2019 HIFF Program Guide by Hawaii Intl Film Festival

S O M E M O M E N TS A R E WO RT H

remembering.

For guest room reservations and information, call 855.738.4966. WWW.HALEKULANI.COM #HALEKULANIMOMENT

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Owen Ogawa, President Jeffrey A. Bell Kristen O. Chan Isoo (Dick) Oshima Christina Hom Jason Cutinella Mark S. Davis Ricardo (Ric) Galindez Jake Houseman Peter Lewis Bryan Luke Wayne Miyao Brian Uy Indru Watumull Howard J. Wolff

HIFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LETTER We are proud to welcome you to the 39th Hawai’i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani. In 2019, HIFF will screen over 200 films to an audience of more than 45,000 across Oahu, Big Island, Kauai and Maui as the premier festival in the Asia-Pacific region. At a time in history when hate seems to flow easily, HIFF is proud to present a program centred on compassion and understanding. We are excited to open our festival with JOJO RABBIT, an ‘anti-hate satire’ set during the Second World War about a lonely German boy who discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic, and must come to terms with his ideology with the help of his imaginary friend: Adolf Hitler (played by HIFF favourite Taika Waititi). Our Centrepiece Gala, JUST MERCY, stars Michael B. Jordan as an attorney who takes on the case of a African American man wrongfully convicted of killing a white woman in a heartfelt awards-buzz blockbuster. Finally, we are proud to present WEATHERING WITH YOU as our Closing Night film, a magical romance and the latest sensation from director Makoto Shinkai (YOUR NAME, HIFF 2016). HIFF is steadfast in our commitment to celebrating the work of emerging filmmakers and artists from across the world. Through the support of Hawaiian Airlines, our annual Kau Ka Hōkū Emerging Filmmaker Award welcomes rising international stars, representing nine filmmakers from diverse backgrounds. In partnership with the Vilcek Foundation, we are proud to relaunch our New American Perspectives program, celebrating the work of immigrant filmmakers and artists in building the cultural landscape of the United States. And as always, our program remains the premier destination for Asian-Pacific filmmaking, exhibiting the work local filmmakers in our Made in Hawai’i and Pacific Showcase, accompanied by our extensive student programs in partnership with the Academy of Creative Media and Daniel K. Inouye Institute. HIFF is also proud to push our program into innovative new directions. Building on the tremendous success of our inaugural virtual reality program in 2018, HIFF is proud to expand our VR program to feature more than 15 experiences across two sites in Kakaako: the HIFF VR Lounge, and the HIFF Virtual Cinema. Through the extraordinary support of our sponsors, we are proud to make these events - as well as our new VR education program - free to the public. With our masterclass, filmmaker talks and events, we continue to present new ideas and imaginative solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing the world today. In 2020, HIFF will celebrate its 40th festival, giving us the opportunity to reflect on its extraordinary history. Since 1981, HIFF has had the exceptional support of filmmakers, members, volunteers, boards of directors and staff who share in the vision and imagination of truly global cinema. We send a very special mahalo for the dedication and support of our generous sponsors, and key presenting sponsor Halekulani, for their ongoing commitment to the arts in Hawai’i. As we look to the exciting future of HIFF and film in Hawai’i, we look forward to sharing it with you. On behalf of the HIFF Board of Directors and the HIFF Team, we extend our warmest aloha and mahalo nui loa. Let’s roll out the red carpet - e komo mai to HIFF39!

BECKIE STOCCHETTI Executive Director OWEN OGAWA President & Chairman Board of Directors

2 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

PRESENTED AWARDS HALEKULANI VISION IN FILM AWARD The Halekulani Vision in Film, the Festival’s ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award, is bestowed to an artist who has reached the career pinnacles very few have achieved via industry awards and accolades and a body of work that is known globally. Aside from an amazing artistic career, the recipient is also honored for their contribution to the cinematic arts, but also through equally significant endeavors such as social justice and the betterment of humanity.

HALEKULANI MAVERICK AWARD The Hawai‘i International Film Festival's Halekulani Maverick Award is given to an international cinema artist who has a unique and eclectic career trajectory, contributing to international cinema and the filmed arts in an innovative way. This maverick does things on his or her terms, creating work that can have a rabid, cult following to a mass appreciation in today’s pop culture. Like a trendsetter and tastemaker, their work may not have been appreciated early on, but has become an artistic benchmark.

PIC TRAILBLAZER AWARD This award, presented by Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), is given to a cinema artist of Pacific Islander heritage who broadens the scope of Pacific Islander stories onto the world stage, producing award winning work in independent and global cinema. This honoree is a true trailblazer, whose work aligns with PIC’s mission, which is to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and talent that results in a deeper understanding of Pacific Island history, culture, and contemporary challenges.

COMPETITION AWARDS KAU KA HŌKŪ FILMMAKER AWARD PRESENTED BY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES HIFF was an annual stop for the Pulitzer winning film critic Roger Ebert, who hailed the festival as “a showcase for emerging filmmakers from the Asia and Pacific Rim.” The KAU KA HŌKŪ will be awarded to an emerging filmmaker (first or second feature film). Select fiction and non-fiction feature films will be nominated by the festival programmers and adjudicated by an international jury.

MADE IN HAWAI‘I FILM AWARDS HIFF will present the MADE IN HAWAI‘I FILM awards this year to focus on the dynamic and flourishing local independent film scene that strives onward here in the Hawaiian Islands. Fiction, Non-fiction and short films that are made by locally-based filmmakers or involve locally-based stories are eligible for the BEST MADE IN HAWAI‘I Award. Nominees will be pre-selected by the Festival’s programmers.

HIFF BEST SHORT FILM AWARD Short films are usually the initial steps for an emerging filmmaker. They help establish tone, style and a filmmaker’s creative vision to form the foundation of a budding career. These works can also be proof of concepts or progenitors to a feature film, but they must stand alone as their own succinct and unique work. Short films come in many forms, genres and lengths and it is always a welcome challenge by the HIFF programmers to sift through the hundreds of entries per year to curate a half dozen feature length programs. The Shorts Film Award is chosen by a prestigious jury from a final selection of nominees selected by the Festival’s programming committee. This also includes specific programs such as PACIFIC SHOWCASE and MADE IN HAWAI‘I.

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD PRESENTED BY HAWAI‘I NEWS NOW Vote for your favorite feature film, documentary or short film playing at HIFF. Ballots will be distributed for the first screening of every eligible film during the film festival. No pens, pencils or i.d. required. Tear along the edge of the ballot from 1 (terrible) to 5 (excellent) and drop it in the ballot boxes as you exit the theater. Winners will be announced post-festival.

NETPAC AWARD Founded in 1990 by Cinemaya and UNESCO, the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting Asian film throughout the world. The prestigious NETPAC award is given at select international film festivals to promote Asian cinema by spotlighting exceptional works and discovering new talent. The NETPAC award is presented annually at international film festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Rotterdam, Pusan, Singapore, Taiwan, Yamagata, Amiens and Hawai‘i. HIFF is the only film festival in North America given permission to present the NETPAC award.

KAU KA HŌKŪ JURY Cameron Bailey — Artistic Director, Co-Head, Toronto International Film Festival

Roger Garcia — Artistic Advisor, Hainan International Film Festival

Janet Pierson — Festival Director, SXSW Film Festival

MADE IN HAWAI‘I JURY Ciara Lacy — Filmmaker (OUT OF STATE)

Jonah Ray — Comedian & musician, MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000

Mareva Leu — Festival director, Festival International du Film documentaire Océanien (FIFO Tahiti)

BEST SHORT FILM JURY Sharon Badal — Shorts programmer, Tribeca Film Festival

Hieu Ho — Film producer Malinda Wink — Director, Good Pitch Australia

NETPAC JURY Paolo Bertolin — Festival Delegate, Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors Fortnight) Cannes Film Festival / Venice Film Festival

Mark Schilling — Writer, Variety / The Japan Times; Festival delegate, Udine Far East Film Festival

Shirley Thompson — Producer & Editor (FINDING KUKAN, WINNING GIRL, BREADFRUIT & OPEN SPACES)

HIFF .ORG 3

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE 20 20

CLOSING NIGHT FILM WEATHERING WITH YOU

AMERICAN INDIES HAPPY CLEANERS

LUCKY GRANDMA

OLYMPIC DREAMS

PREMATURE

YELLOW ROSE

DOCUMENTARIES BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR

37 SECONDS

ARAB BLUES

ASIAN IN AMERICA

BEANPOLE

GO BACK TO CHINA

LINGUA FRANCA

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE

I LOST MY BODY

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

SORRY WE MISSED YOU

THE TRUTH

THE WHISTLERS

FILM FOR THOUGHT

CENTERPIECE FILM JUST MERCY

AND THEN WE DANCED

DOGS DON'T WEAR PANTS

OPENING NIGHT FILM JOJO RABBIT

NEW AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

THE FILM ARCHIVES OF GREG NOLL W/ THE RETURN

GRANNY POETRY CLUB

HOPE FROZEN

THE HUMAN FACTOR

THE INFILTRATORS

OCEAN QUEST W/TURTLE ODYSSEY

ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON & THE BAND

OUR TIME MACHINE PICTURE CHARACTER

AKICITA: THE BATTLE OF STANDING ROCK

CHANGING THE GAME

FOR SAMA

GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP

MAUNA KEA: THROUGH THE KIA‘I LENS

WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS

DARK PLACE

FOR MY FATHER'S KINGDOM

MO TE IWI: CARVING FOR THE PEOPLE

POWER MERI

VAI

PREMIERES 21

ATLANTICS

BELLBIRD

CLEMENCY

DAFFODILS

HEARTS AND BONES

A HIDDEN LIFE

INVISIBLE LIFE

THE IRISHMAN

KNIVES OUT

MARRIAGE STORY

MADE IN HAWAI‘I

PALM BEACH

HAOLE W/CROSSING THE LINE

THE REPORT

SEBERG

THE TWO POPES

WAVES

HIFF EXTREME BLOOD MACHINES W/THE HAUNTED SWORDSMAN BLOOD QUANTUM THE LODGE SIGNAL 100

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK : THE WEAVERS OF THE HAWAI‘I STATE CAPITOL TAPESTRIES

REEL WĀHINE OF HAWAI‘I

TOKYO HULA W/VOICES OF THE FOREST

MIXED PLATE

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SHOWCASE

KAMPAI! SAKE SISTERS

WELL GROOMED

WORDS CAN'T GO THERE

NOTHING FANCY: DIANA KENNEDY THE WANDERING CHEF WHEN TOMATOES MET WAGNER

4 HIFF

THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM

THE AERONAUTS

BENTO HARASSMENT

RUTH - JUSTICE GINSBURG IN HER OWN WORDS

PACIFIC SHOWCASE

46 47

GOODBYE MOTHER

THE LONG WALK

MINA-ANUD

UNTRUE

SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA BALLOON

SO LONG, MY SON

TO LIVE TO SING

VORTEX

THE WILD GOOSE LAKE

WUSHU ORPHAN

FILM PROGRAM

SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG

CONNECTING THE DOTS SHORTS

ACM UHM NIGHT

THE KILLER

BOZE

‘ĀPONO

NO. 7 CHERRY LANE

SOW (THE SEEDS WE SOW)

BLADES

ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN

DISTORTED

THIS INK RUNS DEEP

THE WIND PHONE

THE GIRL AND THE KAPPA MONSTER

CURVEBALL SHORTS

HAWAI'I HARDCORE

CARRY MY HEART TO THE YELLOW RIVER

LAURIE RUBIN

THE LEIS OF MY HEART

A MATTER OF TIME

THE WHITE STORM 2: DRUG LORDS

SPOTLIGHT ON INDIA AADHAAR

BOMBAY ROSE

THE LAST COLOR

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

MERAKI

ANOTHER WORLD

OUR HOME

ROOMMATES

CAN'T STOP THE DANCING

TO EACH YOUR SARAH

TEST DRIVE

THE FABLE

UNKEPT

UPROOT

FAREWELL SONG

LITTLE HEROES SHORTS

WITHER

A GIRL MISSING

AUNTY

SHANGHAI FILM ACADEMY SHORTS

THE HIKITA'S ARE EXPECTING!

THE CLINIC

CRICKET

JUST ONLY LOVE

KAMALI

ESCAPED SOLDIER

MASQUERADE HOTEL

SANTUARIO

DUMBNESS

OKINAWAN BLUE

SECOND SIGHT

FLUTE

THE PRISONER OF SAKURA

MADE IN HAWAI‘I SHORTS

SHANGHAI MAN WOMAN

RIDE YOUR WAVE

8:08 - HOW WE RESPOND

SKIRT

TALKING THE PICTURES

DOWN ON THE SIDEWALK IN WAIKĪKĪ

WHEN I AM SEVEN

THE WINGED BOY

DRIVING

STUDENT SHOWCASE

THEY SAY NOTHING STAYS THE SAME

THREE NOBUNAGAS

FALL GUY

@MIASHEAFFER

TORA-SAN, MY UNCLE

LIKE MADDAH

ANIMATION CLASS 3

MO'O!

