HONOREES, AWARDS & JURIES
KE HUY QUAN
SUNG KANG
Nainoa Thompson
Luciane Buchanan
Bryson Chun

HIFF46 Honorees

HIFF46 HALEKULANI GOLDEN MAILE CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Halekulani 2022 Logo

The Halekulani Vision In Film Award is the apex of our honoree distinctions. It is given to a film professional who has consistently been at the top of their game, considered as one of the global cinema innovators of our time. Sometimes, the award is given to an organization for their incredible impact to cinema history. The Vision In Film has only been given seven times in HIFF’s forty-two year history. Past recipients include Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou, and the American Film Institute (AFI).

KE HUY QUAN

Ke Huy Quan

Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan has made one of Hollywood’s most celebrated comebacks. After beginning his career as Short Round in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and Data in THE GOONIES, Quan stepped away from acting, working behind the camera and as a stunt choreographer before returning triumphantly in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. His performance as Waymond earned him the Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG Award, and numerous other honors. Quan has since appeared in Disney+’s LOKI and AMERICAN BORN CHINESE, Netflix’s THE ELECTRIC STATE, and his first leading role in Universal’s LOVE HURTS. He most recently voiced Gary De’Snake in Disney’s blockbuster ZOOTOPIA 2 and is set to reprise the role in ZOOTOPIA 3.His memoir, NEVER SAY DIE, arriving September 15, 2026, chronicles his remarkable journey from childhood refugee to Hollywood star, exploring resilience, identity, reinvention, and rediscovery.

HIFF LEANNE K FERRER TRAILBLAZER AWARD

Presented by Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), the HIFF Leanne K. Ferrer Trailblazer Award is given to a cinema artist of Pacific Islander heritage who broadens the scope of Pacific Islander stories onto the world stage, producing award winning work in independent and global cinema. This honoree is a true trailblazer, whose work aligns with PIC’s mission, which is to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and talent that results in a deeper understanding of Pacific Island history, culture, and contemporary challenges. Past recipients include Taika Waititi, Heperi Mita on behalf of Merata Mita, Keala Settle and Kerry Warkia.

BRYSON CHUN

Bryson Chun is a Native Hawaiian screenwriter whose credits include Disney+’s DOOGIE KAMEALOHA, M.D. and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ MOANA 2, with additional development work for Mattel and Ubisoft. An alumnus of the Sundance Native Shorts Lab and a CAPE Fellow, Chun has also been recognized by the Black List’s Indigenous List. He has produced award-winning Hawai‘i films presented by PBS, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Criterion Collection, and wrote DASHER, winner of the HIFF 2025 Audience Award. Chun is currently writing THE FIRST & LAST, a live-action musical feature inspired by true events and set against the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

HIFF46 HALEKULANI LEGACY AWARD

Halekulani 2022 Logo

HIFF’s Halekulani Vanguard Award is the Festival’s “rising star” award, honoring an innovator, who has catapulted so quickly into the cultural zeitgeist as an artist, an advocate and a role model. In this new age of streaming, where there is a need and desire to produce authentic storytelling and a drive to push for broader diversity above and below the line to properly reflect society today, the HIFF Vanguard honoree has navigated through the sea of content to rise above it all and leave an indelible mark on audiences, both young and old, around the globe. Past recipients included Lana Condor, Rachel Brosnahan and Sakura Ando.

NAINOA THOMPSON

HŌKŪLEʻA: FINDING THE LANGUAGE OF THE NAVIGATOR

Nainoa Thompson is a Pwo Navigator and CEO of the Polynesian Voyaging Society whose life’s work has helped revitalize the art and tradition of Polynesian wayfinding. In the 1970s, artist and historian Herb Kawainui Kāne introduced Thompson to Hōkūleʻa and the vision of navigating the voyaging canoe by the stars. He later studied under legendary Master Navigator Mau Piailug and Bishop Museum Planetarium lecturer Will Kyselka.
In 1980, Thompson became the first Native Hawaiian in centuries to navigate a voyaging canoe from Hawai‘i to Tahiti without modern instruments, a landmark achievement in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance. Since then, he has captained and navigated Hōkūleʻa on more than a dozen voyages throughout the Pacific and around the world. For decades, Thompson has dedicated himself to passing on traditional wayfinding knowledge while inspiring new generations to care for the ocean, the planet, and one another.

