Hawaiʻi International Film Festival

Last updated
Hawai'i International Film Festival
HIFF Logo.jpg
Location Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Founded1981
Founded by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko
DirectorsBeckie Stocchetti
Artistic directorAnderson Le
No. of films300+ per year
Festival dateOctober 16 - November 16, every year
LanguageInternational
Website www.hiff.org

The Hawai'i International Film Festival (HIFF) is an annual film festival held in the United States state of Hawaii.

Contents

HIFF focuses on Asian-Pacific cinema, education, and showcasing the work of new and emerging filmmakers. [1] HIFF's main festival takes place annually in Honolulu in October and November, with additional screenings and events held across the Hawaiian Islands of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, Kauaʻi and Maui. The festival also holds a smaller Spring Showcase in March and runs education and industry events throughout the year. [2]

In 2018, HIFF welcomed over 44,000 attendees. [3]

The Hawai'i International Film Festival (HIFF) has earned the distinction of being the nation's preeminent source of discovery and exhibition of Native Hawaiian and Asian-Pacific cinema and new media. HIFF is the only statewide film festival in the United States and the only Academy Award-qualifying film festival with a focus on Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander content. HIFF's mission is two-fold: to bring the best in international cinema to Hawai'i, and to advance the understanding and cultural exchange among the people of Asia, the Pacific, and North America through the medium of film. HIFF also presents educational content including panels and workshops in the fields of film, music, technology, and media. [4]

History

Jury members Sun Daolin, Nagisa Oshima, Donald Richie, Roger Ebert, and Aruna Vasudev, join Jeannette Paulson at HIFF in 1983 HIFF 1983 Jury.jpeg
Jury members Sun Daolin, Nagisa Ōshima, Donald Richie, Roger Ebert, and Aruna Vasudev, join Jeannette Paulson at HIFF in 1983

HIFF was founded in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko as a project of the East-West Center located at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus in Honolulu. [5] Due to this academic association, HIFF prominently featured academic seminars and discussions in its early years, and was delivered free to the public. The relationship between HIFF and the East-West Center ended in 1994. [6] Film critics Donald Richie and Roger Ebert had close personal relationships with the festival and frequently attended before their deaths. [7] [8]

The festival has premiered popular movies such as A Leading Man , Once Were Warriors , The Piano , Shine , Shall We Dance? , Y Tu Mama Tambien and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon . [9]

In 2018, HIFF launched its virtual reality program, with a focus on Asian-Pacific and environmental storytelling.

HIFF celebrated its 40th edition in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic with a hybrid festival combining online video on demand streaming with drive-in theaters and a small number of conventional cinema screenings. [10]

In 2022, HIFF held its 42nd annual Fall Festival which drew in over 52,000 viewers to 276 films from 37 countries. Adding to the Festival's international prominence were 178 filmmakers, actors, critics, and film industry professionals from throughout the world. These delegates participated in post-screening discussions, special events, and free educational programs. Since its inception, HIFF has benefited more than 1.6 million people. [4]

Sections

From its early history, HIFF has maintained a programming focus on films from the Asia-Pacific, with an emphasis on new and emerging filmmakers.

Awards

HIFF annually presents a series of prizes for established and emerging filmmakers, announced at its Awards Gala at Halekulani. In addition to its main competitions, the festival also honors filmmakers for special accomplishments and contributions to cinema culture.

Honors

HIFF annually honors filmmakers for outstanding contributions to world cinema and the arts. The Halekulani Career Achievement Award is given to filmmakers with an established body of work for significant contributions to the arts. [11] The Halekulani Maverick Award is given to accomplished artists and filmmakers with unconventional career trajectories, often to rising stars of the global film industry. [11] The Pacific Islanders in Communications Trailblazer Award honors a cinema artist of Pacific Islander descent for producing award-winning work in independent and global cinema. [11] In 2020, HIFF introduced the Halekulani Golden Maile for Career Achievement. The first recipient of the Golden Maile was Ann Hui.

Previous HIFF honorees include Awkwafina, Joan Chen, Sonny Chiba, Maggie Cheung, Destin Daniel Cretton, Dave Filoni, Stan Grant, Sterlin Harjo, Josie Ho, Samuel L. Jackson, Jung Woo-Sung, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Jason Scott Lee, Dana Ledoux Miller, Moon So-ri, Elisabeth Moss, Randall Park, Albert Pyun, Keala Settle, Taika Waititi, Ken Watanabe, Wong Kar-Wai, John Woo, Steven Yeun, and many other Hollywood luminaries.