MOLOKA’I BOUND

OTHER PEOPLE

BRING TO LIFE: 2019 LILI‘UOKALANI ‘ŌLINA ARTS ANIMATION ACADEMY

THE PIT WHERE WE WERE BORN

FINE

PACIFIC SHOWCASE SHORTS

GREEN GONE

HINEKURA

GROWING OUR FUTURE

60 60

TORA-SAN, WISH YOU WERE HERE

THE WITNESS

SPOTLIGHT ON KOREA ANOTHER CHILD BAD GUYS: REIGN OF CHAOS

22 23

EXIT

LAST TAXI DANCE

HARDLY WORKING

INSEPARABLE BROS

LILIU

IRREVERSIBLE

MAN OF MEN

KIDS SPEAK ON PLASTIC POLLUTION

PARASITE VERTIGO

OUR ATOLL SPEAKS: KO TALATALA MAI TŌ MĀTOU WENUA

REMEMBER

TĀ MOKO - BEHIND THE TATTOOED FACE

TWO OF A KIND

TEETH

THE TREE AND THE PIROGUE

SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN HEAVY CRAVING

NINA WU

CAREFUL WHAT YOU PACK SHORTS AIR CONDITIONER IN PANMUNJEOM

BALLOON

BITE

LUGER

THE MENARCHE

HIFF .ORG 5

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

HOW TO HIFF LGBT-THEMED FILMS MUSIC FOOD DOCUMENTARY FAMILY FREE HAWAI‘I PACIFIC KAU KA HŌKŪ NOMINEE

FESTIVAL DATES OAHU

NOVEMBER 7-17, 2019 BIG ISLAND, KAUAI, & MAUI

NOVEMBER 21-24, 2019

OAHU BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION

HIFF FESTIVAL PASS

TICKET POLICY

HIFF Member | $375 General Public | $425

THERE ARE NO REFUNDS ON TICKETS. Ticket exchanges must be made a day before the screening. A $2.00 service fee is charged per ticket. Expired and day of tickets will not be exchanged. If a screening is rescheduled or cancelled, patrons can exchange tickets for either a film playing that day or a ticket for the rescheduled date.

HIFF PLATINUM PASS HIFF Member | $950 General Public | $1,000 The HIFF Festival Pass allows the movie lover to watch unlimited films with no tickets required and priority seating ahead of the HIFF Member line. Visit or call the HIFF Box Office for more information. Seating is based on availability and is on a first come first serve basis. Go to www.hiff.org or call the HIFF Box Office 1-808-447-0577 to learn more about the benefits of becoming a HIFF member.

TICKET PRICES (Including Opening/Centerpiece/Closing Films) $10.00 HIFF Member Tickets $12.00 Senior, Military, Student $14.00 General Admission WEEKDAY MATINEE PRICES (films starting before 5:00 PM) $10.00 Flat Rate

Purchase tickets and flash passes in person or online.

VETERANS DAY SPECIAL $10.00 For Military with I.D

HIFF BOX OFFICE:

SERVICE FEE PER TICKET

Oct. 18 – Nov. 6 680 Iwilei Road, Suite 100 Honolulu, HI 96817 PH: 808-447-0577

HIFF BOX OFFICE: Nov. 7 – 17 Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 & IMAX Foyer 735 Iwilei Road Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96817

BOX OFFICE HOURS: Oct 18 - Nov 2 Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 2:00PM - 6:00PM Nov 4 - 6 Daily 2:00PM - 6:00 PM Nov. 7 – 17 60 minutes before the first screening until 15 minutes after the last screening begins.

6 HIFF

Free for online purchases for HIFF Members $1.50 for online purchases $1.00 for box office purchases

PAYMENT METHODS All major credit cards, checks and cash are accepted.

TICKET PICK-UP Will Call - All customers will have the option of picking up their tickets at the HIFF Box Office. Print from home - For the ultimate in convenience, purchase your tickets online and print them from home. In person - HIFF will have a box office facility on site from Oct. 18 through the duration of the festival.

FREE SCREENINGS Seating is based on a first come first served basis.

EVENT LAYOUT (WHAT DOES THE FESTIVAL LOOK LIKE?) There are lines created for three films at a time. Each film has three lines. There are signs to indicate what films are ready for line up. This layout is for Dole Theaters only.

LINES PER FILM Platinum Pass Line This line is for persons with Lifetime Membership, Platinum Passes, and Board of Directors. Pass holders line up inside by the theater door. Festival Pass & Priority Ticket Line This line is for persons with Festival Passes and Priority Tickets. Pass & Priority holders line up inside by the theater door. Member Line An “M” on the ticket indicates that you stand in the Member Line. General Public Line A “G” on the ticket indicates you stand in the General Public Line. Rush Line – A standby line for people wishing to see a film that no longer has tickets available. Any available seat in a screening marked as full will be sold 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the film at $10.00 cash only.

FILM PROGRAM

THEATER ADMITTANCE ORDER 1. Platinum, Lifetime, Board of Directors Passes. Pass Holders will be seated 30 minutes prior to start time of film. 2. Festival Pass & Priority Ticket holders. Each screening has a limited number of seats reserved for Flash Pass Holders and will be based on a first come first serve basis. Flash Pass holders who are not admitted may wait to be seated after the General Public. 3. ADA Guests and their plus one (20 minutes prior to start time of film). If you cannot stand for long periods, please notify a line monitor immediately. You and a guest will be escorted to a seating area where you can wait until theater seating begins 4. Member Ticket holders. Seating begins 5 minutes after Pass Holders. 5. General Public Ticket holders. Seating begins immediately after Member Ticket holders are let in. 6. Pass Holder overflows. 7. Rush Line ticket holders. Will be seated 5 minutes prior to the beginning of the film.

KAUAI BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION Tickets to Kauai screenings at the Waimea Theater in Waimea, Hawai‘i are available in person or by phone only.

WAIMEA THEATER BOX OFFICE Historic Waimea Theater 9691 Kaumualii Highway Waimea, HI 96796 PH: (808) 651-5744 (day) PH: (808) 338-2027 (evening)

TICKET PRICES $100.00 HIFF Kauai Pass + Opening Night $75.00 HIFF 3-Day Pass (Fri, Sat, Sun) $40.00 Opening Night Film + Event $10.00 General Admission More box office and ticketing information is available at: www.waimeatheater.com

BIG ISLAND BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION Tickets to Big Island screenings at the Palace Theater in Hilo, Hawai‘i are available in person or by phone only.

PALACE THEATER BOX OFFICE 38 Haili Street Hilo, HI 96720 PH: (808) 934-7010

BOX OFFICE HOURS 10:00AM - 3:00PM Weekdays | Closed State Holidays Tickets available at the door for all screenings

TICKET PRICES $7.50 Senior 55 or older, Student $8.50 General Admission More information is available at: www.hilopalace.com/pricing-info/

PALACE ALL-ACCESS HIFF PASS Ask about the HIFF All-Access pass at the Palace Theater, or visit hilopalace.com for more information.

MAUI BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION Tickets to Maui screenings at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center are available in person or by phone only.

MACC BOX OFFICE One Cameron Way Kahului, Maui 96732 PH: (808)242-SHOW (7469)

BOX OFFICE HOURS 10:00AM - 6:00PM Tuesday through Saturday | For Sunday ticketed events, the Box Office will open one hour before show time.

TICKET PRICES $12.00 General Public $10.00 HIFF Members with special code More information is available at: www.mauiarts.org

VENUES

WHERE DOES ALL OF THIS HAPPEN? The Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 & IMAX serves as the main hub of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival. Most screenings will take place there with some other screenings, workshops and events taking place at satellite venues. Here is a list of all the HIFF venues this year:

OAHU DOL Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 & IMAX 735 Iwilei Road Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96817 HALL IHeartRadio Music Hall 650 Iwilei Road Honolulu, HI 96817 SLT The Barn, SALT at our Kaka‘ako 691 Auahi Street Honolulu, HI 96813 SBX Entrepreneur’s Sandbox 643 Ilalo Street Honolulu, HI 96813 VWP Victoria Ward Park 1020 Auahi Street Honolulu, HI 96814

KAUAI WAI Historic Waimea Theater 9691 Kaumualii Highway Waimea, HI 96796

BIG ISLAND PAL The Palace Theater 38 Haili Street Hilo, HI 96720

MAUI MAC Maui Arts & Cultural Center One Cameron Way Kahului, Maui 96732

HIFF .ORG 7

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

8â&#x20AC;&#x201A; HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

HIFF MEMBERSHIP & BENEFITS BECOME A HIFF MEMBER TODAY! HIFF Memberships are year-round good for 365 days. All HIFF Ohana memberships are valid for one year from date of purchase and receive membership benefits outlined to the right. Students must show id, seniors 60+. These memberships also receive discounts on passes for our festivals.

MEMBERSHIP TYPES

DA KINE $50 General Admission $35 Students/Seniors/Military Da Kine Benefits: • 1 HIFF Membership • Member may purchase up to two (2) discounted member tickets per screening, additional tickets $14

KAMA‘AINA $90 General Admission $75 Students/Seniors/Military Kama‘aina Benefits: • 1 HIFF Membership • Member may purchase up to four (4) discounted member tickets per screening, additional tickets $14

OHANA $130 General Admission $100 Students/Seniors/Military Ohana Benefits: • 1 HIFF Membership • Member may purchase up to six (6) discounted member tickets per screening, additional tickets $14

ALL MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

• • • • • •

Complimentary Membership Screenings throughout the year (Admit 2 per member) Subscription to HIFF's Email Newsletter Early Bird Sales on Festival Passes and TIckets Member Line Tickets for Priority Entrance before the General Admission Members Only Days at the Festival Box Office Discounted tickets to all films and events

GO TO WWW.HIFF.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO PURCHASE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

HIFF .ORG 9

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

FILM SCHEDULE & VENUES

8:00 PM-9:50 PM

ATLANTICS

DOL

MADE IN HAWAI‘I SHORTS US

DOL

8:15 PM-10:14 PM VERTIGO 8:15 PM-9:37 PM

8:30 PM-10:14 PM THE WHITE STORM 2: DRUG LORDS

DOL

8:45 PM-10:27 PM THE WHISTLERS

DOL

9:00 PM-10:53 PM THE LODGE

DOL

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 DOL Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 & IMAX HALL IHeartRadio Music Hall SLT The Barn, SALT at Our Kaka’ako SBX Entrepeneur's Sandbox

10:00 AM-6:00 PM

HIFF VR LOUNGE

VARIOUS

SBX

10:00 AM-8:00 PM

HIFF VIRTUAL CINEMA

VARIOUS

SLT

10:00 AM-11:22 AM STUDENT SHOWCASE

DOL

11:30 AM-12:38 AM THE FILM ARCHIVES OF GREG NOLL W/THE RETURN

DOL

11:45 AM-1:21 PM

CAREFUL WHAT YOU PACK SHORTS

DOL

12:00 PM-1:30 PM

HIFF TALKS: CAPE PITCH WORKSHOP

HALL

12:15 PM-1:35 PM

HAOLE W/ CROSSING THE LINE

DOL

12:30 PM-2:23 PM

VWP Victoria Ward Park PAL The Palace Theater Big Island of Hawai’i WAI Historic Waimea Theater Island of Kauai MAC Maui Arts & Cultural Center Island of Maui

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 7:00 PM-8:53 PM 7:30 PM-9:56 PM

