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The Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival (LVHIFF) will provide students with opportunities to meet talented media professionals and to view highly acclaimed films during October 10 and October 13-17, 2008. These programs will be free of charge for primary and secondary students at public and private schools. Teachers may register their class(es) for as many activities as will fit into their schedules. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The purposes of LVHIFF's educational programs are three-fold:
If you are interested in receiving email notices regarding any of the following programs, please visit the "Teacher Sign Up" section under the "Programming" pull-down menu on this website. Sign-up forms for these programs are on the right side of this page. Please print the forms, fill in your information, and fax your forms to the HIFF office at 808-536-2707.
The Guest Filmmaker Program is sponsored by: ABC Stores, Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, DOE Teleschool Branch, Japan Foundation, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Regal Entertainment Group, and The Vilcek Foundation.
Classroom Visits (open to primary & secondary students on Oahu) Visiting filmmakers will help to enrich classes such as media production, journalism, language arts, foreign language and social studies. These visits will offer the logistical benefit of bringing speakers into classrooms rather than requiring field trips. Students will learn first-hand from successful professionals in the filmmaking/media industry. Teachers will be encouraged to plan activities that will involve students interacting with their guest speakers. The following 10 filmmakers/actors will visit classes on Oahu, schedules permitting: Richard Kuipers, Keisuke Yoshida, Katsuhito Ishii, Anne Misawa, Gerard Elmore, Ryan Kawamoto, Kelvin Tong, Li Lin Wee, Jason Scott Lee, and Sarab Neelam.
Student Seminar (open to grades 5-12 on Oahu) This two-hour seminar is designed for students studying media-related subjects. A panel of four filmmakers will show clips of their work, share stories about their challenges and successes, and answer students' questions. The moderator will create a "student-friendly" atmosphere to help students feel comfortable about participating in the discussion. (One adult chaperone will be required for every twenty students. Schools will be responsible for their own transportation. The seminar will be videotaped for educational purposes, so teachers will be asked to include a release statement on school excursion forms.) The theme for this year's Student Seminar will be "Careers in the Film Industry." The panelists will be Sherwood Hu, Jodi Long, Jimmy Tsai and Jessica Yu. Konrad Ng, Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaii's Academy for Creative Media, will return in his role as moderator.
Video Conferences (open to students statewide) The Department of Education Teleschool Branch will help coordinate one-hour video conferences featuring two filmmakers who will share a short film and interact with students via video monitors. Prior to the conferences, teachers will be asked to collect questions for the speakers from their students. These questions will be forwarded to the speakers to help them prepare for the discussions. The conferences will be open to all public and private schools with compatible video conferencing capabilities. (The conferences may also be taped for inclusion in the video archive that is visible within the DOE network.) The guest speakers for both conferences will be Brett Wagner and Paul Atkins. They were the director and cinematographer, respectively, for the film CHIEF, which will be shown at the start of the video conference.
Cultural & Visual Literacy Program (open to grades 7-12 on Oahu) Oct. 14, 15 & 16, 9:45 a.m. to approx. 11:45 a.m., Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theatres The Cultural & Visual Literacy Program (CVLP) provides free theater screenings of outstanding films that are rarely available in Hawaii. These films are applicable to many subjects; teachers in previous years have incorporated CVLP films into classes ranging from social studies and language arts to media production and character education. Whenever possible, LVHIFF invites the film's director to participate in a post-screening discussion with students. (Students may be required to read subtitles. Schools will be responsible for their own transportation. One adult chaperone will be required for every twenty students.)
PRESSURE COOKER Fighting to overcome the challenges of broken homes, abusive pasts, and financial burdens, three inner-city seniors at Philadelphia's Frankford High School find an unlikely champion in the kitchen of Wilma Stephenson. A legend in the school system, Mrs. Stephenson is a force to be reckoned with, and her boot camp method of teaching the culinary arts is not for the faint of heart. Under her fierce direction, the usual distractions of high school - the cheerleading practices, football games, and school dances - are swept aside as the students focus on preparing for a citywide cooking competition for scholarships to some of the country's top culinary arts institutions. In this thrilling documentary, filmmakers Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker capture this inspirational journey of self-discovery and cooking as the three students, with the hard-won but unwavering support of Stephenson, dare to chase after their dreams and reach for opportunities they never could have otherwise imagined. -- Abby Kavanaugh
FLOW: FOR THE LOVE OF WATER Irena Salina's award-winning documentary delves into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question "Can anyone really own water?" Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.