HIFF46 HALEKULANI Maverick AWARD

Halekulani 2022 Logo

The Halekulani Maverick Award is given to an international cinema artist who has a unique and eclectic career trajectory, contributing to international cinema arts in an innovative way. This maverick does things on their own terms, creating work that can have a rabid following to a mass appreciation in today’s pop culture. Like a trendsetter and tastemaker, their work may not have been appreciated early on, but has become an artistic benchmark. Past recipients include Awkwafina, Tadanobu Asano, Randall Park and Kevin Smith. 

SUNG KANG

Sung Kang is an actor, filmmaker, and lifelong car enthusiast, known worldwide for his portrayal of Han in THE FAST & THE FURIOUS franchise. Beyond the screen, Kang has built a career defined by both storytelling and his deep connection to car culture. His latest project, DRIFTER, marks his most personal work to date. Serving as writer, director, producer, and lead actor, Kang crafted a film about a solitary janitor who finds redemption and belonging through the competitive drifting scene. For Kang, DRIFTER is more than a feature film, it is a love letter to the car community that has shaped his life.

HIFF46 HALEKULANI NEW VANGUARD AWARD

Halekulani 2022 Logo

HIFF’s Halekulani Vanguard Award is the Festival’s “rising star” award, honoring an innovator, who has catapulted so quickly into the cultural zeitgeist as an artist, an advocate and a role model. In this new age of streaming, where there is a need and desire to produce authentic storytelling and a drive to push for broader diversity above and below the line to properly reflect society today, the HIFF Vanguard honoree has navigated through the sea of content to rise above it all and leave an indelible mark on audiences, both young and old, around the globe. Past recipients included Lana Condor, Rachel Brosnahan and Sakura Ando.

LUCIANE BUCHANAN

Luciane Buchanan is a Tongan and New Zealand actress/writer who gained international recognition in the Netflix hit series THE NIGHT AGENT. She started her career in Aotearoa in local TV shows, and most recently as the lead on Apple TV+’s limited historical drama, CHIEF OF WAR. This year she starred in the sixth installment of the Evil Dead franchise, EVIL DEAD BURN, and wrapped filming for Netflix’s UNTAMED, Season 2. In 2024, her debut screenplay short LEA TUPU’ANGA/MOTHER TONGUE  premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was widely acclaimed during its festival circuit, gaining eligibility to 98th Oscars for Best Live Action Short Film . She is currently working with the New Zealand Film Commission developing her first feature. Luciane’s range of experience in front and behind the camera, has pushed her to find her voice as an emerging writer and producer, whose motivation is to elevate Pasifika and female driven stories.

Spotlight on hong kong filmmaker in profile

In this year’s Spotlight, it showcase the glimmer of Hong Kong’s glory days of the late 20th century as it goes through growing pains in the marketplace—audience’s evolving viewing consumption, cultural and economic shifts as Hong Kong reintegrates with Mainland China’s policies, and the continuing post-pandemic after effects. What is encouraging is the new crop of filmmakers and established stars continuing the retain the unique, local flavors of what makes Hong Kong, “Hong Kong.”

STEPHY TANG 鄧麗欣

Stephy Tang

Stephy Tang is one of Hong Kong’s most versatile actresses and recording artists. She first rose to prominence in 2002 as a member of the Cantopop girl group Cookies before launching a successful solo music career with her debut album Coloring Stephy in 2005. She soon became a leading romantic-comedy star before earning critical acclaim for increasingly adventurous dramatic roles. Her performance in THE EMPTY HANDS (2017) won Best Actress from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society and earned her a Hong Kong Film Award nomination, followed by another Best Actress nomination for MY PRINCE EDWARD.