JOJO RABBIT UNTRUE

US PH

DOL DOL

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8

TORA-SAN, MY UNCLE

DOL

1:00 PM-2:35 PM

RUTH - JUSTICE GINSBURG IN HER OWN WORDS

DOL

1:15 PM-2:48 PM

WELL GROOMED

DOL

1:30 PM-3:10 PM

THE INFILTRATORS

DOL

1:45 PM-3:20 PM

THE LAST COLOR

DOL

2:00 PM-3:33 PM

ARAB BLUES

FR, TN

DOL

2:30 PM-4:21 PM

BENTO HARASSMENT

DOL

3:00 PM-5:00 PM

TORA-SAN, WISH YOU WERE HERE

DOL

3:15 PM-5:02 PM

BALLOON

DOL

3:30 PM-5:15 PM

PALM BEACH

DOL

3:30 PM-5:54 PM

INVISIBLE LIFE

DOL

3:45 PM-5:31 PM

SORRY WE MISSED YOU

DOL

4:00 PM-5:35 PM

HEAVY CRAVING

DOL

4:45 PM-6:36 PM

THREE NOBUNAGAS

DOL

5:30 PM-7:28 PM

CLEMENCY

DOL

5:30 PM-7:21 PM

GOODBYE MOTHER

DOL

6:00 PM-7:41 PM

KAMPAI! SAKE SISTERS

DOL

6:00 PM-7:58 PM

AND THEN WE DANCED

GE, SE

DOL

5:30 PM-6:53 PM

CONNECTING THE DOTS SHORTS

VARIOUS

DOL

6:15 PM-7:35 PM

MAUNA KEA: THROUGH THE KIA‘I LENS

DOL

5:30 PM-6:54 PM

PICTURE CHARACTER

DOL

6:30 PM-8:18 PM

NINA WU

DOL

5:45 PM-7:49 PM

THE REPORT

DOL

7:00 PM-10:44 PM THE IRISHMAN

DOL

6:00 PM-8:00 PM

FAREWELL SONG

DOL

8:00 PM-9:51 PM

THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM AU

DOL

6:00 PM-7:48 PM

CAN'T STOP THE DANCING JP

DOL

8:00 PM-10:08 PM JUST ONLY LOVE

DOL

6:15 PM-8:21 PM

WUSHU ORPHAN

DOL

8:15 PM-10:13 PM THE WILD GOOSE LAKE

DOL

6:30 PM-8:00 PM

OLYMPIC DREAMS

DOL

8:30 PM-10:31 PM MAN OF MEN

DOL

7:45 PM-9:05 PM

DARK PLACE

DOL

8:30 PM-10:01 PM PREMATURE

DOL

9:00 PM-10:41 PM BLOOD QUANTUM

DOL

10 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10

1:30 PM-3:03 PM

WELL GROOMED

DOL

10:00 AM-6:00 PM

HIFF VR LOUNGE

VARIOUS

SBX

1:45 PM-3:30 PM

PALM BEACH

DOL

10:00 AM-8:00 PM

HIFF VIRTUAL CINEMA

VARIOUS

SLT

3:00 PM-4:58 PM

AND THEN WE DANCED

GE, SE

DOL

11:00 AM-12:50 PM ATLANTICS

DOL

3:15 PM-5:03 PM

NINA WU

DOL

11:30 AM-1:05 PM

THE LAST COLOR

DOL

3:30 PM-5:54 PM

INVISIBLE LIFE

DOL

11:45 AM-1:45 PM

TORA-SAN, WISH YOU WERE HERE

DOL

3:30 PM-5:18 PM

CAN'T STOP THE DANCING JP

DOL

12:00 PM-1:40 PM

THE INFILTRATORS

DOL

3:45 PM-5:32 PM

BALLOON

DOL

12:30 PM-2:36 PM

WUSHU ORPHAN

DOL

4:00 PM-5:24 PM

PICTURE CHARACTER

DOL

12:30 PM-2:15 PM

GRANNY POETRY CLUB

DOL

4:00 PM-5:27 PM

GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP US

DOL

12:30 PM-2:35 PM

THE PRISONER OF SAKURA

JP, RU

DOL

5:30 PM-6:51 PM

HOPE FROZEN

DOL

5:30 PM-7:16 PM

SORRY WE MISSED YOU

DOL

1:15 PM-2:49 PM

CURVEBALL SHORTS

VARIOUS

DOL

5:45 PM-7:31 PM

THE AERONAUTS

DOL

1:45 PM-3:36 PM

THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM AU

DOL

6:00 PM-7:34 PM

WORDS CAN'T GO THERE JP

DOL

2:15 PM-3:42 PM

GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP

DOL

6:00 PM-7:59 PM

VERTIGO

DOL

6:15 PM-7:41 PM

DOL

2:15 PM-3:50 PM

HEAVY CRAVING

DOL

TOKYO HULA W/ VOICES OF THE FOREST

2:45 PM-5:55 PM

SO LONG, MY SON

DOL

6:30 PM-7:50 PM

DARK PLACE

DOL

7:30 PM-9:08 PM

BOMBAY ROSE

DOL

8:00 PM-9:43 PM

PACIFIC SHOWCASE SHORTS

VARIOUS

DOL

8:00 PM-9:59 PM

BAD GUYS: REIGN OF CHAOS

DOL

8:15 PM-9:41 PM

NOTHING FANCY: DIANA KENNEDY

DOL

3:00 PM-4:40 PM

RIDE YOUR WAVE

3:15 PM-5:20 PM

ANOTHER WORLD

DOL

3:45 PM-5:15 PM

OLYMPIC DREAMS

DOL

4:00 PM-5:30 PM

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK : THE WEAVERS OF THE HAWAI‘I STATE CAPITOL TAPESTRIES

DOL

8:30 PM-10:42 PM TALKING THE PICTURES

DOL

4:30 PM-5:55 PM

I LOST MY BODY

DOL

8:30 PM-10:28 PM CLEMENCY

DOL

5:00 PM-7:21 PM

MARRIAGE STORY

DOL

8:45 PM-10:33 PM VORTEX

DOL

5:15 PM-7:27 PM

TALKING THE PICTURES

DOL

5:45 PM-7:11 PM

OUR TIME MACHINE

DOL

6:00 PM-8:00 PM

FAREWELL SONG

DOL

6:00 PM-7:58 PM

THE WILD GOOSE LAKE

6:15 PM-7:46 PM

PREMATURE

6:30 PM-8:12 PM

THE WHISTLERS

DOL

7:45 PM-9:58 PM

THE WITNESS

JP, KR

DOL

8:00 PM-9:45 PM

ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON & THE BAND

DOL

8:00 PM-10:17 PM PARASITE 8:15 PM-10:19 PM THE REPORT

KR US

8:30 PM-10:20 PM DOGS DON'T WEAR PANTS FI

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 3:00 PM-4:43 PM

PACIFIC SHOWCASE SHORTS

VARIOUS

DOL

3:00 PM-4:26 PM

OUR TIME MACHINE

DOL

5:00 PM-6:45 PM

ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON & THE BAND

DOL

5:30 PM-7:17 PM

THE HIKITA'S ARE EXPECTING!

DOL

5:45 PM-7:06 PM

POWER MERI

DOL

6:00 PM-7:07 PM

ACM UHM NIGHT

DOL

6:00 PM-7:41 PM

OKINAWAN BLUE

DOL

6:15 PM-7:56 PM

SEBERG

US, UK

DOL

ANOTHER CHILD

DOL

8:30 PM-10:13 PM HAPPY CLEANERS

DOL

6:30 PM-8:11 PM

8:45 PM-10:38 PM THE LODGE

DOL

7:30 PM-9:38 PM

AKICITA: THE BATTLE OF STANDING ROCK

DOL

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11

7:45 PM-9:17 PM

LUCKY GRANDMA

DOL

10:00 AM-6:00 PM

HIFF VR LOUNGE

VARIOUS

SBX

7:45 PM-9:24 PM

LINGUA FRANCA

US, PH

DOL

10:00 AM-8:00 PM

HIFF VIRTUAL CINEMA

VARIOUS

SLT

8:00 PM-10:15 PM KNIVES OUT

DOL

12:00 PM-3:10 PM

SO LONG, MY SON

DOL

8:15 PM-10:37 PM BEANPOLE

DOL

12:45 PM-2:28 PM

HAPPY CLEANERS

DOL

8:30 PM-10:51 PM MARRIAGE STORY

DOL

1:00 PM-2:33 PM

ARAB BLUES

FR, TN

DOL

CN, US

DOL

1:15 PM-3:06 PM

BENTO HARASSMENT

DOL

8:30 PM-10:08 PM SHANGHAI FILM ACADEMY SHOWCASE

HIFF .ORG 11

2019 FALL FESTIVAL WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13

5:00 PM-6:35 PM

VAI

DOL

5:30 PM-7:04 PM

OCEAN QUEST W/ TURTLE ODYSSEY

DOL

5:45 PM-7:25 PM

CHANGING THE GAME

DOL

6:00 PM-8:13 PM

THE WITNESS

JP, KR

DOL

6:00 PM-8:08 PM

THE FABLE

DOL

6:15 PM-7:56 PM

ANOTHER CHILD

DOL

THREE NOBUNAGAS

DOL

6:30 PM-8:14 PM

DOL

6:00 PM-7:45 PM

TO LIVE TO SING

CN, FR, CA DOL

THE WHITE STORM 2: DRUG LORDS

6:15 PM-7:57 PM

WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS

DOL

7:30 PM-10:28 PM A HIDDEN LIFE

DOL

7:45 PM-9:27 PM

DOL

6:15 PM-7:54 PM

LINGUA FRANCA

US, PH

DOL

6:30 PM-8:10 PM

RIDE YOUR WAVE

DOL

8:15 PM-10:06 PM THE TRUTH

FR, JP

DOL

7:00 PM-9:38 PM

TBA

8:30 PM-10:50 PM WAVES

DOL

7:00 PM-9:01 PM

THE LONG WALK

DOL

8:30 PM-10:18 PM EXIT

DOL

8:00 PM-9:35 PM

VAI

DOL

8:45 PM-10:41 PM A GIRL MISSING

DOL

8:00 PM-10:21 PM JUST MERCY

DOL

9:00 PM-10:33 PM SIGNAL 100

DOL

8:30 PM-10:11 PM BLOOD QUANTUM

DOL

8:30 PM-10:38 PM JUST ONLY LOVE

DOL

11:00 AM-12:40 PM CHANGING THE GAME

DOL

9:00 PM-10:11 PM BLOOD MACHINES W/ THE HAUNTED SWORDSMAN

DOL

11:00 AM-12:00 PM DKII STUDENT US SHOWCASE SCREENING

DOL

9:00 PM-10:50 PM DOGS DON'T WEAR PANTS

DOL

11:15 AM-1:45 PM

MINA-ANUD

DOL

12:00 PM-1:05 PM

REEL WĀHINE OF HAWAI‘I

DOL

12:30 PM-2:11 PM

OKINAWAN BLUE

DOL

12:45 PM-2:27 PM

FOR MY FATHER'S KINGDOM

DOL

1:00 PM-2:00 PM

HIFF TALKS: NEW AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES

VARIOUS

HALL

DOL

2:45 PM-4:30 PM

GRANNY POETRY CLUB

DOL

3:30 PM-4:56 PM

NOTHING FANCY: DIANA KENNEDY

DOL

4:00 PM-5:38 PM

BOMBAY ROSE

DOL

5:00 PM-6:41 PM

KAMPAI! SAKE SISTERS

5:45 PM-7:25 PM

BELLBIRD

5:45 PM-7:36 PM

VWP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14

FOR MY FATHER'S KINGDOM

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16

3:15 PM-4:36 PM

HOPE FROZEN

DOL

3:30 PM-5:02 PM

LUCKY GRANDMA

DOL

3:30 PM-5:21 PM

GOODBYE MOTHER

DOL

4:15 PM-5:36 PM

POWER MERI

DOL

4:30 PM-6:35 PM

ANOTHER WORLD

CN, FR, CA DOL

1:00 PM-2:51 PM

THE TRUTH

FR, JP

5:30 PM-6:55 PM

I LOST MY BODY

DOL

1:00 PM-2:45 PM

TO LIVE TO SING

CN, FR, CA DOL

5:45 PM-7:11 PM

LITTLE HEROES SHORTS VARIOUS

DOL

1:15 PM-3:11 PM

HEARTS AND BONES

DOL

5:45 PM-7:44 PM

INSEPARABLE BROS

DOL

2:00 PM-4:00 PM

37 SECONDS

DOL

6:00 PM-7:56 PM

HEARTS AND BONES

DOL

2:30 PM-4:31 PM

MAN OF MEN

DOL

6:15 PM-7:46 PM

BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR

DOL

3:00 PM-4:46 PM

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE

SA, DE

DOL

7:00 PM-9:10 PM

NO. 7 CHERRY LANE

DOL

3:00 PM-4:48 PM

VORTEX

DOL

7:45 PM-10:15 PM MINA-ANUD

DOL

3:15 PM-5:07 PM

AADHAAR

DOL

8:00 PM-10:00 PM 37 SECONDS

DOL

3:30 PM-5:05 PM

THE WANDERING CHEF

DOL

8:15 PM-10:33 PM MASQUERADE HOTEL

DOL

3:45 PM-5:55 PM

NO. 7 CHERRY LANE

DOL

8:30 PM-10:16 PM THE AERONAUTS

DOL

4:45 PM-6:26 PM

SEBERG

US, UK

DOL

8:45 PM-9:56 PM

DOL

5:00 PM-7:22 PM

THEY SAY NOTHING STAYS THE SAME

DOL

5:15 PM-7:08 PM

THE HUMAN FACTOR

IL, UK

DOL

5:30 PM-7:11 PM

FOR SAMA

DOL

6:00 PM-7:35 PM

YELLOW ROSE

DOL

AKICITA: THE BATTLE OF US STANDING ROCK

DOL

6:30 PM-8:29 PM

INSEPARABLE BROS

DOL

6:30 PM-7:47 PM

DOL

WORDS CAN'T GO THERE JP

DOL

WHEN TOMATOES MET WAGNER

6:45 PM-8:26 PM

GO BACK TO CHINA

DOL

BLOOD MACHINES W/ THE HAUNTED SWORDSMAN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 3:00 PM-5:01 PM 3:15 PM-5:23 PM 4:30 PM-6:04 PM

12 HIFF

THE LONG WALK

FILM PROGRAM 7:45 PM-9:16 PM

BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR

DOL

8:00 PM-9:56 PM

THE KILLER

DOL

8:15 PM-10:33 PM MO TE IWI: CARVING FOR NZ THE PEOPLE

DOL

8:15 PM-10:21 PM PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

8:30 PM-10:40 PM THE TWO POPES

US, UK, IT, DOL AR

9:00 PM-11:08 PM THE FABLE

DOL

9:00 PM-10:33 PM SIGNAL 100

DOL

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 10:45 AM-1:03 PM

MO TE IWI: CARVING FOR NZ THE PEOPLE

DOL

11:00 AM-12:05 PM REEL WĀHINE OF HAWAI‘I

DOL

11:00 AM-12:34 PM OCEAN QUEST W/ TURTLE ODYSSEY

DOL

11:00 AM-1:00 PM

TBA

KAUAI SCHEDULE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 7:00 PM-8:35 PM

YELLOW ROSE

KAMPAI! SAKE SISTERS

WAI

8:00 PM-9:59 PM

INSEPARABLE BROS

WAI

1:15 PM-2:37 PM

MADE IN HAWAI‘I SHORTS US

WAI

3:45 PM-5:16 PM

BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR

WAI

5:30 PM-7:11 PM

GO BACK TO CHINA

WAI

7:30 PM-9:18 PM

EXIT

WAI

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 1:00 PM-2:42 PM

WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS

WAI

3:00 PM-4:40 PM

RIDE YOUR WAVE

WAI

5:00 PM-6:20 PM

HAOLE W/ CROSSING THE LINE

WAI

7:00 PM-9:17 PM

PARASITE

WAI

PAL

THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM AU

PAL

8:15 PM-10:03 PM CAN'T STOP THE DANCING JP

PAL

DOL NZ

DOL

11:30 AM-1:52 PM BEANPOLE

DOL

BIG ISLAND SCHEDULE

11:30 AM-1:05 PM THE WANDERING CHEF

DOL

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

IL, UK

DOL

1:00 PM-2:17 PM

WHEN TOMATOES MET WAGNER

DOL

1:15 PM-3:37 PM

THEY SAY NOTHING STAYS THE SAME

DOL

1:30 PM-3:12 PM

WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS

DOL

1:45 PM-3:55 PM

THE TWO POPES

US, UK, IT, DOL AR

2:15 PM-4:02 PM

THE HIKITA'S ARE EXPECTING!