PING PONG PLAYA Christopher "C-dub" Wang is a suburban guy who sports an urban swagger, waxes political on all things Asian American, and clings to pipe dreams of a career as a pro basketball player. Blaming genetics for his failure to make the NBA, C-dub lives at home, works a dead-end job, and squirms in the shadow of his older brother, Michael, a doctor and ping pong champion. With a family-run store devoted to all things ping pong and a mom who teaches it, the Wangs' entire world revolves around the sport. But despite the family legacy, C-dub opts to spend his free time playing video games and daydreaming about get-rich quick schemes with his best friend JP Money. When tragedy strikes, he is forced to take over his mother's class of ping pong misfits. Eventually, the Wang family livelihood is threatened by a rival ping pong player's attempts to lure the kids away, and C-dub begins to take things more seriously. With the National Golden Cock Tournament coming up and an injured Michael unable to defend his title, C-dub must become the player he pretends to be and defend his family's ping pong dynasty.
Please email your questions to the following program coordinators: Please feel free to share this information with your fellow teachers. We need your help to spread the word! |
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Educational Programs At a Glance
GFP Sign-up Forms
CVLP Sign-up Forms
(open to the general public; free admission) Date, time and titles to be announced; Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theatres LVHIFF will present the best videos submitted by primary and secondary students throughout Hawaii and the world. It will be a great opportunity for students to view top-notch videos produced by their peers. Everyone is welcome! Students whose videos are selected for the Student Showcase will be invited to introduce their work and to participate in post-screening Q&A sessions with audience members. (Students will be responsible for their own travel.)
Student Volunteer Opportunities (open to students in grades 9-to-12 on Oahu) During the year, the Festival needs hundreds of volunteers to ensure that audiences and guests have a great time at HIFF events. Students from schools all over Oahu have a great time volunteering and taking part in a fun and exciting cultural event. It's a great opportunity to meet new people, see great films, and serve the community. To learn more about HIFF's Volunteer Program, please e-mail us at volunteer@hiff.org or simply sign up at www.shiftboard.com/hiff.
Past Educational Programs |
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GERARD ELMORE has a range of experience varying from television production, film and commercials. His short film, VALTOR THE GREAT VS THE UNIVERSE, won the Honolulu Magazine Best Short Film Award at the 2005 Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival (LVHIFF). His previous film, AMASIAN: THE AMAZING ASIAN, was a fan favorite at the 2004 LVHIFF and later received much praise at the popular Fantasia film festival in Montreal, Canada. Gerard recently wrapped up a yearlong stint for Crown Royal, producing video blogs as a field correspondent on the NASCAR circuit. His first feature-length film, ALL FOR MELISSA, premiered at the 2007 LVHIFF. Gerard currently works for Shooters, a local production company, where he's made the successful transition into the 30-second commercial world.
Probably best known for being handpicked by Quentin Tarantino to design the animation sequences in KILL BILL VOL. 1, KATSUHITO ISHII is also a screenwriter and director in his own right. After graduating from Musashimo Art University, School of Visual Communication & Design in 1991, he started directing commercials that won him many awards. He continues directing commercials, but now he also is a feature film director and anime character designer. His first feature film was SHARKSKIN MAN & PEACH HIP GIRL (2003) which was inspired by Minetaro Mochizuki's manga novel. In 2001-02 he wrote and directed two series of short animated films. He furthered his animation reputation with the anime sequences in KILL BILL VOL. 1 His latest feature, which he wrote and directed, TASTE OF TEA was the Opening Night Screening at the Cannes Film Festival and also won the Golden Maile Award at the 2004 Hawaii International Film Festival. He has also recently shown FUNKY FOREST: THE FIRST CONTACT at HIFF.