Tang reached new commercial heights with the blockbuster TABLE FOR SIX and later appeared in TABLE FOR SIX 2, LOVE LIES and LITTLE RED SWEET. In 2025, she staged three sold-out concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum. In 2026, she stars alongside Chrissie Chau and Anson Kong in the bowling drama SPARE QUEENS.

COMPETITION Awards

Made In Hawaii Film Awards

Presented by FilmHawaii

HIFF presents the eighth annual MADE IN HAWAI‘I FILM AWARD, celebrating the resilience, creativity, and evolution of Hawai‘i’s independent filmmaking community. Fiction, documentary, and short films created by Hawai‘i-based filmmakers or rooted in Hawai‘i stories are presented throughout HIFF46, standing alongside exceptional cinema from around the world.

For 46 years, HIFF has championed Hawai‘i-made films and locally rooted voices. As the industry evolves, that commitment extends to building a sustainable filmmaking ecosystem in Hawai‘i that supports local storytellers, producers, crew, artists, and audiences while amplifying authentic Native Hawaiian, Indigenous, Asian American, and Pacific Islander stories.

The MADE IN HAWAI‘I FILM AWARD honors films that embody this spirit: artistically accomplished works that authentically reflect the distinct, complex, and universal experiences of Hawai‘i while helping shape the future of cinema in the islands.

Recipients of HIFF’s Best Short Film Award and HIFF’s Best Made in Hawai’i Short Film Award are eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/Live Action Short Film category of the Academy AwardsⓇ

List of Nominated Films

NOMINATED FILMS

Recipients of HIFF’s Best Short Film Award and HIFF’s Best Made in Hawai’i Short Film Award are eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/Live Action Short Film category of the Academy AwardsⓇ

FEATURES

EA (Sovereign)
Directed by: Noah Keone Viernes, Sancia Miala Shiba Nash

LAHAINA: VOICES OF CHANGE
Directed by: Ty Sanga

MAKING THE LINE
Directed by: Zilla Barbosa

THE NAVIGATOR
Directed by: Jordan Manley

NIU FOREVER
Director: Alex Cantatore


NOMINATED SHORTS

KŪKULU
Director: Aukai Ligairi

THE MAN AND THE TREE
Director: Justyn Ah Chong

MASSAGERS 4 SALE
Director: Chris Lui

OLI
Director: Nicholas B. Gianforti

PR
Director: Eliot Bu

PROTECTING KAHOʻOLAWE: 50 YEARS OF ALOHA ʻĀINA
Directors: Mark Carpenter, Corbin Gregory

SONS ARE NOT EARTHBOUND
Director: Lauren Luke

STAINED
Director: Tiffany Liu

TUTUVI
Directors: kekahi wahi (Sancia Miala Shiba Nash and Drew K. Broderick)

WHAT WE CALL HOME
Director: Josiah Mendoza

WHO RAISED YOU
Director: Lia Alicia Mitchell

HIFF Kau Ka Hōkū Award

PRESENTED BY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

The KAU KA HŌKŪ (Shooting Star) Award presented by Hawaiian Airlines will be awarded to an emerging filmmaker (first or second feature film). Both fiction and non-fiction feature films may be nominated by the festival programmers and adjudicated by an international jury.

NOMINATED FILMS

 

HIFF Best Short Film Award

PRESENTED BY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

Short films help establish tone, style and a filmmaker’s creative vision to form the foundation of a budding career. These works can also be proof of concepts or progenitors to a feature film, but they must stand alone as their own succinct and unique work. It is always a welcome challenge by the HIFF team to sift through thousands of entries each year to curate these popular Shorts programs.

HIFF is one of a select few Academy Awards®-qualifying Festivals. The winning films in the HIFF Best Short Film and HIFF Best Made in Hawai‘i Short Film categories are eligible to qualify for the Oscars, provided that the films meet all the requirements set forth at www.oscars.org/rules.