DOL

3:00 PM-5:06 PM

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

DOL

WAI

6:00 PM-7:41 PM

11:15 AM-12:55 PM BELLBIRD

12:45 PM-2:38 PM THE HUMAN FACTOR

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

7:00 PM-9:38 PM

DAFFODILS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22 6:00 PM-7:51 PM

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 12:30 PM-1:50 PM

MAUNA KEA: THROUGH THE KIA‘I LENS

PAL

2:30 PM-4:38 PM

AKICITA: THE BATTLE OF US STANDING ROCK

PAL

5:30 PM-7:11 PM

OKINAWAN BLUE

PAL

8:00 PM-9:41 PM

BLOOD QUANTUM

PAL

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24

3:30 PM-4:52 PM

MADE IN HAWAI‘I SHORTS US

DOL

3:45 PM-5:26 PM

FOR SAMA

DOL

12:00 PM-1:22 PM

MADE IN HAWAI‘I SHORTS US

PAL

2:30 PM-4:01 PM

BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR

PAL

4:30 PM-5:56 PM

TOKYO HULA W/ VOICES US OF THE FOREST

PAL

7:00 PM-9:17 PM

PARASITE

PAL

TOKYO HULA W/ VOICES US OF THE FOREST

MAC

4:15 PM-6:33 PM

MASQUERADE HOTEL

DOL

4:30 PM-6:26 PM

A GIRL MISSING

DOL

4:30 PM-6:11 PM

GO BACK TO CHINA

DOL

5:30 PM-7:29 PM

BAD GUYS: REIGN OF CHAOS

DOL

6:00 PM-7:26 PM

TOKYO HULA W/ VOICES US OF THE FOREST

DOL

6:00 PM-7:52 PM

AADHAAR

DOL

7:00 PM-8:56 PM

WEATHERING WITH YOU JP

DOL

8:00 PM-9:48 PM

EXIT

DOL

8:15 PM-10:15 PM TBA

MAUI SCHEDULE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

DOL

7:00 PM-8:26 PM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22 7:00 PM-8:22 PM

MADE IN HAWAI‘I SHORTS US

MAC

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 4:00 PM-6:18 PM MO TE IWI: CARVING FOR THE PEOPLE

MAC

7:00 PM-8:20 PM HAOLE W/ CROSSING THE LINE

MAC

HIFF .ORG 13

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

PRESENTING SPONSOR

MAJOR SPONSORS

PREMIERE SPONSORS

14â&#x20AC;&#x201A; HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

FESTIVAL SPONSORS DAVIS •

EVIN IVINGSTON ATTORNEYS

MEDIA SPONSORS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

MAHALO THIS PROGRAM IS PRESENTED IN PART BY AN AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS Daniel K. Inouye Institute GN Wilcox Trust Josie & Don Over Memorial Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation McInerny Foundation Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) ‘ULU’ULU: The Henry Ku’ualoha Guigni Moving Image Archive of Hawai‘i

HIFF .ORG 15

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

MADE IN HAWAI‘I FILM AWARDS HIFF will present the second annual MADE IN HAWAI‘I FILM AWARD this year to continue our focus on the dynamic and flourishing local independent film scene that strives onward here in the Hawaiian Islands. Fiction, non-fiction and short films that are made by locally-based filmmakers or involve locally-based stories are spread out throughout the 2019 film program to stand alongside works from around the world. HIFF's decision to include this competition was an easy one, as the Festival has an illustrious history of providing a forum for Hawai‘i-made films for

2019 BEST MADE IN HAWAI‘I FILM NOMINEES

its 39 year history. As the media landscape changes, along with the democratization of ‘filmmaking’ itself via digital technology, the rise of local cinema artists has drastically increased. At the same time, creative content produced by indigenous people around the world, including Native Hawaiians, is on the rise. With this in mind, the intent of the MADE IN HAWAI‘I FILM AWARD is to provide accolades to films that our esteemed jury feel offer significant representation of stories that authentically reflect the unique, yet universal experiences of ourselves.

DOWN ON THE SIDEWALK OF WAIKIKI HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

DIRECTOR: JUSTYN AH CHONG See page 51 for details.

FALL GUY

DRIVING

WORLD PREMIERE DIRECTOR: CHELSI JOHNSTON See page 51 for details.

LIKE MADDAH

MO'O!

DIRECTOR: RENA SHISHIDO

DIRECTOR: ANELA LING

See page 51 for details.

MOLOKA‘I BOUND

OTHER PEOPLE

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

DIRECTOR: ALIKA MAIKAU

DIRECTOR: BRYSON CHUN

THE PIT WHERE WE WERE BORN

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE DIRECTOR: BRADLEY CRAWFORD See page 51 for details.

See page 51 for details.

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

See page 51 for details.

WORLD PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

DIRECTOR: ALEXANDER BOCCHIERI See page 51 for details.

TOKYO HULA

VOICES OF THE FOREST

DIRECTOR: LISETTE MARIE FLANARY

DIRECTOR: BRADLEY TANGONAN

See page 44 for details.

WORLD PREMIERE

16 HIFF

WORLD PREMIERE

FILM PROGRAM

KAU KA HŌKŪ AWARD PRESENTED BY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

HIFF was an annual stop for the Pulitzer winning film critic Roger Ebert, who hailed the festival as “a showcase for emerging filmmakers from the Asia and Pacific Rim.” The KAU KA HŌKŪ will be awarded to an emerging filmmaker (first or second feature film). Both fiction and non-fiction feature films will be nominated by the festival programmers and adjudicated by an international jury.

2019 KAU KA HŌKŪ FILMMAKER AWARD NOMINEES

37 SECONDS

ANOTHER CHILD

BELLBIRD

DIRECTOR: HIKARI

DIRECTOR: KIM YOON-SEOK

DIRECTOR: HAMISH BENNETT

See page 21 for details.

See page 22 for details.

See page 24 for details.

GOODBYE MOTHER

HEARTS & BONES

HEAVY CRAVING

DIRECTOR: DINH LE MINH TRINH

DIRECTOR: BEN LAWRENCE

DIRECTOR: HSIEH PEI-JU

See page 29 for details.

See page 30 for details.

THE LONG WALK

MINA-ANUD

THEY SAY NOTHING STAYS THE SAME

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

DIRECTOR: MATTIE DO

DIRECTOR: KERWIN GO

DIRECTOR: JOE ODAGIRI

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

See page 35 for details.

See page 36 for details.

TO LIVE TO SING

YELLOW ROSE

DIRECTOR: JOHNNY MA

DIRECTOR: DIANE PARAGAS

UNITED STATES PREMIERE See page 44 for details.

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

See page 43 for details.

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE See page 49 for details.

HIFF .ORG 17

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

HIFF HONOREES HONOREE: JOHN WOO Director John Woo is an icon of Hong Kong action cinema. Born in mainland China in 1946, Woo and his family fled to Hong when he was five. As a young man, he cut his teeth as an assistant director in the Shaw Studio, before making his directorial debut in 1974 with THE YOUNG DRAGONS. Working in Hong Kong until the 1990s, Woo’s vast filmography is a who’s who of Hong Kong cinema, collaborating with heavyweights from Jackie Chan to Chow Yun-Fat to produce classics such as HAND OF DEATH and THE KILLER. Moving to the United States in the 1990s, Woo directed some of the most iconic action films of the decade, including FACE/OFF and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2. Known for his intense action sequences, virtuoso fight choreography and innovative genre-bending, Woo’s work continues to have a lasting impact on action genre filmmaking across the world.

PIC TRAILBLAZER HONOREE: STAN GRANT Stan Grant is a Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man, and one of Australia’s most-prominent advocates for Indigenous rights. A highly-accomplished journalist and scholar, Grant was a senior correspondent for CNN where he reported across the Middle East and Asia, and now writes regularly on international affairs. He came to international prominence in 2016 with his speech “The Australian Dream,” profoundly articulating the injustice faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in what was widely-lauded as “Australia’s Martin Luther King moment.” HIFF is proud to celebrate his work as an advocate for Indigenous justice and reconciliation, and for his work as a communicator across the Asia-Pacific. The feature documentary based on his speech, THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM, screens at HIFF 2019.

18 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

Proud to be the Official Airline of the 39th Annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival

The warm and welcoming spirit of our home defines us. We’re proud to share this spirit on every flight. Find our best fares at HawaiianAirlines.com. HIFF .ORG 19

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

OPENING NIGHT FILM

JOJO RABBIT HAWAI‘I PREMIERE OPENING NIGHT FILM

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 108M DIRECTOR: TAIKA WAITITI

07-NOV 7:00 PM DOL During the second world war, lonely German boy Jojo "Rabbit" Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) has his worldview turned upside down when he discovers that his single mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie from LEAVE NO TRACE) in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend in the form of an idiotic version of Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi, who also wrote and directed the film), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism. JOJO RABBIT seals the deal that Waititi’s comedic talents knows no bounds or boundaries, tapping into his Jewish side to tackle a subject matter that explores the past and holds up a mirror at us in these truly turbulent times. Waititi’s oeuvre is definitely maturing into a career that entertains, enlightens and incites discussion.

CENTERPIECE FILM

JUST MERCY HAWAI‘I PREMIERE CENTERPIECE FILM

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 136M DIRECTOR: DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON

13-NOV 8:00 PM DOL Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson star in the powerful true story of Harvard-educated lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan), who goes to Alabama to defend the disenfranchised and wrongly condemned — including Walter McMillian (Foxx), a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence. Bryan fights tirelessly for Walter with the system stacked against them. Jordan adds new layers to the intensity and commanding presence he brought to the CREED movies and BLACK PANTHER, while Foxx (Oscar winner for RAY) gives one of the best performances of his career. Maui native Destin Cretton (SHORT TERM 12, the upcoming SHANG CHI for Marvel) crafts each performance, each scene, in JUST MERCY to add to the cumulative power of a film that is not just a true story, but a story committed to revealing truths.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

WEATHERING WITH YOU HAWAI‘I PREMIERE CLOSING NIGHT FILM

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 111M DIRECTOR: MAKOTO SHINKAI

17-NOV 7:00 PM DOL In the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2016 anime box-office hit YOUR NAME (HIFF 2017), Makoto Shinkai returns with another story of young love bridged by fantastical and cosmic means. The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if to suggest his future. He lives his days in isolation, but finally finds work as a writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky…

20 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

37 SECONDS

AADHAAR

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

NEW AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES

SPOTLIGHT ON INDIA

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 115M

INDIA 2019 | HINDI W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 107M

DIRECTOR: HIKARI

DIRECTOR: SUMAN GOSH

14-NOV 8:00 PM DOL • 16-NOV 2:00 PM DOL

16-NOV 3:15 PM DOL

Yuma is a talented manga artist with cerebral palsy. She works for a Youtube celebrity who takes all the credit for her amazing creations, treating her as a ghostwriter. Yuma dreams of breaking out on her own, submitting her work to a publisher specializing in adult stories, who tells her she has talent but must gain more “experience.” So Yuma sets out on a journey to explore her physical, creative, and sexual autonomy.

17-NOV 6:00 PM DOL Pharsua steps up to be the first person in his village to register for a new aadhaar (resident I.D. card). But when the village priest proclaims that his I.D. number is cursed, our hero's journey switches from droll comedy to something straight out of Kafka, as he goes through great lengths to change his number against an insurmountable adversary-government bureaucracy.

DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FIRST SCREENING

THE AERONAUTS

AKICITA: THE BATTLE FOR STANDING ROCK

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

PREMIERES

FILM FOR THOUGHT

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 101M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 123M

DIRECTOR: TOM HARPER

DIRECTOR: CODY LUCICH

11-NOV 5:45 PM DOL • 14-NOV 8:30 PM DOL

12-NOV 7:30 PM DOL • 15-NOV 3:15 PM DOL

In 1862, daredevil balloon pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) teams up with pioneering meteorologist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) to advance human knowledge of the weather and fly higher than anyone in history. While breaking records and advancing scientific discovery, their voyage to the very edge of existence helps the unlikely pair find their place in the world they have left far below them. But they face physical and emotional challenges in the thin air, as the ascent becomes a fight for survival.

