The 2025 HIFILM StorytellersLab (HSL), sponsored by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), brought together a dynamic group of filmmakers and writers for a transformative retreat at the historic Nutridge Estate. Designed to support the development of short screenplays adapted from original Hawai‘i literary works—including books, plays, poems, short stories, and moʻolelo—HSL was a rare opportunity to
We’re excited to welcome three interns to the HIFF team this summer: Roma, Levi, and Cyris! MEET ROMA LERNER Hello! My name is Roma Lerner, and I am currently a student at Colgate University where I am double majoring in Film and Media Studies as well as Environmental Studies. I grew up on the North
Instagram Facebook Youtube This past weekend, we received troubling news that HIFF’s funding from the National Endowment for the Arts has been canceled as a result of the current administration’s agenda – a situation affecting numerous arts organizations across the country. In addition to the NEA, HIFF has also recently lost other funding sources tied
The second annual HIFF ‘Ōpio Fest celebrated the outstanding efforts of student filmmakers in middle school and high school from across Hawai’i and Alaska in this year’s FUTURE FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE. In partnership with the Daniel K. Inouye Institute (DKI Institute), the program features the best submissions of short films from middle school and high school students
The second annual HIFF ‘Ōpio Fest celebrated the exceptional talent of Hawai’i’s young filmmakers on Saturday, April 12, with the announcement of this year’s jury award winners and honorees. The festival showcased outstanding short films across two categories: the ‘ŌPIO JUNIOR SHOWCASE featuring promising elementary and middle school creators, and the ‘ŌPIO NEXT GEN SHOWCASE
Grace Lee is a Peabody-award-winning filmmaker whose credits include AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, the doc series AND SHE COULD BE NEXT, ASIAN AMERICANS, and THE GRACE LEE PROJECT, which brought her to Hawaii to interview Hawaii News Now reporter Grace Lee. Her latest documentary feature, Based in Los Angeles, she is
The HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program, powered by Critical Minded, supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai‘i through mentorship and paid career opportunities. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden diversity in film criticism across the Pacific region and use influencer branding strategies to spark career opportunities in Hawai’i, not be hampered by oceans, state borders and distance, because geography is no longer a barrier.
The 2024 HOCCI supports Hawai‘i-based AANHPI critics to be a HIFF44 press cohort to cover films, panels, or filmmakers at the 44th Annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. Film criticism will consists of four different focuses: writing, podcasting, video essays, and vlogs.