List of Nominated Shorts

NOMINATED SHORTS

Recipients of HIFF’s Best Short Film Award and HIFF’s Best Made in Hawai’i Short Film Award are eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/Live Action Short Film category of the Academy AwardsⓇ

 

HIFF Pacific Award

PRESENTED BY PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN COMMUNICATIONS

Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) will present a Pacific Award for one Best Feature Film and one Best Short Film. Select fiction and non-fiction feature films with a Pacific Islander perspective will be judged by the inaugural Pacific Award Jury comprised of filmprofessionals of Pacific Islander descent. 

NOMINATED FILMS

 

HIFF NETPAC Award

Presented by The Network For the Promotion Of Asia Pacific Cinema

NETPAC

Founded in 1990 by Cinemaya and UNESCO, the Network for the Promotion of Asian-Pacific Cinema (NETPAC) is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting Asian and Pacific film throughout the world. The prestigious NETPAC award is given at select international film festivals to promote Asian and Pacific cinema by spotlighting exceptional works and discovering new talent. The NETPAC award is presented annually at international film festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Rotterdam, Busan, Singapore, Taiwan, Yamagata, Amiens and Hawai‘i. HIFF is the only film festival in North America given permission to present the NETPAC award.

List of Nominated Films
NETPAC Award Nominees

A USEFUL GHOST
Director: Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke

AINU PURI
Director: Takeshi Fukunaga

ANOTHER WORLD
Director: Tommy Ng Kai Chung

BEFORE THE BRIGHT DAY
Director: Tsao Shih-Han

FOOD DELIVERY: FRESH FROM THE PHILIPPINE SEA
Director: Baby Ruth Vilarama

THE JOURNEY TO GYEONG-JU
Director: Mi-jo Kim

KŌKĀ
Director: Kath Akuhata-Brown

KY NAM INN
Director: Leon Le

MĀRAMA
Director: Taratoa Stappard

PROJECT Y
Director: Hwan Lee

SHAKTI
Director: Nani Sahra Walker

THE WAVES WILL CARRY US
Director: Lau Kek-Huat

HIFF Audience Choice Award

Presented by Hawaii News Now

Your Vote Counts! Vote for your favorite Feature, Documentary, Short and Student films playing at HIFF46!

Voting is accessible to audiences via QR codes at each premiere screening. Winning films will be announced at the HIFF46 Awards reception and in a special Hawaii News Now broadcast following the completion of the HIFF46 Festival.

NOMINATED FILMS: ALL HIFF46 Films, features and shorts, are eligible for Audience Choice Award! 

HIFF46 JURIES

KAU KA HOKU JURY

SAMUEL JAMIER
Samuel Jamier is President of the New York Asian Film Festival, the leading showcase of new Asian cinema in the Americas, whose 25th edition opened this summer with Yeon Sang-ho's Colony at Film at Lincoln Center. His programming has introduced emerging Asian filmmakers to American audiences, championing Bong Joon-ho's early features long before Parasite. Under his tenure, festival honorees have included Lee Byung-hun, Gianna Jun, and Louis Koo. He came to the festival from Japan Society and the Korea Society. Through SMLX, he advises studios and streamers on cross-border projects. Korea-born and raised in Brittany, France, he holds doctorates in English and Comparative Literature and was educated at École Normale Supérieure, King's College London, the University of Tokyo, and Sorbonne Nouvelle.
JESSE HAWTHORNE FICKS
Jesse Hawthorne Ficks is the film history coordinator at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and is the film festival critic for the San Francisco Bay Guardian (aka 48hills). Jesse is also part of the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle and hosts “MOViES FOR MANiACS,” a film series celebrating underrated and overlooked cinema, in a neo-sincere manner.
Mia Lee Vicino
Mia Lee Vicino is a film journalist based in Los Angeles. After working as a columnist and critic for Willamette Week in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, she moved to LA, where she was the West Coast Editor of Letterboxd for four years. Here, she conducted print and video interviews with filmmakers and actors, edited their online magazine Journal, hosted their podcasts, and helped pioneer their Four Faves series. Currently, she continues to contribute to Letterboxd in a freelance capacity, moderates Q&As for Film Independent and others, writes Blu-ray booklet essays, and serves on festival juries such as Palm Springs International ShortFest. Her four favorite films are Opening Night (1977), Mikey and Nicky (1976), eXistenZ (1999), and Down with Love (2003).

