfa Waraha play feuding family members trying to lay claim on a house and durian orchard in this melodrama by Nareubet “Boss” Kuno. Satur plays half of what was once a devoted gay couple who get married in order to lay claim to his partner’s family assets. Unfortunately, the marriage was never legally recognized by the government, so instead the house and orchard belong to his late partner’s mother.
PERSEVERE
WORLD PREMIERE
Made In Hawai‘i
United States 2024 | English | 42M
DIRECTOR: Roy Kimura
This short documentary looks into the lives of one particular family whose relatives were Okinawan immigrants caught up with the Japanese war effort and how they came through the challenging times of sacrifice and loss with quiet strength to create a legacy that lives through today.
PLAYS WITH:
ALETHA
DIRECTOR: Alexander Bocchieri
WATER BODIES
DIRECTOR: Karly Noetzel
PROMISED LAND
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2023 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 89M
DIRECTOR: Masashi Iijima
A stunning meditation on the interplay between cultural practice, heritage, and modernity. When a group of traditional bear hunters in rural mountainous Japan are informed that their practice has been banned due to declining bear populations, two young men decide to risk it all to preserve their dying tradition. Based on an award-winning novel, this directorial debut from Masashi Iijima is beautifully lensed, simultaneously serene and thrilling.
THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
Norway 2024 | English, Norwegian w/English Subtitles | 106M
DIRECTOR: Benjamin Ree
Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of twenty-five. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when instead they’re inundated with hundreds of messages from online friends around the world, who had befriended Mats through “World of Warcraft.” Duchenne muscular dystrophy may have confined Mats’s body, but the degenerative disease couldn’t confine his mind, his soul, his generosity and kindness, or his imagination. Winner of two Sundance Awards.
THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
United States, Spain 2024 | English | 110M
DIRECTOR: Pedro Almodóvar
Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, this is his first English language feature film.
SAN JUAN HILL: MANHATTAN’S LOST NEIGHBORHOOD
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
United States 2024 | English | 60M
DIRECTOR: Stanley Nelson
Award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson is bringing a forgotten piece of Manhattan’s history to light with his latest film, which was commissioned by the Lincoln Center that explores the complex relationship between urban development and cultural preservation. Once home to New York City’s largest Black population, Manhattan’s San Juan Hill neighborhood no longer exists. The diverse working-class neighborhood was razed during the 1950s to make way for the Lincoln Center campus.
THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
Iran, France, Germany 2024 | Farsi w/English Subtitles | 168M
DIRECTOR: Mohammad Rasoulof
Despite constant repression in his home country, which has already led him to be imprisoned twice, Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof continues to make hard-hitting films, his latest one being about an examining magistrate whose gun disappears unexpectedly just as huge demonstrations erupt in Tehran. The film received a special prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
SHAKA, A STORY OF ALOHA
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Made In Hawai‘i
United States 2024 | English | 80M
DIRECTOR: Alexander Bocchieri
The La’ie community figures large in this documentary that tries to find the origins of the state’s “Swiss army knife” of good-natured gestures. The latter part of the documentary spends a good deal of its time relating the fascinating story of community leader Tutu Hamana Kalili back in the 1910s that may have started it all.
SHANGHAI BLUES
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Spotlight on Hong Kong
Hong Kong 1984 | Mandarin,Cantonese w/English Subtitles | 103M
DIRECTOR: Tsui Hark
The restored classic romantic comedy from director Tsui Hark is a prime example of the best of Hong Kong cinema of the 1980s. Set in the wartime 1930s, it starts with an eventful chance meeting between a woman and a soldier while sheltering under a bridge. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, this frothy and colorful romp comes with new dialect dubbing and improved English subtitles.
THE SHAPE OF THINGS: THE DICK BREWER STORY
FESTIVAL PREMIERE
Made In Hawai‘i
United States 2024 | English | 60M
DIRECTOR: Bob Campi
A portrait of the influential surfboard builder whose highly crafted boards made for big wave riding were coveted by professional surfers for decades. The film follows Brewer’s career, incorporating in-depth interviews and testimonials of his contemporaries, spanning many years of surfing history, all paying allegiance to the master.
SHŌGUN – ANJIN (Episode 1)
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Panorama / HIFILM
United States 2024 | English, Japanese w/English Subtitles | 60M
DIRECTOR: Jonathan van Tulleken
The first episode of the critically praised, highly rated prestige series (racking an unprecedented 25 Emmy Award nominations including Outstanding Drama Series) will be screened and will include a Q&A with festival guests and the drama’s showrunners Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo.