23-NOV 2:30 PM PAL This gripping documentary by Native American director Cody Lucich (Maidu) follows the growth and development of a Pan-Indigenous alliance that gathered in North Dakota in support of the Sioux water protectors defending Standing Rock from the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Lucich’s camera tenderly captures the painful struggles and hard-won victories in what was the largest indigenous occupation in America since Wounded Knee, and reveals a growing indigenous resistance in the face of environmental degradation and impending climate change.

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2019 FALL FESTIVAL

AND THEN WE DANCED

ANOTHER CHILD

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

SPOTLIGHT ON KOREA

GEORGIA/SWEDEN 2019 | GEORGIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 113M

SOUTH KOREA 2019 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 96M

DIRECTOR: LEVAN AKIN

DIRECTOR: KIM YOON-SEOK

09-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 11-NOV 3:00 PM DOL

12-NOV 6:30 PM DOL • 15-NOV 6:15 PM DOL

Dance is in Merab’s DNA. He has been training from a young age at the National Georgian Ensemble with his dance partner Mary. But, his world soon turns upside down when the carefree Irakli arrives and becomes both his strongest rival, and soon, his greatest desire. This provocative coming-of-age and coming out story in the very patriarchal and conservative world of Georgian dance wowed audiences at Cannes for its breakthrough performances by the young leads, and the fluid and exhilarating dance sequences captured by director Levan Akin.

High school student Joo-ri discovers that her father has been having an affair with the mother of her schoolmate, Yoon-ah. As Joo-ri’s father shirks away from his responsibilities and both their mothers try to deal with the situation as best as they can, Joo-ri and Yoon-ah must begrudgingly learn together what it means to be a family, what it means to take responsibility, and what it means to be big sisters to ANOTHER CHILD.

ANOTHER WORLD

ARAB BLUES

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 120M

FRANCE/TUNISIA 2019 | FRENCH, ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 88M

DIRECTOR: JUNJI SAKAMOTO

DIRECTOR: MANELE LABIDI LABBÉ

10-NOV 3:15 PM DOL • 14-NOV 4:30 PM DOL

09-NOV 2:00 PM DOL • 11-NOV 1:00 PM DOL

Hiroshi is a traditional charcoal maker in a small town, working to keep his family business afloat while supporting his wife and teenage son. During his free time he enjoys spending time drinking with his high school best friend Mitsuhiko, reminiscing about the old days. When their old friend Eisuke reappears in town after many years of absence, it reopens old bonds and wounds in their relationships, altering the way they view their lives and their town forever.

Selma (Golshifteh Farahani) is a psychoanalyst, who returns to the country of her birth, Tunisia, to open up her new practice. Her office becomes a fascinating and hilarious window on a country struggling with cultural change, facing patients with stories of contrast, contradictions and cultural clashes. Farahani especially turns in a luminous performance, full of vitality and humor.

22 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

ATLANTICS

THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

PREMIERES

PACIFIC SHOWCASE

FRANCE 2019 | WOLOF, FRENCH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 105M

AUSTRALIA 2018 | ENGLISH | 106M

DIRECTOR: MATI DIOP

DIRECTOR: DANIEL GORDON

08-NOV 8:00 PM DOL • 10-NOV 11:00 AM DOL

09-NOV 8:00 PM DOL • 10-NOV 1:45 PM DOL

Along the Atlantic coast, an almost completed futuristic tower looms over a suburb of Dakar. Ada, 17, is in love with Souleiman, a young construction worker. But she has been promised to another man. One night, Souleiman and his co-workers leave the country by sea, in hope of a better future. Several days later, a fire ruins Ada’s wedding and a mysterious fever starts to spread. Little does Ada know that Souleiman has returned. ATLANTICS harnesses fantasy and social relevancy in this haunting tale of love.

22-NOV 6:00 PM PAL

BAD GUYS: REIGN OF CHAOS

BALLOON

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON KOREA

SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA

SOUTH KOREA 2019 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 114M

CHINA 2019 | TIBETAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 102M

DIRECTOR: SON YONG-HO

DIRECTOR: PEMA TSEDEN

11-NOV 8:00 PM DOL • 17-NOV 5:30 PM DOL

09-NOV 3:15 PM DOL • 11-NOV 3:45 PM DOL

While transporting South Korea’s most dangerous villains, a prisoner transport vehicle turns over. In true CON AIR style, the baddest of the bad escape and make a run for it. To catch these escaped prisoners, the police decide to re-assemble a former crime unit comprised of ex-cons to hunt them down. A cinematic sequel to the successful Korean TV drama, this new rendition of THE BAD GUYS is a break-neck wild thrill ride led by the burly and charismatic Don Lee (TRAIN TO BUSAN, the upcoming THE ETERNALS for Marvel).

On the Tibetan grasslands, sheepherders Darje and Drolkar live a serene and ordinary life with their three sons and grandfather. A condom sparks a series of embarrassments and dilemmas, breaking the harmony of the family. What matters more in the circle of life and death, soul or reality? Tibetan novelist and filmmaker Pema Tseden’s latest explores Tibet’s puritanical traditions and China’s one-child policy in this neorealist family drama that just had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

When Aboriginal Australian football player Adam Goodes called out someone in the crowd who called him an ape, he triggered a national debate that brought to the surface the dark heart of racism beating in contemporary Australia. Powerfully written by former CNN correspondent Stan Grant, THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM challenges the history of violence and dispossession that divides Australia with a call to arms as universal as it is emotional.

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2019 FALL FESTIVAL

BEANPOLE

BELLBIRD

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

PREMIERES

FRANCE 2019 | RUSSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 137M

NEW ZEALAND 2019 | ENGLISH | 95M

DIRECTOR: KANTEMIR BALAGOV

DIRECTOR: HAMISH BENNETT

12-NOV 8:15 PM DOL • 17-NOV 11:30 AM DOL

13-NOV 5:45 PM DOL • 17-NOV 11:15 AM DOL

1945, Leningrad. World War II has devastated the city, demolishing its buildings and leaving its citizens in tatters, physically and mentally. Although the siege – one of the worst in history – is finally over, life and death continue their battle in the wreckage that remains. Two young women, Iya and Masha, search for meaning and hope in the struggle to rebuild their lives amongst the ruins.

In the wake of the loss of his beloved wife, a rural community rallies around a farmer to help him deal with his grief. Set over the course of four seasons on a humble Northland dairy farm in New Zealand, BELLBIRD is a bucolic beauty of a film. A story of loss, love and hope, director Hamish Bennett shines a light on the plight of a small rural community where the people are the heroes.

BENTO HARASSMENT

BIKRAM: YOGI. GURU. PREDATOR.

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

MIXED PLATE

DOCUMENTARIES

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 106M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 86M

DIRECTOR: RENPEI TSUKAMOTO

DIRECTOR: EVA ORNER

09-NOV 2:30 PM DOL • 11-NOV 1:15 PM DOL

14-NOV 6:15 PM DOL • 16-NOV 7:45 PM DOL

After being continually disrespected by her rebellious daughter Futaba, perennially positive mother Kaori discovers the cutest and most annoying way to get back at the unruly teenage girl: by making sickeningly sweet chara-ben (character bento) lunches for her. Her bento boxes draw the unwanted attention of Futaba’s classmates, but Kaori isn’t giving up until her daughter finally reforms. This cute, colorful, and refreshing film will have everyone laughing, crying, and craving for a yummy bento.

23-NOV 3:45 PM WAI • 24-NOV 2:30 PM PAL

24 HIFF

Arriving in Beverly Hills from Calcutta in the early 1970s, hot yoga instructor Bikram Choudhury cultivated a celebrity following and built a global fitness empire, but by the 2010s, he battled numerous sexual abuse allegations and stories of an aggressive, cult-like training environment. BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR shines a light on the women who took him down and explores the contradiction of how this healing discipline could both help and hurt so many.

FILM PROGRAM

BLOOD MACHINES

BLOOD QUANTUM

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

HIFF EXTREME

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 50M

CANADA 2019 | MICMAC, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 96M

DIRECTOR: SETH ICKERMAN

DIRECTOR: JEFF BARNABY

13-NOV 9:00 PM DOL • 14-NOV 8:45 PM DOL

09-NOV 9:00 PM DOL • 13-NOV 8:30 PM DOL

Two intergalactic hunters are tracking down a spaceship trying to free itself. After taking it down, they witness a mystical phenomenon--a literal “ghost in the machine”--with what looks like the soul of a young woman emerging out of hardware. Trying to understand the nature of this entity, they start chasing the woman through space, where it leads them to someplace akin to Kubrick if drawn by Moebius. BLOOD MACHINES is a ménage à trois of STRANGER THINGS, KUNG FURY and HEAVY METAL!

23-NOV 8:00 PM PAL

PRECEDED BY:

BLOOD QUANTUM is an astute and bloody entry into the zombie oeuvre via a First Nations perspective. The dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow (Atlantic provinces of Canada), except for its indigenous inhabitants who are immune to the zombie plague. Amid the chaos, a tribal sheriff must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees, and a growing group of rabble rousers from the hordes of walking white corpses.

THE HAUNTED SWORDSMAN HAWAI‘I PREMIERE UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 16M DIRECTOR: KEVIN MCTURK

BOMBAY ROSE

CAN'T STOP THE DANCING

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON INDIA

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

INDIA 2019 | HINDI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 93M

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 103M

DIRECTOR: GITANJALI RAO

DIRECTOR: SHINOBU YAGUCHI

11-NOV 7:30 PM DOL • 13-NOV 4:00 PM DOL

08-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 11-NOV 3:30 PM DOL

Co-produced, written, edited, designed and directed by Gitanjali Rao in his first feature film, BOMBAY ROSE is an animated film about a flower seller named Kamala who falls in love with a migrant named Salim on the frenetic, gorgeous streets of Bombay. A collaborative work involving 18 months and 60 artists, this film applies traditional hand painting techniques with modern technologies in animation to combine for a saturated, sumptuous visual Bollywood-style experience.

22-NOV 8:15 PM PAL Shizuka is an overworked salary woman who seriously dislikes musicals. But one day when at a fair Shizuka accidentally falls under the spell of a hypnotist. Suddenly whenever she hears music she can’t help but break into song and dance! The only thing that can be done is locate the hypnotist and have him undo the spell. However, the scheming hypnotist has vanished. With the help of an unlikely friend, Shizuka embarks on a comedic, music-filled roadtrip across Japan to find him.

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2019 FALL FESTIVAL

DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FIRST SCREENING

CHANGING THE GAME

CLEMENCY

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

FILM FOR THOUGHT

PREMIERES

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 95M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 113M

DIRECTOR: MICHAEL BARNETT

DIRECTOR: CHINONYE CHUKWU

15-NOV 5:45 PM DOL • 16-NOV 11:00 AM DOL

09-NOV 5:30 PM DOL • 11-NOV 8:30 PM DOL

In sports, everyone says you have to “play fair.” But what is fair for everyone when it comes to trans athletes competing in gender segregated sports? Michel Barnett poses this question in his riveting documentary CHANGING THE GAME. For young trailblazers Mack Beggs, Andraya Yearwood, and Sarah Rose Huckman, being an athlete is as much a part of their identity as their gender expression.

Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard in a bravura performance). As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill. CLEMENCY won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize earlier this year, and has been gaining early awards buzz for Oscar nominated Woodard.

DAFFODILS

DARK PLACE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

PREMIERES

PACIFIC SHOWCASE

NEW ZEALAND 2018 | ENGLISH | 93M

AUSTRALIA 2018 | ENGLISH | 75M

DIRECTOR: DAVID STUBBS

DIRECTOR: KODIE BEDFORD

21-NOV 7:00 PM PAL

08-NOV 7:45 PM DOL • 11-NOV 6:30 PM DOL

Leaving her dying father’s bedside, singer Maisie (singer-songwriter Kimbra) rushes to perform at an indie music gig in town. But as she sings the opening song, it’s hard for her to ignore the heartfelt story she’s just been told – the story of how her dad met and fell in love with her mother, and how it all devastatingly fell apart. As the night goes on, we see the love story of Eric and Rose (Rose McIver, iZOMBIE) through Maisie’s eyes. A bittersweet love story told with beautiful re-imaginings of iconic New Zealand songs (Crowded House, Bic Runga among others).

In the tradition of CREEPSHOW and TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, Australian genre cinema takes an exciting leap forward with DARK PLACE, a quintet of tales that approach post-colonial Indigenous history through the lenses of horror and fantasy! From outback zombies to a gothic tale in the woods, and monsters that haunt you in your nightmares, these dark tales will surely creep you, all made by filmmakers of Aboriginal origin.