PASIFIC JURY

MIKI MAGASIVA
Born in Lefagaoali’i, Samoa, Miki resides in Aotearoa. A regular at HIFF, he began directing in 2003 with award-winning ads and continues to create spots for major brands worldwide. In 2005, he was named a Breakthrough Young Director for Australasia at AFEST, which led to his first short film, “Rites of Courage.” His second short, “Uso,” earned him a Best Script nomination at the NZ Television Film Awards and the Digital Dream Award at HIFF. His short “Sina & Tuna” was part of the “Teine Sa” (2021) TV anthology, which won Best Narrative Feature at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. That year, his work on “The Panthers,” New Zealand's first drama at TIFF, earned him Best Director at the NZ Television Awards. He’s collaborated with indigenous filmmakers on “We Are Still Here” (2022), which opened the Sydney International Film Festival and won Best Dramatic Feature at imagineNATIVE. Last year, he released “Tinā,” serving as writer, director, and producer.
Averie Joy Maikalima O Makua Huffine
Averie currently runs her own shingle, Humble Sandwich where her projects include an untitled IVF drama at HBO Max, an untitled reboot at CBS Studios, and the rights to Maakia Lucier’s USA Today and NYT best-selling novel “Dragonfruit,” with Su’a Films and New Leaf Literary, which has Bryson Chun and Keto Shimizu attached. Averie is Kanaka Maoli and is a founding member and the current Executive Director of PEAK (Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti), where she helped create the Producer & Executive Fellowship, which uplifts aspiring Pacific Islander producers. She’s also on the board of Off the Page, the fundraising board of the Arthritis Foundation, the investment advisory board of the Inevitable Foundation, and on the Television Academy’s Diversity Committee.
Noelle M. K. Y. Kahanu
Noelle M. K. Y. Kahanu is an associate specialist of Public Humanities and Native Hawaiian programs in the American Studies Department of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and is currently the acting director of the Museum Studies Graduate Certificate Program. A Native Hawaiian writer, artist, curator, and educator with over twenty five years of program and exhibition experience, she remains active in the Native Hawaiian visual arts community. While at Bishop Museum, where she worked for fifteen years, she wrote scripts for the Ola Nā Moʻolelo storytelling program, developed the media content for the renovations of Hawaiian Hall and Pacific Hall, and directed and produced Under a Jarvis Moon, a one-hour feature documentary on Hawai‘i’s forgotten colonists. The film was nominated for best documentary at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival, 2010, screened at numerous locations, including Anchorage and Washington, DC and aired locally and nationally on PBS.

MADE IN HAWAI‘I JURY

Taylour Chang
Taylour Chang is a filmmaker from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi of Kanaka Maoli, Chinese, and Japanese descent. She serves as Director of Public Programs and Community Engagement at Bishop Museum and previously served as Curator of Film and Performance at the Honolulu Museum of Art and Director of the Doris Duke Theatre, an arthouse cinema in Honolulu. She is also a Board Member of the Arthouse Convergence, a coalition of independent exhibitors that connects, amplifies, and advocates for its community.
Kent Matsuoka
An independent producer with multiple appearances at HIFF, Kent Matsuoka is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy with over 25 years experience in the entertainment industry. Recognized for a strategic approach to production planning with an extensive global network of industry contacts, he has successfully managed productions and participated in festivals in many of the world's most sought-after filming destinations. A katonk with long roots in Hawai’I, Kent’s paternal grandfather immigrated to Hilo from Kumamoto over 125 years ago. His parents met in Japan and moved to the mainland where Kent was born, frequently visiting family in Hawai’i as a child, and has been immersed in the cultures of the greater Pacific Rim his entire life.
Michelle Sugihara
Michelle K. Sugihara is the Executive Director and CEO of CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment), the world's longest-running nonprofit organization creating career opportunities and commercial success for Asians and Pasifika people in film & television in Hollywood. She is a fourth-generation Japanese American born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. Prior to joining CAPE, she was an entertainment attorney, film producer, and adjunct professor for the Claremont Colleges’ Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies. She also teaches “Improv for Non-Actors” and has performed improv internationally. IG: @capeusa; @michsugi