RYAN KAWAMOTO is an award-winning commercial director represented by Kinetic Productions. He's directed spots for clients such as McDonald's of Hawaii, First Hawaiian Bank, Oceanic Cable and the Aloha United Way. He was named 2004 Outstanding Young Advertising Person of the Year by Ad2 Honolulu. Kawamoto also co-writes and directs a half-hour comedy show called, "The Augie Show" featuring local comedian Augie Tulba on KFVE. He has written and directed several short films. His latest film, "The Sand Island Drive-In Anthem" won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at the 2005 Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival and is an official selection of the Rome International Film Festival and CinemAsia Film Festival.
RICHARD KUIPERS is a film critic for the international trade paper Variety. He also contributes movie reviews on ABC Radio National and the web publication Urban Cinefile. Richard has produced and directed several documentaries including Stone Forever (1999), a look at one of Australia's most famous cult films. He also produced the Australian television program "The Movie Show," a movie reviews show on SBS Television from 1992-2000.
Actor JASON SCOTT LEE was born in Los Angeles, CA, but raised in Hawaii from the age of two. Of Hawaiian and Chinese descent, Jason began studying acting in high school. He attended Fullerton College where he continued to study acting. His first film role was in BORN IN EAST L.A. After taking many supporting roles, he first lead and star turn was in DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY. His next starring role was in THE JUNGLE BOOK. His filmography also includes MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART, RAPA NUI, SOLDIER and LILO & STITCH. He most recently was seen in BALLS OF FURY, in 2007. Jason is known for the physicality, sensitivity and spirituality he brings to his roles and continues to work as an actor, while living on the Big Island.
ANNE MISAWA has worked in the film industry for over a decade as a producer, director, cinematographer and editor. Anne studied filmmaking at USC's Graduate Film and Television Program with an emphasis on directing and cinematography. Anne also has a Master's degree in Creative Writing from New York University. Much of her work has traveled around the world at various film festivals, winning prestigious awards along the way. Anne was the cinematographer on ALL FOR MELISSA (directed by Gerard Elmore), which premiered at the 2007 LVHIFF. Anne is currently working on producing and directing a documentary on Hawaii Statehood, directing a narrative feature, WATERFALL (working title), and teaching film production at the University of Hawaii's Academy for Creative Media.
With his family, SARAB NEELAM moved to Canada from India at age 10. He enjoyed the many choices that Canada offered but also felt the challenges of being different. As he settled into his new life in Toronto, he started playing around with a Super-8 camera in high school making home movies. Despite being in the medical profession, he never lost his childhood desire to make movies. Returning to his passion, he started taking classes in films. He desperately wanted to see Sikhs on screen. He made a documentary of his faith to educate others about Sikhism so that kids wouldn't get teased as he was while growing up. Unfortunately political turmoil in India, the Middle East and 9/11 in America made the Sikhs feel like outcasts and terrorists. There were numerous episodes of hate crimes which continue to this day. Sikhs felt humiliated on screen, airports, jobs, schools and public places. So what started as a dream to make movies also became a desperate need and desire to be recognized as a human being with dignity. His first film OCEAN OF PEARLS is a labor of love of over 10 years. He felt it is needed to break down barriers just as great African Americans did for their community. He hopes it will be an inspiration to all.
Best known for his award-winning 1999 feature kung-fu motorcycle movie, EATING AIR, KELVIN TONG is a brand name in cutting-edge Singapore cinema. He started his film career in 1995 with MOVEABLE FEAST, a quirky short film about one man's obsession with food. Between 1995 and 1999, Kelvin was the film critic for the Singapore national English daily, The Straits Times. In 1999, Kelvin made his feature directorial debut, EATING AIR, which represented Singapore extensively in the international film-festival circuit. In 2005, Kelvin released his second feature, THE MAID, a slick horror film that broke box office records in Singapore. In 2006, Kelvin's third feature LOVE STORY, took the Best Director Award at the 2006 Singapore International Film Festival. Kelvin's recent projects, MEN IN WHITE, a rollicking horror comedy, was released across Asia in June 2007, and RULE #1, a supernatural noir thriller, was completed in Hong Kong, marking the first time a Singapore filmmaker has been invited to work abroad.