SISAM
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Film For Thought | Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 114M
DIRECTOR: Hiroyuki Nakao
A young samurai on a trade mission with the indigenous Ainu, is injured by a traitorous thief. He is healed with the help of an Ainu village family. Over time, he comes to sympathize with their people’s culture, customs, and ideals. But there are those in the village suspicious of this stranger who represents the Japanese colonization that looks down on their way of life.
SISTER MIDNIGHT
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
HIFF Extreme | Spotlight on India
United Kingdom, India, Sweden 2024 | Hindi w/English Subtitles | 110M
DIRECTOR: Karan Kandhari
British-Asian director Karan Kandhari brings his distinctive flair to his story of a small-town misfit who arrives in Mumbai for an arranged marriage, but then spirals into darkness because of her feeling trapped by social expectation, her awkward spouse, and nosy neighbors. She becomes a fierce and feral force that involves a lot of spilled blood.
SOMEBODY
Spotlight on Korea
South Korea 2024 | Korean w/English Subtitles | 112M
DIRECTOR: Kim Yeo-jung, Lee Jeong-chan
What would you do if your only child turned bad? Swimming instructor and single mother Young-eun has a problem. Her six-year-old daughter So-hyun is displaying disturbing and violent behavior. With nowhere to turn, she begins to consider drastic measures. 20-years-later orphan Min finds herself embroiled with her new colleague Hae-young as unsettling events swirl around the two women…
SPACE & TIME
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Pacific Showcase
United States 2023 | English | 42M
DIRECTOR: Keone Madrid, Mari Madrid
Award-winning director/choreographers Keone and Mari Madrid make their most personal artistic statement to date with this short film about a married couple expressing a time of grief and loss through dance. The striking imagery and movement are propelled by a selection of music that includes Florence and the Machine.
PLAYS WITH:
VAKARAITAKA
THE ADVENTURES OF KAI
EMA I‘U – FLOWER OF LIFE
STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Made In Hawai‘i | Film For Thought
Hawai‘i, United States 2024 | English, ‘olelo Hawai‘i w/English Subtitles | 82M
DIRECTOR: Jalena Keane-Lee
Expanded from the 2020 short film, three intergenerational Indigenous Hawaiian families seek to protect their native land and sacred mountain, the towering inactive volcano Mauna Kea, from the construction of the world’s largest telescope.
PLAYS WITH:
THE QUEEN’S FLOWERS
DIRECTOR: Ciara Lacy
STUNTMAN
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR China 2024 | Cantonese w/English Subtitles | 113M
DIRECTOR: Albert Leung, Herbert Leung
From twin actor/directors Albert and Herbert Leung comes this drama about a washed-up stunt choreographer making a last go of it when asked by a veteran director to help him on his last action movie. A young, ambitious stuntman gets caught up in the conflict between the choreographer and the movie’s star, his former protégé turned rival. Can he reclaim his former glory that was his during the time of Hong Kong kung fu cinema of the 1980s?
SUPERBOYS OF MALEGAON
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Spotlight on India
India 2024 | Hindi w/English Subtitles | 127M
DIRECTOR: Reema Kagti
Inspired by real events, it tells the story of an amateur filmmaker who, along with his ragtag crew, directs no-budget spoofs of Bollywood and Hollywood classics. Following in the footsteps of BE KIND REWIND and THE FABLEMANS, it is an inspiring ode to tenacity, self-actualization, and the sheer fun of filmmaking.
TERRESTRIAL
WORLD PREMIERE
Made In Hawai‘i
United States 2024 | English | 76M
DIRECTOR: Alex Farnham
The first alien monster movie independently made on the Big Island! And, of course, the story happens during Halloween!! A high school science teacher from California, unable to find a friendly community, instead tries to find some semblance of respect when he discovers the creature living in a lava tube. Big fun for all as Alex Farnham (ONE MILLION DOLLA) and his cast and crew go for broke.
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
HIFF Extreme
United Kingdom 1974 | English | 83M
DIRECTOR: Tobe Hooper
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the festival presents a restored version of Tobe Hooper’s horror genre classic and gruesome satire of American values. A heartland road trip becomes a nightmarish descent of abduction by a family of cannibals, including the now-iconic hulk of a masked killer known as Leatherface.