26 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

DOGS DON'T WEAR PANTS

EXIT

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPECIAL SCREENING

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

SPOTLIGHT ON KOREA

FINLAND 2019 | FINNISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 105M

SOUTH KOREA 2019 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 103M

DIRECTOR: J.-P. VALKEAPÄÄ

DIRECTOR: LEE SANG-GEUN

10-NOV 8:30 PM DOL • 13-NOV 9:00 PM DOL

15-NOV 8:30 PM DOL • 17-NOV 8:00 PM DOL

A heartbroken cardiac surgeon, is introduced to a dark and extreme world when his daughter gets her tongue pierced. While waiting for her, he stumbles into a room and is attacked by a dominatrix, who mistakes him for her next client. Startled, but feeling a new sensation that kicks him out of his depressed stupor, he wants more, sending him down a rabbit hole. From these lurid beginnings, the film becomes a misfit romance and eventually finds joy in some very dark corners.

23-NOV 7:30 PM WAI

THE FABLE

FAREWELL SONG

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 123M

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 115M

DIRECTOR: KAN EGUCHI

DIRECTOR: AKIHIKO SHIOTA

15-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 16-NOV 9:00 PM DOL

08-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 10-NOV 6:00 PM DOL

The Fable is a mysterious ruthless assassin. But after a hit on a major crime boss, The Fable’s handler fears his cover may be blown. He sends him to Osaka with strict instructions to blend in and lead a ‘regular’ life for one year. No killing allowed. But can this born assassin change his ways? And will he survive the day-to-day life of a working joe? Part comedy, part action, THE FABLE is one of the most entertaining films of the year.

Haru and Leo are longtime friends and bandmates in a folk duo called Haruleo. But after years together, they embark on what is set to be their final tour with their handsome manager Shima. As the three venture out, barely speaking, Haru and Leo seem to only come alive when singing. A musical journey through their past reveals a story of passion, music, and unrequited love. Part road movie, part coming-of-age romance, FAREWELL SONG is a raw tale of young love.

Yong-Nam was one of the best rock climbers in college but hasn't had much luck elsewhere after graduation. For his mother's 70th birthday, he insists on having the party at Dream Garden, because his old crush, Eui-Ju (Im Yoon-a from GIRLS’ GENERATION) works there as the restaurant manager. But, when a disaster strikes, covering an entire district in Seoul with mysterious toxic gas, Yong-Nam must then use his “unique set of skills," with the help of Eui-Ju to get everyone to safety.

HIFF .ORG 27

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

THE FILM ARCHIVES OF GREG NOLL, LOST & FOUND HAWAI‘I PREMIERE DOCUMENTARIES

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 39M

FOR MY FATHER'S KINGDOM HAWAI‘I PREMIERE PACIFIC SHOWCASE

NEW ZEALAND 2019 | TONGAN, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 97M DIRECTOR: VEA MAFILE'O

DIRECTOR: GRANT WASHBURN

15-NOV 7:45 PM DOL • 16-NOV 12:45 PM DOL

9-NOV 11:30 AM DOL

New Zealand artist Vea Mafile'o investigates why her father, who left Tonga decades ago for New Zealand, still insists on giving nearly everything he earns to the Tongan church, which has bewildered many of his family members. Only when the family returns to Tonga for a visit do they begin to understand the inherent sense of community firmly rooted in Tongan culture and the compulsion to donate whatever possible to the greater good.

Greg “Da Bull” Noll is one of the most prominent surfing legends. He is known for his imposing stature and the way he “charges” onto the biggest of waves. But what few people know is that he also shot thousands of feet of 16mm film documenting his surfing exploits. Now, LOST & FOUND: THE FILM ARCHIVES OF GREG NOLL attempts to locate and preserve his historic images.

PRECEDED BY:

THE RETURN HAWAI‘I PREMIERE UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 27M DIRECTOR: JON FISH

DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FIRST SCREENING

FOR SAMA

GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

FILM FOR THOUGHT

UNITED STATES 2019 | ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 96M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH, KOREAN, SWEDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 82M

DIRECTOR: WAAD AL-KATEAB

16-NOV 5:30 PM DOL • 17-NOV 3:45 PM DOL SXSW Grand prize winner, FOR SAMA tells the astonishing story of 26-year old female Syrian filmmaker, Waad al-Kateab, who filmed her life in rebel-held Aleppo through 5 years of the Syrian uprising. She fell in love, got married and had a daughter all while filming the violence raging around her and in particular documenting the challenges the conflict imposed on women and children. Along with a close group of friends, she stayed in the city to fight for her dream of a free Syria.

28 HIFF

DIRECTOR: DEANN LIEM

10-NOV 2:15 PM DOL • 11-NOV 4:00 PM DOL In this powerful tale about the rise of Korea’s global adoption program, four adult adoptees return to their country of birth and reconnect with their roots, mapping the geographies of kinship that bind them to a homeland they never knew. GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP explores the complexities of the Korean adoption experience and subsequent diaspora that have transformed not only how adoption is practiced worldwide, but also how kinship, identity and race are perceived and contested.

FILM PROGRAM

A GIRL MISSING

GO BACK TO CHINA

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

NEW AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 111M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH, CANTONESE, MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 96M

DIRECTOR: KÔJI FUKADA

15-NOV 8:45 PM DOL • 17-NOV 4:30 PM DOL Ichiko is a dedicated home health nurse, caring for an aging painter in her final years of life. She has become so close with her patient’s family that she frequently meets with the two granddaughters after hours to help with their studies. One day the younger granddaughter Saki goes missing. Fortunately Saki appears a week later unharmed. However, when the kidnapper is discovered, Ichiko becomes embroiled in a maelstrom of lies, manipulation, and scandal that threatens to destroy her whole world.

DIRECTOR: EMILY TING

16-NOV 6:45 PM DOL • 17-NOV 4:30 PM DOL 23-NOV 5:30 PM WAI Sasha Li (Anna Akana) is a spoiled rich girl. After burning through most of her trust fund, her father cuts her off and gives her an ultimatum to go back to China to work in the family's toy business. What begins simply as a way to regain financial support soon develops into a life altering journey of self discovery, as Sasha discovers her passion for toy designing and learns to reconnect with her estranged family. Director Emily Ting will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A after the film.

GOODBYE MOTHER

GRANNY POETRY CLUB

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SHOWCASE

DOCUMENTARIES

VIETNAM 2019 | VIETNAMESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 106M

SOUTH KOREA 2019 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 100M

DIRECTOR: DINH LE MINH TRINH

DIRECTOR: KIM JAE-HWAN

9-NOV 5:30 PM DOL • 14-NOV 3:30 PM DOL

10-NOV 12:30 PM DOL • 13-NOV 2:45 PM DOL

Van, the heir of a Vietnamese clan, returns home from the US for the first time in 9 years to move his father's tomb. The whole family is surprised to find him with a young Vietnamese American named Ian. No one knows Ian is Van's boyfriend and they plan to come out to Van's widowed mother, who expects him to get married and have kids to fulfill the heir's duties. While struggling to find the perfect occasion, Van finds out instead that his mother is seriously ill.

In 1937, the Governor-General of the Empire of Japan banned the Korean language in all schools on the Peninsula, creating an entire generation of illiterate elderly women from the village of Chilgok. Well into their seventies, an elementary school opened their doors to these women to learn the Korean written language for the first time. They discover a passion for the literary beauty of their language, applying their decades of lived knowledge and wisdom.

HIFF .ORG 29

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

HAOLE

HAPPY CLEANERS

WORLD PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

MADE IN HAWAI‘I

AMERICAN INDIES

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 70M

UNITED STATES 2018 | ENGLISH, KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 98M

DIRECTOR: JAMES SERENO

DIRECTORS: JULIAN KIM, PETER S. LEE

09-NOV 12:15 PM DOL

10-NOV 8:30 PM DOL • 11-NOV 12:45 PM DOL

23-NOV 7:00 PM MAC • 24-NOV 5:00 PM WAI

A struggling family fights to keep their dry cleaning business in Flushing’s Koreatown, all the while trying to heal intergenerational wounds and broken ties. Compelling, deeply personal, and reflective of the Korean American experience, this intergenerational ensemble drama written and directed by Julian Kim and Peter S. Lee breaks down the model minority myth and reveals the very real hardships Asian immigrant families like the Chois face every day.

HAOLE, the latest film from local filmmaker James Sereno (PARADISE BROKEN) and novelist Chris McKinney (THE TATTOO) takes place in Kahalu’u, on the Windward side of Oahu. Thirteen-year-old David Kealoha dreams of escaping rural Hawai‘i. But when Jonah Morris, a white kid from Phoenix, Arizona moves into the neighborhood, tragedy strikes, irrevocably changing the trajectory of David's life and those closest to him.

PRECEDED BY:

CROSSING THE LINE WORLD PREMIERE UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 11M DIRECTOR: DAVID ROSEN

HEARTS & BONES

HEAVY CRAVING

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

PREMIERES

SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN

AUSTRALIA 2019 | ENGLISH | 111M

TAIWAN 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 90M

DIRECTOR: BEN LAWRENCE

DIRECTOR: HSIEH PEI-JU

14-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 16-NOV 1:15 PM DOL

09-NOV 4:00 PM DOL • 10-NOV 2:15 PM DOL

A famed photographer (Hugo Weaving), back home from a war zone, is reluctant to prepare for an upcoming photo retrospective of his work. A South Sudanese refugee (an outstanding Andrew Luri) has built a life for himself, with new wife and upcoming child in tow. When he learns that Daniel's exhibition may display photographs of a massacre in Sebastian's village from 15 years earlier, he finds Daniel and appeals to him to exclude a photograph that may destroy them both.

Jiang Ying-Juan is a plus-size woman who loves to cook, but everyone from her mother to unwanted strangers pressure her to lose weight. After meeting a deliveryman who rescues her from harassment, she embarks on her quest to fit in, but her craving for social acceptance takes a turn for the worst when she loses something even more vital to her in the process.

30 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

A HIDDEN LIFE

THE HIKITA'S ARE EXPECTING!

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

PREMIERES

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

UNITED STATES 2018 | ENGLISH, GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 173M

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 102M

DIRECTOR: TERRENCE MALICK

DIRECTOR: TORU HOSOKAWA

15-NOV 7:30 PM DOL

12-NOV 5:30 PM DOL • 17-NOV 2:15 PM DOL

Based on real events, from visionary writer-director Terrence Malick, A HIDDEN LIFE is the story of an unsung hero, Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. When the Austrian peasant farmer is faced with the threat of execution for treason, it is his unwavering faith and his love for his wife Fani and children that keeps his spirit alive. World premiering at Cannes to near universal acclaim, many critics are hailing this film as a return to great filmmaking since 2011’s THE TREE OF LIFE.

49-year-old Kunio is a successful writer living a happy life with his wife Sachi. Though Sachi is quite a bit younger than Kunio, the two have always agreed that they didn’t want children. But as all of Sachi’s friends enter motherhood, she has a sudden change of heart. Kunio agrees, but things don’t always go as planned! A heartfelt and hilarious exploration of the all-too-common trials and tribulations of conception, THE HIKITA’S ARE EXPECTING! Is a simple comedy about one of life’s many dramas.

HOPE FROZEN

THE HUMAN FACTOR

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

DOCUMENTARIES

THAILAND 2018 | THAI, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 76M

ISRAEL / UNITED KINGDOM 2019 | ENGLISH, SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 108M

DIRECTOR: PAILIN WEDEL

11-NOV 5:30 PM DOL • 14-NOV 3:15 PM DOL A Thai two-year-old girl with terminal brain cancer becomes the youngest person in the world to undergo cryo-preservation. As her remains rest in a lab in Arizona, the girl’s father yearns to give her the opportunity to experience a rebirth inside a regenerated body, putting all their faith in her brother, a 15-year-old whiz kid named Matrix. What the boy discovers will rattle the family's radical hope in science.

DIRECTOR: DROR MOREH

16-NOV 5:15 PM DOL • 17-NOV 12:45 PM DOL With unprecedented access to the foremost American negotiators, THE HUMAN FACTOR is the behind-the-scenes story from the last 25 years, of how the United States came within reach of pulling off the impossible – securing peace between Israel and its neighbors. As President Trump seeks out “the ultimate deal” while remains strongly opposed by Palestinians, the urgency to learn from past mistakes has never been more apparent.

DAVIS

• EVIN IVINGSTON ATTORNEYS

HIFF .ORG 31

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

I LOST MY BODY

THE INFILTRATORS

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

DOCUMENTARIES

FRANCE 2019 | FRANCE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 80M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH, SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 95M

DIRECTOR: JÉRÉMY CLAPIN

DIRECTORS: ALEX RIVERA, CHRISTINA IBARRA

10-NOV 4:30 PM DOL • 14-NOV 5:30 PM DOL

09-NOV 1:30 PM DOL • 10-NOV 12:00 PM DOL

A soon to be animated cult classic, I LOST MY BODY follows a young man who gets his hand sliced off at the start of the story and then spends the rest of it — the hand, that is — trying to reconnect with his body while making sense of his life. A highly original and rather touching account of loss, both physical and emotional, the film wowed audiences with its original storytelling and animation style at Cannes, where it had its world premiere.

In 2012, a group of undocumented young people intentionally allowed themselves to be caught by authorities. Their plan: infiltrate the for-profit detention centres used by ICE to store detainees before deportation, and then use that inside information to push politicians to set them free. Through a mixture of interviews, reenactments and real-time action, THE INFILTRATORS plays with the thrills of a heist film with the added weight of truth behind its real story.

