Hawaii International Film Festival  
About HIFF
Established in 1981, the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) is dedicated to the advancement of understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific and North America through the medium of film.

HIFF

  • Is the premiere international film event in the Pacific
  • Has won the praise of governments, filmmakers, scholars, educators, programmers and film industry leaders throughout the world.
  • Is the largest "East meets West" Festival in the United States.
  • Is the primary source for the discovery and exhibition of Asian and Pacific feature films, documentaries and short films in the nation.
  • Is an eagerly anticipated annual event for residents of Hawaii, as well as visitors to the state.
  • Is unique in the world where free, public screenings are held on the beach in the evening

History

HIFF started as a project of the East-West Center, an educational and research institution created by U.S. Congress and located on the University of Hawai`i Manoa campus in Honolulu.

The first HIFF screened seven films from six countries to an audience of 5,000. The year was 1981.  Today, HIFF is the a premiere cinematic event in the Pacific that has had more than one dozen screening sites on six Hawaiian Islands and draws an audience of 80,000 or more from around the state, the nation and throughout the world.

Programming

HIFF is unique in discovering features, documentaries and shorts from Asia made by Asians, films about the Pacific made by Pacific Islanders, and films made by Hawai`i filmmakers that present Hawai`i in a culturally accurate way.

Each year in preparation for the event, HIFF programmers view some 1,000 films and choose an average of 150 features, documentaries and film shorts. Among them are world premieres, North American premieres, U.S. premieres, experimental films, animation and digital works representing social and ethnic issues, and first features by new directors.

HIFF also conducts seminars, workshops, special award presentation receptions with top Asian, Pacific and North American filmmakers participating.

Since its inception, more than 950,000 people from throughout the world have shared HIFF film screenings and insights.

HIFF audiences reflect the diverse multi-cultural face of Hawaii. For example, Chinese Americans see films from Japan; Japanese Americans see films from Korea. In so doing, HIFF helps to enrich, enlighten and broaden support for Asian and Pacific films by HIFF members, film festival fans and new audiences alike.

In 2005, the festival screened over 260 films from over 40 countries including Afghanistan Argentina Australia Brazil Cambodia Cameroon Canada China Finland France Germany Hong Kong India Israel Japan Laos Macedonia Malaysia Mexico Mongolia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand North Korea Palestine Peru Philippines Portugal Puerto Rico Rwanda Samoa South Africa South Korea Spain Taiwan Thailand Tibet Tuvalu US Outlying Islands United Kingdom United States Vanuatu and Zambia

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