In 2022, HIFF awarded festival founder, Jeannette Paulson Hereniko with the inaugural HIFF Legacy Award for her lifetime of dedication and contributions to film and cinema in Hawaiʻi and many film festivals around the world.

Kau Ka Hōkū Award

The Hawaiian Airlines Kau Ka Hōkū (Shooting Star) award is HIFF's main competitive prize and is awarded to emerging filmmakers for their first or second feature film by an international jury. Both fiction and non-fiction feature films are nominated by the festival programmers and adjudicated by an international jury.

YearFilmDirector
2018People's Republic of Desire Hao Wu
201937 Seconds HIKARI
2021 [12] Dark Red ForestJin Huaqing
2022 [13] Bad Axe David Siev
2023 [14] Asog Seán Devlin

Made in Hawaiʻi Film Awards

The Made in Hawaiʻi Film Awards is presented by the Nichols Family Fund and Hawaii Film Office for feature and short films produced by local filmmakers.

YearFilmDirector
1990My Aunt MayRoland Tharpe
1991Hawaiʻi: Beyond the Feathered Gods Paul Atkins
1992Simple CourageStephanie Castillo
1993From Hawaiʻi to the HolocaustJudy Weightman / Ryan Sexton
1994GanbareRobert Bates
1995Words, Earth and Aloha Eddie Kamae
1996Lemon Tree Billiards HouseTim Savage
1997E Ola Ka 'Olelo HawaiʻiNa Maka O Ka 'Aina
1998 Kaho'olawe David Kalama Jr
1999Red Turtle RisingJay April
2000Ka'ililauokekoaKala'iokona Ontai
2001 Blood of the Samurai Aaron Yamasato
2002
2003The RideNathan Kurosawa
2004Silent YearsJames Sereno
2005Fishbowl Kayo Hatta
2006Na Kamalei: Men of HulaLisette Marie Flannery
2018 Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable Aaron LieberMade in Hawaii Audience Award
2018The Moon and The NightErin LauMade in Hawaii Best Short
2019Moloka'i BoundAlika MaikauMade in Hawaii Best Short
2019Down on the Sidewalk in WaikikiJustyn Ah ChongMade in Hawaii Best Short, Second Place
2020Hawaiian Soul'Āina PaikaiBest Short + Audience Award Short
2020WaikikiChris KahunahanaBest Feature + Best Cinematography
2021 [12] River of Small GodsBradley TangonanBest Short
2021 [12] I Was a Simple Man Christopher Makoto Yogi Best Feature
2022 [15] The Wind & the Reckoning David L. CunninghamBest Feature
2022 [15] InheritanceErin LauBest Short
2022Pōʻele Wai (Dark Water / As the Water Darkens)Tiare RibeauxHonorable Mention (Short Film)
2023 [14] Hōkūleʻa: Finding the Language of the NavigatorTy SangaBest Feature
2023 [14] AikāneDaniel Sousa, Dean Hamer and Joe WilsonBest Short
2023 [14] My PartnerKeli'i GraceHonorable Mention (Feature)

Shorts Jury Awards

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Ⓡ in the concurrent season, without the standard theatrical run and provided the films comply with Academy rules. [16]

YearFilmDirectorAward
2022 The Red Suitcase Cyrus NeshvadHIFF Best Short Film Award [17]
2022Kumu NiuAlex CantatoreDeep Blue Environmental Shorts Award [17]
2023 [14] Closing DynastyLloyd Lee ChoiHIFF Best Short Film Award
2023 [14] Spear, Spatula, Submarine: Floridians Fight to Take Back Their WatersShannon MorrallDeep Blue Environmental Shorts Award

NETPAC Award

Since 2000, HIFF has partnered with the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema to deliver the NETPAC Award for outstanding filmmaking in Asia and is the only film festival in the United States to present the award. [18]