INSEPARABLE BROS

INVISIBLE LIFE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON KOREA

PREMIERES

SOUTH KOREA 2019 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 114M

BRAZIL 2019 | PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 139M

DIRECTOR: YOOK SANG-HYO

DIRECTOR: KARIM AÏNOUZ

14-NOV 5:45 PM DOL • 16-NOV 6:30 PM DOL

09-NOV 3:30 PM DOL • 11-NOV 3:30 PM DOL

22-NOV 8:00 PM WAI

Rio de Janeiro, 1950. Eurídice, 18, and Guida, 20, are two inseparable sisters living at home with their conservative parents. Although immersed in a traditional life, each one nourishes a dream: Eurídice of becoming a renowned pianist, Guida of finding true love. In a dramatic turn, they are separated by their father and forced to live apart, not knowing they live in the same city. They take control of their separate destinies, while never giving up hope of finding each other.

Two kids—a quadriplegic and a mentally handicapped boy—find each other after they are abandoned by their parents at a foster home for children with special needs. They soon develop a very deep, complementary friendship. But after living 20 years together, the local government threatens to shut down their foster home. Will these INSEPARABLE BROS finally be torn apart? Or will they find a way to work together and persevere despite adversity?

32 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

THE IRISHMAN

JUST ONLY LOVE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

PREMIERES

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 219M

JAPAN 2018 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 123M

DIRECTOR: MARTIN SCORSESE

DIRECTOR: RIKIYA IMAIZUMI

09-NOV 7:00 PM DOL

09-NOV 8:00 PM DOL • 13-NOV 8:30 PM DOL

Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, is a man with a lot on his mind. The former labor union high official and hitman, learned to kill serving in Italy during the Second World War. He now looks back on his life and the hits that defined his mob career, maintaining connections with the Bufalino crime family. In particular, the part he claims to have played in the disappearance of his life-long friend, Jimmy Hoffa, the former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who mysteriously vanished in late July 1975 at the age of 62.

For young Teruko, her beloved Mamoru takes priority over everything, even her friends and work. For her, Mamoru is more important than anything else. However to Mamoru, Teruko is not much more than a girl he can take advantage of. As Mamoru continues to use and discard her at will, Teruko loses sight of herself. But when he invites her to meet the object of his affection, Sumire, it may turn the tables on her unrequited love.

DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

KAMPAI! SAKE SISTERS

THE KILLER WITH JOHN WOO

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

SPECIAL SCREENING

MIXED PLATE

SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 96M

HONG KONG 1989 | CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 111M

DIRECTOR: MIRAI KONISHI

DIRECTOR: JOHN WOO

09-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 13-NOV 5:00 PM DOL

16-NOV 8:00 PM DOL

22-NOV 6:00 PM WAI

John Woo’s poetic bromance of honor and death celebrates its 30th anniversary! A calling card that brought him to Hollywood, THE KILLER is revered as one of the greatest action films during the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema. The lives of the ultimate hitman, Ah Jong (Chow Yun-fat) and the consummate Hong Kong police detective Li Ying (Danny Lee) become deeply intertwined in bullets and brotherhood as Jong postpones retirement to redeem his only failure—accidentally blinding nightclub singer Jennie (Sally Yeh). ‘A Conversation With John Woo’ with the director himself to follow the screening.

For centuries, women were forbidden to set foot into sake breweries, let alone be involved with its production. Today, women are the ones driving the most exciting changes within the ever-evolving sake industry in Japan. KAMPAI!: SAKE SISTERS invites audiences into the passionate lives of three pioneering women who are making their mark on the highly competitive, traditionally male-dominated world of sake.

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2019 FALL FESTIVAL

KNIVES OUT

THE LAST COLOR

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

PREMIERES

SPOTLIGHT ON INDIA

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 130M

INDIA 2019 | HINDI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 90M

DIRECTOR: RIAN JOHNSON

DIRECTOR: VIKAS KHANNA

12-NOV 8:00 PM DOL

09-NOV 1:45 PM DOL • 10-NOV 11:30 AM DOL

KNIVES OUT is a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and selfserving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death. KNIVES OUT is a witty and stylish whodunit guaranteed to keep audiences guessing until the very end.

Chhoti is a nine-year-old fearless tightrope walker and flower seller who struggles to survive in the ancient city of Banaras, India. She befriends a white-clad widow named Noor who is disallowed from taking part in Holi, the Indian festival of colors. Inspired by their mutual struggle, Chhoti devotes her life to breaking through societal barriers of gender and class and help Noor and others like them experience the colors of life once more.

LINGUA FRANCA

THE LODGE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

NEW AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES

HIFF EXTREME

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH, TAGALOG WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 94M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 108M

DIRECTOR: ISABEL SANDOVAL

DIRECTOR: VERONIKA FRANZ

12-NOV 7:45 PM DOL • 13-NOV 6:15 PM DOL

08-NOV 9:00 PM DOL • 10-NOV 8:45 PM DOL

This groundbreaking film written and directed by a trans woman of color reveals the many intersecting hurdles faced by undocumented transgender workers in America today. Olivia is a domestic caregiver who becomes romantically involved with her employer’s adult grandson in the pursuit of a marriage-based green card. LINGUA FRANCA is “a heartfelt personal statement rooted in timely, gripping issues that obviously resonate deeply with its author, notably trans rights and Trumpera immigration anxieties” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER). Director Isabel Sandoval in attendance for a special post-screening Q&A.

A bone-chilling nightmare from the directors of GOODNIGHT MOMMY, THE LODGE follows a family who retreat to their remote winter cabin over the holidays. When the father (Richard Armitage) is forced to abruptly depart for work, he leaves his children, Aidan (IT's Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh) in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace (Riley Keough). Isolated and alone, a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters from Grace’s dark past.

34 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

THE LONG WALK

LUCKY GRANDMA

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SHOWCASE

AMERICAN INDIES

LAOS 2019 | LAO WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 116M

UNITED STATES 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 87M

DIRECTOR: MATTIE DO

DIRECTOR: SASIE SEALY

13-NOV 7:00 PM DOL • 15-NOV 3:00 PM DOL

12-NOV 7:45 PM DOL • 14-NOV 3:30 PM DOL

An old hermit walks the dusty country roads in Laos in the company of a silent ghost, who perished in a car accident years before, and is forever stuck in the limbo of the real world. When he discovers that his spectral companion can transport him back in time prior to his mother dying from tuberculosis, he trespasses into his own past to convince boy-self to forestall his mother’s suffering.

Set in New York City's Chinatown, an ornery, chain-smoking Chinese grandma (legendary Chinese American actress Tsai Chin from THE JOY LUCK CLUB) goes all in at the casino, landing herself on the wrong side of luck. Desperate to protect herself, Grandma employs the services of a bodyguard from a rival gang and soon finds herself in the middle of a Chinatown gang war. LUCKY GRANDMA is a dark comedy about immigrant life, the vulnerabilities of aging, and an unexpected friendship.

MAN OF MEN

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK: THE WEAVERS OF THE HAWAI’I STATE CAPITAL TAPESTRIES

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE SPOTLIGHT ON KOREA

SOUTH KOREA 2018 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 116M DIRECTOR: SOO YONG

09-NOV 8:30 PM DOL • 16-NOV 2:30 PM DOL This drama-comedy buddy film follows Young-ki, a low-life gangster who wants to turn his life around and strike it big, and Jang-soo, a ruthless, high-profile lawyer who discovers that all the money in the world won’t be able to cure him of his terminal illness. Their paths cross unexpectedly after Young-ki is assigned to do court-ordered community service. What follows is a light-hearted but also profoundly life-changing journey into friendship.

SPECIAL SCREENING MADE IN HAWAI‘I

UNITED STATES 1969 | WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 30M DIRECTOR: GEORGE TAHARA

10-NOV 4:00 PM DOL ‘Ulu‘ulu preserves our moving image history to honor the past, and ensure their availability for future generations. This year we honor those women who were commissioned to create the massive tapestries that hang on the walls of the State Capitol chambers. For 50 years they have adorned the walls of the Senate and House chambers, quietly providing color, background, style, and decoration – but it took a village to create them. We will take a look back in time to see the many hands that made light work.

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2019 FALL FESTIVAL

MARRIAGE STORY

MASQUERADE HOTEL

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

PREMIERES

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 136M

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 133M

DIRECTOR: NOAH BAUMBACH

DIRECTOR: MASAYUKI SUZUKI

10-NOV 5:00 PM DOL • 12-NOV 8:30 PM DOL

14-NOV 8:15 PM DOL • 17-NOV 4:15 PM DOL

Award winning director Noah Baumbach (THE SQUID AND THE WHALE) delivers a masterful film that is a beautiful and devastating look at a marriage’s end. Adam Driver plays a stage director and Scarlett Johansson is his actor wife, as they struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes. Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta co-star but both leads turn in incredible performances, contributing to one of the most criticallyacclaimed films of the year.

When a string of murders hits Tokyo, the Police Department scrambles to track the mysterious serial killer at the next murder location: the luxurious Hotel Cortesia. Hardened detective Kosuke Nitta is forced to work undercover with unflappable hotelier Naomi Yamagishi in order to find the murderer while keeping the hotel guests alive and safe. Will they find the killer in time before they strike again?

PANEL DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW SCREENING

MAUNA KEA: THROUGH THE KIA'I LENS

MINA-ANUD

SPECIAL SCREENING

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

FILM FOR THOUGHT

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SHOWCASE

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH, HAWAIIAN | 30M

PHILIPPINES 2019 | TAGALOG WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 145M

DIRECTORS: CIARA LACY, JALENA KEANE-LEE

DIRECTOR: KERWIN GO

9-NOV 6:15 PM DOL

14-NOV 7:45 PM DOL • 16-NOV 11:15 AM DOL

23-NOV 12:30 PM PAL

When three tons of cocaine wash ashore in a peaceful seaside community in the Philippines, two down-on-their-luck surfers Ding and Carlo are faced with a dilemma— Do they turn it over to the authorities or get lured of “easy money,” a risk worth taking for family and freedom? This black comedy also has great relevance with real life instances of drugs washing ashore, its prevalence in the tourism industry, as well as corrupted government.

Free to the public, this special film program and panel discussion will capture the zeitgeist defining ‘Kapu Aloha’ movement happening on top of Mauna Kea and the fight to block the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project from breaking ground. Two short documentaries will be screened—STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS follows Native Hawaiian mother-daughter activists at the forefront of the movement and THIS IS THE WAY WE RISE, follows Dr. Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio through her creative journey through poetry inspired by the Kū Kia‘i Mauna. Discussion to follow.

36 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

MO TE IWI: CARVING FOR THE PEOPLE

NINA WU

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

PACIFIC SHOWCASE

SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN

NEW ZEALAND 2019 | WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 133M

TAIWAN 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 103M

DIRECTOR: ROBIN GREENBERG

DIRECTOR: MIDI Z

16-NOV 8:15 PM DOL • 17-NOV 10:45 AM DOL

09-NOV 6:30 PM DOL • 11-NOV 3:15 PM DOL

23-NOV 4:00 PM MAC

Actress Nina Wu gets her big break in a 1960s spy thriller, but the work is challenging, involving explicit nudity and sex scenes driven by an authoritarian director. After her father's business goes bankrupt and her mother suffers a heart attack, Nina nearly breaks down and returns home to connect with a childhood friend, but she is haunted by mysterious paranoid delusions linked to a long-repressed memory.

An intimate journey into the life and work of Māori master carver Rangi Hetet and a . At 82, Rangi is one of the last traditional Māori carvers alive today who learned their craft in an era that straddled the ways of the old tohunga whakairo (master carvers) and those of the modern world. “Carving does not exist alone as a skill – it exists within a whole body of knowledge and that knowledge exists and is held by a whole community of people....” - Lillian Hetet Owen

NO. 7 CHERRY LANE

NOTHING FANCY: DIANA KENNEDY

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG

MIXED PLATE

HONG KONG 2019 | CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 125M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 81M

DIRECTOR: YONFAN

DIRECTOR: ELIZABETH CARROLL

14-NOV 7:00 PM DOL • 16-NOV 3:45 PM DOL

11-NOV 8:15 PM DOL • 13-NOV 3:30 PM DOL

During the rise of the materialistic comfort of life in the 1960s, there emerges an undercurrent of danger in Hong Kong. NO. 7 CHERRY LANE, the latest from Hong Kong auteur Yonfan, tells the tale of Ziming, a Hong Kong University undergraduate, entangled between his amorous feelings for Mrs Yu, a self-exiled mother from Taiwan in the White Terror period, and her beautiful daughter Meiling. He takes them to different movies and through a series of magical moments on the big screen, forbidden passions are revealed.

For the past forty years, Diana Kennedy has been the global authority on authentic Mexican cooking. Known for her feisty personality, strict rules and insistence on fresh, sustainable produce, the now 96-year-old British chef shows no signs of slowing down. Equal parts fascinating character study and delectable food documentary, NOTHING FANCY plates up an extraordinary story of simplicity, authenticity and joy.

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2019 FALL FESTIVAL

OCEAN QUEST

OKINAWAN BLUE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

DOCUMENTARIES

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 48M

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 96M

DIRECTOR: SHANE VERMOOTEN

DIRECTOR: TSUKASA KISHIMOTO

15-NOV 5:30 PM DOL • 17-NOV 11:00 AM DOL

12-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 16-NOV 12:30 PM DOL

A team of gifted high school students enter an international competition to map the ocean floor, but have to contend with professional opponents, challenging technology and a steep learning curve. OCEAN QUEST showcases the incredible potential of kids given the chance, and the incredible work of inspirational, committed teachers.

