The 24th LOUIS VUITTON Hawaii International Film Festival CALL-FOR-ENTRIES 2004 NOW OPEN!

The Call-for-Entries for the 24th LOUIS VUITTON Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) is now open! The festival is accepting film submissions from all genres – features, shorts, documentaries, animation and music videos – for the upcoming fall festival. The dates for this year’s festival are October 28 – November 7 on Oahu and November 7 – 9 on the Neighbor Islands.

2003 was the most successful year for HIFF, with over 65,000 attendees, 167 films from 34 countries and 37 films from Hawaii-based filmmakers. The First Hawaiian Bank Golden Maile Award for Best Feature was given to Yoji Yamada’s TWILIGHT SAMURAI (Japan), which went on to be nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 76th annual Academy Awards. Other winners include Spencer Nakasako’s REFUGEE (Golden Maile for Best Documentary), and Nathan Kurosawa’s THE RIDE, which was a double winner for the Blockbuster Video Audience Award and the Cades Shutte Hawaii Film & Videomaker Award. THE RIDE’S world premiere screening was presented to a record 15,000 people in Waikiki as part of the City and County of Honolulu’s SUNSET ON THE BEACH series.
For rules and regulations for the HIFF CALL-FOR-ENTRIES, just click here!

Established in 1981, the Hawaii International Film Festival is dedicated to advancing understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific, and the international community through the medium of film. HIFF is considered one of the world's premiere film events ideally positioned two months before The Academy Awards. The festival has premiered such films as CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, ONCE WERE WARRIORS, THE PIANO, SHINE, SHALL WE DANCE?, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, NOWHERE IN AFRICA, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, THE COOLER and TWILIGHT SAMURAI.

We would like to thank Commercial Data Systems for being our presenting sponsor of the Hawaii International Spring Film Festival. COMMERCIAL DATA SYSTEMS, INC. is the source for complete computing solutions for any enterprise. They specialize in sales to government, federal, educational and commercial customers in the U.S. and the Pacific Rim.

HIFF SPRING FLING TICKETS GOING FAST!!
Advance sales have indicated that the HIFF Spring Fling presented by Commercial Data Systems is going to be a rousing success! This year’s fest (April 2 – 8) will be entirely held at the Signature Dole Cannery 18 Theatres. Many shows are at the brink of selling out, so get your tickets early! The HIFF Box-Office is located at the Signature Dole Cannery 18 Theatres Ticket Window. Below are the hours of operation for the HIFF Box-Office:

March 25 – April 1: 4pm – 8pm
April 2: 4pm – 9:30pm
April 3 – 4: 12pm – 9pm
April 5 – 8: 5pm – 9pm

You can order your tickets online at the official HIFF Spring Fling 2004 website by clicking here! You can also fax your order to 528-1410! And now, a few highlights from this year’s Spring Fling:

LEGEND OF THE EVIL LAKE (South Korea)
Set around the year 880, this stunning film tells the story of a love triangle involving a queen, a general and an ordinary rural woman. Events turn wicked when the general’s beloved, the ordinary rural woman, is marked for assassination by the queen. While fleeing, she falls into a haunted lake and her soul becomes possessed.
http://www.cinemaservice.com/eng/movie/crazyfirstlove/lake.htm
April 3, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 9:45pm <<NEWLY RESCHEDULED TIME>>
April 4, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 9:00pm

DOLLS (Japan)
In his stunning tenth feature DOLLS, acclaimed director Takeshi Kitano continues his fascination with the value of living in the face of mortality by turning to a story of love and devotion. The film is based on the historic art form of bunraku puppet theater. Starring Kanno Miho and Fukada Kyoko.
http://www.jadejapandolls.com/kitano.html
April 3, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 12:30pm

KAL HO NAA HO (India)
Naina, an all-business, no-play daughter struggles to keep her financially distressed family together. The unspeakable death of Naina's father hangs over them, leaving her impervious to laughter or love until the wise-cracking, angelic Aman appears. Here, all stars sing, cry, dance and
romance their way through New York City.
http://www.khnhthefilm.com/
April 4, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 3:15pm
April 8, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 6:45pm

LAST SCENE (Japan)
The career of an ambitious young actor named Ken comes to an end when the film studio employing him runs into financial difficulties and a project that was to have launched Ken as a star is put on ice. Twenty years later, an aged Ken returns for his “last scene” in a world where the art of cinema is eclipsed by commercialism. His old passion renews the magic of cinema in those around him.
http://www.mirovision.com/english/movie/feature_poster.asp?movie_sno=32
April 3, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 6:45pm
April 5, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 8:45pm

SUMO EAST & WEST (Hawaii/USA)
This spectacular feature documentary provides a fascinating look in the ancient Japanese sport of sumo wrestling and through the story of local boy Wayne Vierra, a champion in amateur sumo, we find out how Hawai`i changed and challenged sumo wrestling. An amazing film!
http://www.sumoeastandwest.com
April 8, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 6:30pm

PURPLE BUTTERFLY (China)
Cynthia (Zhang Ziyi) is a young Chinese woman is caught between love and revolution during the thirties in tumultuous China. Set apart from much of contemporary Chinese cinema, director Lou Ye’s visually sumptuous, hypnotizing feature is a treatise about the battlefields of love and human emotion.
http://www.asianfilms.org/china/zihudie.html
April 4, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 6:30pm
April 7, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 6:45pm

LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE (Thailand)
At first sight, Kenji (Tadanobu Asano) seems the exemplary librarian. Anal, fastidious and allergic to fish, he has hidden himself away in the library of a Japanese cultural centre in Bangkok. But he seems to have a secret, possibly one connected with the full-back yakuza tattoo concealed by his shirt…which leads him to Noi. Together, they demonstrate the strangeness of our emotional bonds.
http://www.lastlifeintheuniverse.com/
April 3, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 3:30pm
April 5, Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, 6:30pm

WIN A CHANCE TO MEET THE FILMMAKERS

Want to mix and mingle with the film makers this fall? Here's your chance, HIFF will be selecting 5 winners this year from the eNewsletter list to bring a friend to our annual exclusive HIFF Meet the Filmmaker's party. To sign up, visit www.hiff.org and enter your email address. Of course, you're already on the list if you received this email, but you can always increase your chances by getting your friends interested in independent films to sign up for the HIFF eNewsletter. Who knows maybe you'll be walking the red carpet! 

BECOME A MEMBER: Your support helps enrich, enlighten, educate and entertain our community.

The Hawaii International Film Festival’s (HIFF) exceptional growth could not have been possible without the support of the people of Hawaii. Your membership enables HIFF to be a viable and essential resource to filmmakers, educators, community groups, students and audiences in Hawaii and through out the Pacific Rim.

Become a HIFF member: Receive the Program Guide in the mail, advance film screening and ticketing before the general public plus discounts on tickets for the festival.

Exclusive offer for Gold Members: (2) Two Spring Flash Passes - All movie access and priority seating.

For more information about how to become a member, click on the link and download the PDF at the bottom of the page http://hiff.org/hiff_gen/genpages/frmset_membership.html Or call 528-3456 ext 16.

You are receiving this email because you are a part of the HIFF Ohana or subscribed to the HIFF eNews. If you would like to unsubscribe from the HIFF E-newsletter, please send an email to dana@hiff.org with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.