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
Canada 2024 | English | 89M
DIRECTOR: Matthew Rankin
A gently absurdist comedy from writer-director Matthew Rankin that was an unexpected hit at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. He imagines a Winnipeg where the dominant culture is Iranian, and people speak Farsi The film’s story starts when two young school-age sisters discover a 500-riel bill in some frozen ice. Thinking they’ve struck it rich; they enlist the help of a local turkey dealer.
UNSTOPPABLE
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Panorama
United States 2024 | English | 116M
DIRECTOR: William Goldenberg
Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez star in this inspiring sports drama based on the life of wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and won a national championship in 2011 while competing at Arizona State University.
V/H/S/BEYOND
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
HIFF Extreme
United States 2024 | English, Hindi w/English Subtitles | 114M
DIRECTOR: Jordan Downey, Christian Long & Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel, and Jay Cheel
Halloween comes early as the festival screens the latest entry in the popular horror anthology franchise containing five stories, the most anticipated of which are ‘Furbabies” from actor Justin Long and his brother Christian, and “Stowaway,” written by horror master Mike Flanagan and directed by his wife, actor Kate Siegel.
VIET AND NAM
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Southeast Asian Showcase
Vietnam 2024 | Vietnamese w/English Subtitles | 129M
DIRECTOR: Minh Quy Truong
In the underground coal mines, Nam and Viet, young miners (and lovers), face danger and darkness. One prepares to leave for a new life, but they must find Nam’s father’s remains, a soldier lost in a faraway forest, retracing the past through memories. Vietnamese filmmaker Trương Minh Quý imprints his film with sensual detail and mesmeric eroticism, it is a remarkable work of quiet expressivity.
VOICE
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Pacific Showcase
Australia 2024 | English | 99M
DIRECTOR: Krunal Padhiar, Semara Jose
An intimate and historically crucial documentary about a group of Australian Indigenous youths that make a pilgrimage to join up with a Freedom Day Festival. The festival honors the challenging work done starting in the mid-1960s to make legitimate a land rights legacy for Aboriginal people. They also start a grassroots campaign for a national vote to enshrine Indigenous people’s voice in the national constitution.
WE WERE DANGEROUS
UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Pacific Showcase
New Zealand/Aotearoa 2024 | English, Maori w/English Subtitles | 83M
DIRECTOR: Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu
This affecting drama focuses on a trio of rebellious girls trapped in a reform school for delinquents isolated on an island that used to be a leper colony. While they come from widely diverse backgrounds, they quickly develop a friendship, one that is challenged when the school settles on experimental forms of punishment that take place in the dead of night.
WHO’LL STOP THE RAIN
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Spotlight on Taiwan
Taiwan ROC 2023 | Mandarin w/English Subtitles | 113M
DIRECTOR: Su I-Hsuan
In 1994, Taiwanese students were in the midst of a protest. Chi-wei, a female college student joins the strike to fight for their freedom of expression. During the protest, Chi-wei is slowly attracted to Ching, whose boyfriend Kuang is the student strike leader. As passionate protest enflames personal desires, both the strike and their triangle relationship becomes wild and vibrant.
YIN YANG MASTER ZERO
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Spotlight on Japan
Japan 2024 | Japanese w/English Subtitles | 113M
DIRECTOR: Shimako Sato
A big-budget epic fantasy written and directed by a woman, Shimako Sato–a first for Japan–is an ambitious blend of court intrigue, romance, and magical battles. The production design is elegant, the visual effects strong (not surprising it’s the Oscar-winning team behind GODZILLA MINUS ONE) and fine performances by her lead trio of actors all help bring the story to life.
YINTAH
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Film For Thought | Indigenous Lens
Canada 2024 | English | 125M
DIRECTOR: Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano
The documentary’s title means “land” in the Wet’suwet’en language, one of a group of tribal clans who live in Canadian territories. Over the period of a decade, this excellent overview follows the interlinking stories of two Native women activists who spur on their communities by taking a firm stance against the encroachment of fossil fuel companies who want to build pipelines through their people’s sovereign territory.
ZURAWSKI V TEXAS
HAWAI‘I PREMIERE
Documentaries
United States 2024 | English | 99M
DIRECTOR: Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault
A timely look at the political right’s attacks on American female health care. Early last year, The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a case originally on behalf of five Texas women who faced risks when denied vital care in their state, as well as two ob-gyns, due to a six-week abortion ban.