YearFilmDirectorCountry
2000Breaking the Silence Sun Zhou China
2001 Devils on the Doorstep Jiang Wen China
2002 Eyes of a Beauty Guan Hu China
2003
2004 Peep "TV" Show Yutaka Tsuchiya Japan
2005 Season of the Horse Ning Cai China
2006 4:30 Royston Tan Singapore
2007 Owl and the Sparrow Stephane Gauger Vietnam
2008 Brutus - The Adventure Tara Illenberger Philippines
2009 Castaway on the Moon' Lee Hae-jun South Korea
2010 Monga Doze Chen-Zer Niu Taiwan ROC
2011 Hanaan Ruslan Pak South Korea, Uzbekistan
2012 Aparisyon (Apparition) Isabel Sandoval (credited as Vincent Sandoval)Philippines
2013 Monsoon Shootout Amit Kumar India
2014 Titli Kanu Behl India
2015 The Kids Sunny Yu Taiwan
2016 Knife in the Clear Water Wan Xuebo China
2017 One Thousand Ropes Tusi Tamasese New Zealand
2018 Still Human Oliver Chan Hong Kong
2019 Another Child Yoon-Seok Kim South Korea
2021 [12] Anima Cao Jinling China
2022 [15] Kāinga Ghazaleh Golbakhsh, Nahyeon Lee, Angeline Loo, HASH (Hash Perambalam), Asuka Sylvie, Yamin Tun, Julie Zhu, Michelle AngAotearoa New Zealand
2023 [14] If Only I Could Hibernate Zoljargal Purevdashi France, Mongolia

Pasifika Award

In 2022, HIFF partnered with Pacific Islanders in Communications to present the inaugural Pasifika Award for Best Feature Film. [13]

YearFilmDirectorCountry
2022 Whina Paula Whetu Jones and James Napier Robertson Aotearoa New Zealand
2023 [14] No Māori AllowedCorinna Hunziker Aotearoa New Zealand

New American Perspectives

From 2007 to 2015, HIFF partnered with the Vilcek Foundation to curate the New American Filmmakers program to celebrate the work of foreign-born filmmakers and cinema artists currently contributing to American cinema. [19] In 2019, this program was relaunched as the New American Perspectives.

YearFilmDelegateCountry of Birth
2007 Owl and the Sparrow Stephane Gauger (Director)Vietnam
2007 Finishing the Game Justin Lin (Director)Taiwan
2007 The Rebel Charlie Nguyen (Director)Vietnam
2007The GateKeeper of EnmyoinReiko Tahara (Director)Japan
2007Max Uesugi (Director)Japan
2008Chief (Short Film) Chief Sielu Avea (Actor)Samoa
2008Long Story Short Christine Choy (Director)China
2008Vietnam Overtures Stephane Gauger (Director)Vietnam
2008 Prince of the Himalayas Sherwood Hu (Director)China
2008Someplace ElseKai-Duc Luong (Director)Cambodia
2008 Ocean of Pearls Sarab Neelam (Director)India
2009A Village Called Versailles S. Leo Chiang (Director)Taiwan
2009Prince of Broadway Karren Karagulian (Actor)Armenia
2009 The People I've Slept With Quentin Lee (Director)Hong Kong
2009Bombay SummerJoseph Mathew-Varghese (Director)India
2009 White on Rice Hiroshi Watanabe (Actor)Japan
2010Dog SweatHossein Keshavarz (Director)Iran
2010 Au Revoir Taipei In-Ah Lee (Producer)Germany
2010 Apart Together Lisa Lu (Actress)China
2010Beijing TaxiMiao Wang (Director)China
2011 The Price of Sex Mimi Chakarova (Director)Bulgaria
2011Living in Seduced CircumstancesIan Gamazon (Director)Philippines
2011Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in KabulNadia Hennirch (Screenwriter)Germany
2011Almost Perfect Bertha Bay-Sa Pan (Director)Taiwan
2011 My Last Day Without You Christopher Silber (Screenwriter)Germany
2012 Valley of Saints Nicholas Bruckman (Producer)United Kingdom
2012Indian Summer (Short Film)Mridu Chandra (Director)India
2012 Starlet Radium Cheung (Cinematographer)Hong Kong
2012Paraiso (Short Film)Ronan Landa (Composer)Israel
2012Daylight Savings Goh Nakamura (Actor)Japan
2012The Life and Times of Paul the Psychic Octopus Alexandre O. Philippe (Director)Switzerland
2013 Mr. Pip Andrew Adamson (Director)New Zealand
2013 Harry Gregson-Williams (Composer)England
2013Escape from TomorrowSoojin Chung (Producer)South Korea
2013I Learn AmericaJean-Michel Dissard (Director)France
2013 This is Martin Bonner Chad Hartigan (Director)Cyprus
2013 Sake-Bomb Junya Sakino (Director)Japan
2014 The Artist Antoine de Cazotte (Producer)France
2014 A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Ana Lily Amirpour (Director)United Kingdom
2014 Man from Reno Ayako Fujitani (Actress)Japan
2014 Difret Zeresenay Mehari (Director)Ethiopia
2014 Nuoc 2030 Minh Nguyen-Võ (Director)Vietnam
2014 Uzumasa Limelight Ken Ochiai (Director)Japan
2014MudbloodsFarzad Sangari (Director)Iran
2015Camino Zoë Bell (Actress)New Zealand
2015 Margarita, with a Straw Shonali Bose (Director)India
2015Yosemite Gabrielle Demeestere (Director)France
2015 Spellbound Alfred Hitchcock (Director)England
2015 Seoul Searching Daniel Katz (Cinematographer)Ireland
2015 Seoul Searching Benson Lee (Director)South Korea
2015People are the SkyDai Sil Kim-Gibson (Director) North Korea
2019 The Perfect Candidate Haifaa al-Mansour (Director) Saudi Arabia
2019Asian in AmericaJenny Dorsey (Chef) China
2019Go Back to China Emily Ting (Director) Taiwan
2019Lingua FrancaIsabel Sandoval (Director and Actor) Philippines
2019 37 Seconds Hikari (Director) Japan
2020 Shadow in the Cloud Roseanne Liang (Director) New Zealand
202076 DaysHao Wu (Director) China
2020Death of NintendoValarie Castillo-Martinez (Screenwriter, Producer) Philippines
2020First VoteYi Chen (Director) China
2020 Mogul Mowgli Bassam Tariq (Screenwriter, Director) Pakistan
2020 Minari Steven Yeun (Executive Producer, Special Guest) South Korea
2021 7 Days Roshan Sethi (Co-writer, Director), Karan Soni (Co-writer, Actor), Geraldine Viswanathan (Actor) Canada
2021Americanish Aizzah Fatima (Co-writer, Actor) Saudi Arabia
2021Red Rocket Shih-Ching Tsou (Producer) Taiwan
2021Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Kier-La Janisse (Director) Canada
2021Users Natalia Almada (Director) Mexico
2022NAP Feature Filmmaker Deborah Chow (Director) Canada
2022Finding SatoshiLaurent Barthelemy (Writer, Director)France
2022 Our Father, the Devil Ellie Foumbi (Actor, Director) Cameroon
2022Land of GoldNardeep Khurmi (Writer, Actor, Director)Switzerland
2022 Whina Rena Owen (Actor) Aotearoa
2023 [20] The Accidental Getaway Driver Sing J. Lee (Director) United Kingdom
2023 [20] Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a LifeGeoff McFetridge (Subject) Canada
2023 [20] A Revolution on CanvasTill Schauder & Sara Nodjoumi (Directors), Nicky Nodjoumi (Subject)Iran & United Kingdom
2023 [20] Skin of GlassDenise Zmekhol (Director)Brazil
2023 [20] AUM: The Cult at the End of the World Chiaki YanagimotoJapan