A graduate of Brown University, with a BA in Art Semiotics, LI LIN WEE also spent a semester in NYU doing "Sight and Sound," an intensive filmmaking production course. Since her graduation she has been working in Singapore as a freelance television producer/director. She's an avid short filmmaker and has done several short films in Singapore so far, three of which have been award winners at the Singapore International Film Festival and two have won awards at American Film Festivals. In January last year the Singapore Film Society organized a retrospective of all her work for members and the public. This event was a first ever SFC retrospective of a local short filmmaker. In 2004, the Singapore history museum (in conjunction with the Substation) organized another retrospective of her work. Since the middle of 2004, Li Lin has been hard at work on her first feature film GONE SHOPPING which has finally been completed and is showing at this year's HIFF.
Since KEISUKE YOSHIDA participated in Shinya Tsukamoto's BULLET BALLET as a lighting staff in 1996, he has worked as Lighting Director for all of Tsukamoto's films from A SNAKE OF JUNE (2002), VITAL (2004), HAZE (2005) to NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE (2007). In the meantime, Yoshida has continued making independent films since his student days. His mid-length film, RAW SUMMER (2005), starring Sora Aoi, was selected for the 2006 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Fantastic Off-Theater Competition--the result was a Grand Prix. In 2007, Yoshida's first theatrical feature, THE GIRL'S SECRET was completed. With unique characters, a skillfully constructed screenplay and directing technique to portray the delicate emotional shifts of the characters, the film was highly acclaimed by people of the film industry before its release. The screenplay of CAFE ISOBE (showing at this year's HIFF) is completely original, written by the director himself. Juxtaposing both tragic and comic elements in the same scene is Yoshida's highly appraised trademark, revealing his exceptional comedy sense. Thus, he is placed among the directors to lead the future of Japanese cinema. At present, Yoshida is preparing for his new film, which will be shot this year.
JESSICA YU is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short for BREATHING LESSONS: THE LIFE AND WORK OF MARK O'BRIEN, an intimate portrait of the writer who lived for four decades paralyzed by polio and confined to an iron lung. She also won an Emmy and a Cable Ace Award for Best Documentary Director. Yu's documentary, PROTAGONIST, looks at extremism through the lives of a spectrum of individuals. Funded by the Carr Foundation, it premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and was released theatrically by IFC Films and Netflix. It also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Atlanta Film Festival. IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL, Yu's celebrated feature documentary about the enigmatic "outsider" artist Henry Darger, premiered at Sundance and went on to win Best Documentary at the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival, among other awards. Released nationally by Wellspring Films and broadcast on PBS' series, P.O.V., REALMS was shortlisted for Academy Award nomination, and nominated for P.O.V.'s first Primetime Emmy Award. As the first director selected for the John Wells Diversity Program, she has directed episodes of the NBC dramas "The West Wing," and "ER," as well as other shows including ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." She also directs commercials with nonfiction spots of Santa Monica. PING PONG PLAYA is her narrative feature debut.
PRINCE OF THE HIMALAYAS is directed and co-written by SHERWOOD HU, one of the most exciting and dynamic directors to emerge from China. Born and raised in Shanghai surrounded by a creative and artistic family, Sherwood relocated to the U.S. to receive his Masters of Arts degree from the State University of New York and earned a Ph.D. in directing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He also studied at The Public Theater in New York under Joseph Papp, and began his professional career directing theatre. He created "The Legend of Prince Lanling," a lavish stage production which received an Honorable Mention from the Kennedy Arts Center, and which he later adapted into his first feature film, WARRIOR LANLING, an epic ritual film about ancient China. His second feature, LANI LOA, THE PASSAGE was executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola and Wayne Wang, and was one of the first U.S./China co-productions. His current project is a return to epic costume period film work. PRINCE OF THE HIMALAYAS, his own adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, is set in ancient Tibet, and performed entirely in the Tibetan language. Between his film and theatre projects, Mr. Hu also finds the time to be a guest professor at the Shanghai Drama Academy where he supervises and mentors graduate students.