BEST SHORT FILM JURY

Philip Chung
PHILIP W. CHUNG is a writer and producer. He was the co-founder/co-Artistic Director for the acclaimed Asian American theater, Lodestone Theatre Ensemble, and the creative director at YOMYOMF, founded by director Justin Lin (FAST & FURIOUS franchise). As a producer, he has developed/produced projects for Comcast/NBCUniversal, Legendary Pictures, eOne, IFC Channel, Gunpowder & Sky, Warner Bros, Disney, PBS, and others. His current writing projects include feature screenplays for Netflix and a TV pilot for Untitled Entertainment. His latest plays had their world premieres at East West Players in Los Angeles and Off Broadway at Pan Asian Rep in New York City. He is a consultant for the Aspen Institute where he is helping to develop a film program track for their annual Ideas Festival.
Christine Yi
Christine Yi is the President of Gold House Studios and General Manager of Gold House Labs, where she leads investments and development programs for next-generation and independent Asian Pacific creatives and companies. Prior to Gold House Christine worked in management consulting and retail strategy before founding her own company, scouting for VC funds, and serving as Lead Venture Architect at Boston Consulting Group. She was recognized as one of Hollywood’s New Leaders by Variety in 2024 and is based in New York City.
Sarah Fang
Sarah Fang is the Doris Duke Theatre Manager & Programmer at the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA). She was raised in Honolulu as a first-generation immigrant with an environment that fostered her love of global cinema. Her career at HoMA began in 2013 as a projectionist, and she went on to serve as Program Coordinator and Assistant Curator, Film and Performance, before assuming her current role in 2022. Her responsibilities include the maintenance and stewardship of the Doris Duke Theatre and overseeing its year-round programming that includes films, film festivals, and live performances. Notable programs include the annually occurring Honolulu African American and Honolulu Surf Film Festivals as well as film programs that celebrate specific themes, cultures, and notable filmmakers.

NETPAC JURY

Duncan Caillard
Duncan Caillard is a film researcher and critic based in Naarm (Melbourne), where he lectures in Global Creative Industries at the University of Melbourne. He holds a PhD in Screen and Cultural Studies, and previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Auckland University of Technology. His research focusses on independent and artist filmmaking in the Asia-Pacific, with interests in Southeast Asian and Pacific Island screen industries, and is currently working on a history of independent filmmaking in Hawaiʻi. He is the author of Apichatpong Weerasethakul: Contemplation and Resistance (Edinburgh University Press, 2025) and serves as Vice President of Senses of Cinema, where his writing regularly appears alongside contributions to international film and cultural studies journals.
Libby Hakaraia
Libby heads Māoriland Films with a slate of projects including a feature film she will direct. Her producing credits include the feature films Cousins (2022) and Kōkā (2024). Libby directed five shorts that have screened worldwide and produced over 30 short films. Honoured as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to media and film, Libby is also a Merata Mita Sundance Fellow and recipient of the Women in Film and Television Entrepreneur Award. Libby was the founding director of the Māoriland Film Festival for 10 years. In 2025, Māoriland was awarded the Global Production Award for Economic and Social Impact.
Therese Hayes
Therese Hayes, born in France, was introduced to Indian cinema in London. She studied Far Eastern Civilization at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. There she organized a coffee hour inviting Asian guests such as relatives of the Dalai Lama. In Palm Springs, CA, when Sony Bono started the Palm Springs International Film Festival she became a sponsor and selected Indian and Asian films for the last 30 years. Meantime she worked with the Bangkok Film festival and various smaller festivals including the Indian Film Festival in Stuttgart, Germany for the last 18 years