HIFF 2012: Cinema In Paradise

2012 Festival Trailer

It is always a great privilege to share our love for and celebrate International cinema with such a diverse community of local residents as well as invited guests and delegates from the film industry and around the world. At our core, HIFF has always been a nexus of cultural exchange through the medium of film, and a vibrant event with roots deeply embedded in Hawaii’s unique Asian-Pacific and international community. We are proud to again present a wonderful lineup of films and events this year.

As you browse our program guide, we encourage you to also explore some of the non film- specific aspects of HIFF. Each year HIFF hosts a number of events that compliment our film lineup and enhance the festival experience and this year is no different. One such event that we are particularly excited about is China Night‚ hosted by China’s legendary Yue-Sai Kan, who has been called the most famous woman in China. She is an international businesswoman, philanthropist, TV and film star, and humanitarian. We are screening JAKE SHIMABUKURO: LIFE ON FOUR STRINGS at the Hawaii Theatre with a special performance by Jake, Hawaii’s own internationally renowned ukulele artist HIFF even has FILM AND FOOD: Pop Up in the Park, an outdoor film screening with food and fun for the whole family.

We also encourage you to check out our enhanced lineup of seminars and workshops. While HIFF has always been keen to create opportunities for our local community and attendees to connect and interact with some of the approximately 300 industry delegates that annually visit the Festival, we are particularly proud this year to to concentrate our efforts under a new initiative called the HIFF Creative Lab. HIFF’s Creative Lab will explore a broad range of fields such as music, new media, scriptwriting, acting, and directing in expanded workshops and panels that will allow emerging and established content makers to interact with industry professionals, as well as provide ongoing education year-round.

Turning back to film, HIFF again has prepared a compelling lineup of International blockbusters, emerging films and hidden gems, documentaries, animation, and locally produced works. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy and our film lineup is conveniently arranged in sections for browsing. Among the sections, we’d like to highlight our New American Filmmakers section, sponsored by the Vilcek Foundation which honors and supports foreign born filmmakers who have made outstanding contributions to society in the United States. And new to HIFF this year is Kupuna Lens, part of HIFF’s ongoing education programs, featuring short, made-in-Hawaii films by seniors. These films are fascinating, well done and outstanding. We also invite those of you who are tech savvy to check out HIFF on various social media outlets and download our HIFF iOS app (android version coming soon). These along with our HIFF website www.hiff.org will be your best source for all things HIFF during and after the festival including any changes and additions to our film and event schedules. You can even purchase and print your tickets electronically (on line or in app).

Of course none of this would be possible without the tremendous amount of support our organization receives. We are blessed with a tremendous staff and fortunate to have an army of volunteers to assist. And we are extremely thankful for the unbelievable support we receive from the State of Hawaii and its various agencies, corporate sponsors, the HIFF Board of Directors, and our awesome HIFF Ohana members! In particular we are extremely grateful of the support we receive from our Presenting Sponsor, the Halekulani Corporation. Their support has helped us to further enhance the Festival experience for both invited guests and the community at large.

Please enjoy the 11 days of our Festival in Paradise and we look forward to celebrating International Cinema in Hawaii with all of you! See you at the movies!

Chuck Boller
Executive Director

Owen Ogawa
President & Chairman Board of Directors