LONG STORY SHORT (showing at HIFF this year) marks JODI LONG's debut as a screenwriter. Jodi is also an actress and producer. Last season her one woman play, "Surfing DNA," was produced at East West Players in Los Angeles. A native New Yorker, Jodi made her Broadway debut at age 7 in "Nowhere to Go But Up" directed by Sidney Lumet. Other Broadway credits include "Loose Ends" with Kevin Kline, Sondheim/Furth's "Getting Away with Murder," and most recently as Madame Liang in the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Flower Drum Song." Jodi's Off-Broadway and Regional resume credits are extensive. Television audiences know Jodi as series regulars Margaret Cho's Mom in "All American Girl," David Caruso's assistant in "Michael Hayes," as Alicia Silverstone's secretary in NBC's "Miss Match," as Lucy Liu's mother on "Cashmere Mafia" and most recently as Judge Marcia Phelps in ABC's "Eli Stone," which will be returning this fall for its second season. Other television includes "Sex in The City," "House," "Law & Order" and "Without a Trace." Film credits include PATTY HEARST, SOUR SWEET, STRIKING DISTANCE, THE PICKLE, THE HOT CHICK and the soon to be released MASK OF THE NINJA. Jodi was recently honored by the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California for her contribution to the visibility of Chinese Americans as an actress.
A versatile swingman (using basketball terminology) in the world of filmmaking, JIMMY TSAI's recent efforts include co-writing, co-producing, and starring in PING PONG PLAYA (showing this year at HIFF) from Academy Award-winning writer/director Jessica Yu; and producing THE KILLING OF A CHINESE COOKIE (also showing this year at HIFF), a documentary about the prophetic dessert known as the fortune cookie. In the realm of the short form, additional works include writing/directing two chapters in the THE VENOM SPORTSWEAR AD CAMPAIGN, a multi-media commentary on the state of children's sports endorsement deals, as well as producing the shorts LITTLE BONES and FIST OF IRON CHEF. With writer John Choi, Jimmy has been selected as a member of the Fox Television Writer's Program as well as a quarter-finalist for the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship. In addition to his many creative endeavors, Jimmy also serves as a Producer for Cherry Sky Films, Business Development Liaison for SOFA Studio, and Production Accountant on several recent features including Justin Lin's FINISHING THE GAME and Quentin Lee's ETHAN MAO.
PAUL ATKINS is a Hawaii-based Director of Photography who works in film, HD, IMAX and DVCAM for feature films, commercials, documentaries and TV series. Paul has won numerous awards--EMMY, BAFTA, festival awards--throughout his career that has spanned over 20 years. Paul is known for his underwater and aerial work with the camera. His resume includes feature films ("Master and Commander: Far Side of the World"), short films ("Silent Years," which won Best Hawaii Production 2004 HIFF), documentaries ("Great White Shark"), TV series ("Lost") and TV commercial work (United Airlines, Time-Warner Cable, AT&T Wireless). In 2004, Paul was the Director of Photography for the film, "Tides Of War," which opened the 2005 HIFF Spring Showcase. Paul was also the Director of Photography for the 2005 HIFF trailer. Paul's latest project CHIEF, on which he was the Director of Photography, is showing this year at HIFF.
BRETT WAGNER is a director and writer. His latest film, CHIEF, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was named "one of the ten must-see shorts of Sundance" by IndieWIRE. CHIEF has also received a BAFTA Award of Excellence. His first feature film, FIVE YEARS, was an official selection of 25 festivals around the world, winning "Best Feature Film" at the Victoria Independent Film Festival and "Best Screenplay" at the Avignon Film Festival, among other accolades. FIVE YEARS is distributed by Cinemavault and has been released in several languages. Brett directs many commercial projects and holds an MFA from New York University's graduate film program. He was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and resides in Honolulu. Currently, he is at work on a screenplay for Terrence Malick's production company.