See also

References

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  2. "22nd Annual HIFF Spring Showcase". Honolulu Magazine. Aio Media Group. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  3. "HIFF Annual Report (2018)". hiff.org. Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  4. 1 2 "Annual Report | Hawai'i International Film Festival". 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  5. "About HIFF". Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  6. "When Strangers Met: How the East-West Center Library Introduced International Film to Hawaii" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2006. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  7. Ebert, Roger (21 March 2013). "In memory of Donald Richie". rogerebert.com.
  8. Sartin, Hank (11 October 2013). "Mahalo Roger!: The Hawaii International Film Festival pays tribute to Roger".
  9. Lincoln Jacobe. "Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival Announces 2008 Audience Winners". Archived from the original on July 19, 2009.
  10. "Download the HIFF40 Program Guide". HIFF. Archived from the original on 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  11. 1 2 3 2018 HIFF Program Guide. Honolulu: Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. November 2018. p. 3.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "HIFF41 Announces Festival Award Winners | Hawaiʻi International Film Festival". 15 November 2021.
  13. 1 2 "HIFF42 announces jury award winners & honorees | Hawai'i International Film Festival". 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "HIFF43 ANNOUNCES HONOREES & JURY AWARD WINNERS".
  15. 1 2 3 "HIFF42 ANNOUNCES JURY AWARD WINNERS & HONOREES | Hawaiʻi International Film Festival". 15 November 2022.
  16. "HIFF NAMED OSCAR®-QUALIFYING FESTIVAL FOR SHORT FILMS | Hawai'i International Film Festival". 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  17. 1 2 "HIFF42 announces jury award winners & honorees | Hawai'i International Film Festival". 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  18. "HIFF 2019 Awards". Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  19. "The Vilcek Foundation - New American Filmmakers - Hawaii International Film Festival". Vilcek.org. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "GEOFF MCFETRIDGE & IMMIGRANT ARTISTS TALK ABOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS". November 6, 2023.