23-NOV 5:30 PM PAL

SCREENS WITH:

TURTLE ODYSSEY

What does it mean to live on an island? Set in the quaint, picturesque island of Zamami, OKINAWAN BLUE explores what the island life means to its visitors and residents, weaving three strands of stories together into an omnibus film. Funny, quirky, and moving, OKINAWAN BLUE captures the breathtaking beauty and uniqueness of the region and its people.

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE AUSTRALIA 2018 | ENGLISH | 41M DIRECTORS: CASPAR MAZZOTTI, PAUL PHELAN This film will play with TURTLE ODYSSEY, a short documentary about one turtle’s life journey across the globe and back, narrated by Russell Crowe.

OLYMPIC DREAMS HAWAI‘I PREMIERE AMERICAN INDIES

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 85M DIRECTOR: JEREMY TEICHER

ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON & THE BAND HAWAI‘I PREMIERE DOCUMENTARIES

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 100M

08-NOV 6:30 PM DOL • 10-NOV 3:45 PM DOL

DIRECTOR: DANIEL ROHER

Penelope (newcomer Alexi Pappas), a young cross-country skier, bonds with a volunteer doctor Ezra (BIG MOUTH’s Nick Kroll) in the Olympic athletes village. Shot in the actual athletes village during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang is the perfect backdrop for this charming romantic comedy. It is also the first scripted film approved by the Olympic Committee to shoot during an Olympics.

10-NOV 8:00 PM DOL • 12-NOV 5:00 PM DOL

38 HIFF

Directed by Daniel Roher, ONCE WERE BROTHERS follows the life and legacy of folk music legend Robbie Robertson, from his humble beginnings in Toronto and the nearby Six Nations of the Grand River reserve to backing Bob Dylan during his tour, to the rise and fall of The Band. We get an intimate glimpse of Robertson through rare archival footage as well as interviews from friends such as Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, and Martin Scorsese.

FILM PROGRAM

OUR TIME MACHINE

PALM BEACH

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

DOCUMENTARIES

PREMIERES

CHINA 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 81M

AUSTRALIA 2019 | ENGLISH | 100M

DIRECTORS: SUN YANG, LEO CHIANG

DIRECTOR: RACHEL WARD

10-NOV 5:45 PM DOL • 12-NOV 3:00 PM DOL

09-NOV 3:30 PM DOL • 11-NOV 1:45 PM DOL

A moving meditation on art, mortality, and family, OUR TIME MACHINE centers on Maleonn, a famous Chinese conceptual artist, as he grapples with the advancing dementia afflicting his father, Ma Ke. Ma Ke is a renowned artist in his own right, having served as the artistic director of the Shanghai Chinese Opera. The documentary documents Maleonn’s ambitious effort to mount a tribute to his dad, “Papa’s Time Machine,” a time-travel puppet show told at human-sized scale.

A retired rock band and their partners meet at the home of their former manager in the affluent northern beaches of Sydney, but as the group reconnects cracks begin to form between the once-close friends as secrets from decades earlier start to resurface. Featuring an ensemble cast of iconic Australian actors headlined by Sam Neill, Bryan Brown and Richard E. Grant, PALM BEACH is a charming comedy-drama about lifelong friendship and the troubles of growing old.

DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

PARASITE

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON KOREA

NEW AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES

SOUTH KOREA 2019 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 132M

SAUDI ARABIA, GERMANY 2019 | ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 101M

DIRECTOR: BONG JOON HO

DIRECTOR: HAIFAA AL-MANSOUR

10-NOV 8:00 PM DOL

16-NOV 3:00 PM DOL

24-NOV 7:00 PM PAL • 24-NOV 7:00 PM WAI

A determined young Saudi doctor’s surprise run for office in the local city elections sweeps up her family and community as they struggle to accept their town’s first female candidate. Director Haifaa Al-Mansour (WADJDA), Saudi Arabia’s first female Saudi filmmaker, returns to her homeland with a tale of one woman's quest to challenge not only the system but also herself. Director Haifaa Al-Mansour will be in attendance for a special post-screening discussion.

Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) and his wife and two kids are poor and unemployed, living in a basement apartment and scraping by with the use of handouts and the neighbors’ wifi. One day son Ki-woo learns that his friend is going abroad and leaving behind a prestigious tutoring job for a rich family. A plan is hatched. As Ki-woo manipulates his way in as the rich daughter’s tutor, the family begins to insert themselves into the lives of the wealthy household.

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2019 FALL FESTIVAL

PICTURE CHARACTER HAWAI‘I PREMIERE DOCUMENTARIES

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 79M DIRECTORS: IAN CHENEY, MARTHA SHANE

08-NOV 5:30 PM DOL • 11-NOV 4:00 PM DOL Emojis are a worldwide phenomenon, with some arguing that these smiling poops and heart-eyed faces are on the verge of actually becoming their own language. Who, if anyone, is in charge of this new global digital language? PICTURE CHARACTER take us deep into this world, from the private non-profit international consortium that standardized emoji offerings and decides on the introduction of new ones, to the campaigns for new emojis. You’ll never look at another emoji, or think of language itself, the same way again.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

POWER MERI

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

PACIFIC SHOWCASE

FRANCE 2019 | FRENCH, ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 121M

NEW ZEALAND 2018 | TOK PISIN, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 76M

DIRECTOR: CÉLINE SCIAMMA

DIRECTOR: JOANNA LESTER

16-NOV 8:15 PM DOL • 17-NOV 3:00 PM DOL

12-NOV 5:45 PM DOL • 14-NOV 4:15 PM DOL

A gifted artist is commissioned to paint the portrait of a young woman who refuses to sit for her portrait, so must study her in secret. However, as the two women become more intimate and the romance between them grows, they must fight against the forces that drive them apart. From the award-winning director of GIRLHOOD, PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE is a striking depiction of love and friendship set in prerevolutionary France.

POWER MERI follows Papua New Guinea’s first national women’s rugby league team, the PNG Orchids, on their journey to the 2017 World Cup in Australia. These trailblazers must beat not only the sporting competition, but also intense sexism, a lack of funding, and national prejudice to reach their biggest stage yet. But their mission is greater than winning. In a country with appalling rates of domestic violence, sport is one of the few arenas in which PNG women can show their strength.

40 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

PREMATURE

THE PRISONER OF SAKURA

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

AMERICAN INDIES

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 86M

JAPAN / RUSSIA 2018 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 112M

DIRECTOR: RASHAAD ERNESTO GREEN

DIRECTOR: MASAKI INOUE

09-NOV 8:30 PM DOL • 10-NOV 6:15 PM DOL

10-NOV 12:30 PM DOL • -NOV DOL

Set against the backdrop of a changing Harlem landscape, when seventeen year old Ayanna meets handsome and mysterious outsider Isaiah, her entire world is turned upside down on her path towards selfdiscovery as she travails the rigorous terrain of young love the summer before she leaves for college. Rashaad Ernesto Green's second feature, which world premiered at Sundance, makes a familiar story fresh, thanks to a star turn from co-writer and leading lady Zora Howard.

In the same tier as Romeo and Juliet, the affair between a young Japanese nurse and a Russian soldier during the Russo-Japanese war is discovered in present time by a young assistant director and her boss. As they attempt to uncover details of the star-crossed lovers, the assistant and her boss find themselves shocked by the truth. The Prisoner of Sakura explores time, love, and war—ultimately, merging two stories.

REEL WĀHINE OF HAWAI‘I

THE REPORT

WORLD PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

MADE IN HAWAI‘I

PREMIERES

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 60M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 119M

DIRECTORS: RENEA VENERI STEWART, SHIRLEY THOMPSON, VERA ZAMBONELLI, ROBIN LUNG, TAYLOUR CHANG, KIMBERLEE BASSFORD

DIRECTOR: SCOTT Z. BURNS

16-NOV 12:00 PM DOL • 17-NOV 11:00 AM DOL REEL WĀHINE OF HAWAI'I is a series highlighting Hawai'i’s top women filmmakers. In this “new season,” produced by Hawai'i Women in Filmmaking, the following creatives are profiled: Editor and producer Lisa Altierin (UNDER THE JARVIS MOON); Filmmaker and educator Lisette Flanary (TOKYO HULA); Filmmaker Erin Lau (THE MOON AND THE NIGHT); Filmmaker Myrna Kamae (WORDS, EARTH & ALOHA); Documentarian and educator Marlene Booth (PIDGIN: THE VOICE OF HAWAI‘I); and animator Laura Margulies (HEPA!).

08-NOV 5:45 PM DOL • 10-NOV 8:15 PM DOL Idealistic Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver leading an all-star cast), tasked by his boss to lead an investigation into the CIA's post 9/11 Detention and Interrogation Program, uncovers shocking secrets. A darkly gripping political drama that is reminiscent of the best in ‘70sera political dramas unpacks corruption, justice and overwhelming relevance to gripping effect.

HIFF .ORG 41

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

RIDE YOUR WAVE

RUTH: JUSTICE GINSBURG IN HER OWN WORDS

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

DOCUMENTARIES

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 95M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 90M

DIRECTOR: MASAAKI YUASA

DIRECTOR: FREIDA-LEE MOCK

10-NOV 3:00 PM DOL • 13-NOV 6:30 PM DOL

09-NOV 1:00 PM DOL

24-NOV 3:00 PM WAI

By relying on Ginsburg’s own words and actions, as illuminated by carefully culled archival footage and interviews, Academy Award®winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock covers the full breadth of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life, views and career. Furthermore, Mock succeeds in creating a compelling portrait as authentic, poignant and powerful as the Justice herself. Discussion with Freida Lee Mock hosted by Honolulu Civil Beat to follow film.

Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Just as they become inseparable, Minato loses his life in an accident at sea. Devastated, Hinako cannot look at the sea, until one day, she randomly sings their favorite song and Minato magically appears in the water.

SEBERG

SIGNAL 100

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

PREMIERES

HIFF EXTREME

UNITED STATES, UNITED KINGDOM 2019 | ENGLISH, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 96M

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 88M

DIRECTOR: BENEDICT ANDREWS

12-NOV 6:15 PM DOL • 16-NOV 4:45 PM DOL Kristen Stewart stars as the titular French New Wave icon and BREATHLESS star Jean Seberg, specifically in the late ‘60s during her affiliation with the Black Panthers. When the FBI’s surveillance program COINTELPRO begins to target her due to her associations with Hakim Jamal. As she is targeted as a subversive, SEBERG chronicles a woman whose life becomes undone over her desire to make a difference. Stewart turns in a bravura performance that captures the spirit of a martyred icon.

42 HIFF

DIRECTOR: LISA TAKEBA

15-NOV 9:00 PM DOL • 16-NOV 9:00 PM DOL It’s the last day of the school year when one class’ homeroom teacher calls them in to watch a strange video. Moments after, for no reason at all several students jump out the window to their deaths. It turns out their teacher has deadly motives. The video has hypnotized the entire class, and when they are triggered by unique ‘signals’ they will commit suicide. After their teacher makes a grand exit, the 30 students must figure out the 100 deadly triggers….or die trying.

FILM PROGRAM

SO LONG, MY SON

SORRY WE MISSED YOU

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

CHINA 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 185M

UNITED KINGDOM 2019 | ENGLISH | 101M

DIRECTOR: WANG XIAOSHUAI

DIRECTOR: KEN LOACH

10-NOV 2:45 PM DOL • 11-NOV 12:00 PM DOL

09-NOV 3:45 PM DOL • 11-NOV 5:30 PM DOL

SO LONG MY SON traces the lives of two families over three decades of social, political and human upheaval in China. Following the loss of a child in a tragic accident, their paths separate. Destinies ebb and flow, and fortunes are transformed under the impact of a country's changing face. Yet even as their lives diverge, a common search for truth and reconciliation around the tragedy remains. But sometimes it can take a lifetime to say farewell.

Directed by legendary British filmmaker Ken Loach, SORRY WE MISSED YOU depicts a family fighting an uphill struggle against debt since the 2008 global financial crash. The family’s patriarch Rick is presented with an opportunity to gain back his pride as a self-employed delivery driver, but his wife pressures him to quit as their debt increases and family falls apart.

TALKING THE PICTURES

THEY SAY NOTHING STAYS THE SAME

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 127M

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 137M

DIRECTOR: MASAYUKI SUO

DIRECTOR: JOE ODAGIRI

10-NOV 5:15 PM DOL • 11-NOV 8:30 PM DOL

16-NOV 5:00 PM DOL • 17-NOV 1:15 PM DOL

Pre-war Japan. Young Shuntaro has dreamed since he was a child of becoming a benshi, a live-narrator for the silent films that play in the picture houses. But the only way he has found to achieve his dream is by acting as a shambenshiin a gang scamming people out of their goods. But one day when on the run, he finds himself an opportunity to become a real benshi at a cinema. However, a rival cinema, and his old gang, threaten this new-found life...

Toichi is an elderly boatman for a small mountain village, ferrying villagers across the river daily so they may reach a larger town on the other side. His life is simple and meager, but he is content. However as plans for a walking bridge come to fruition, Toichi finds his way of life becoming imminently obsolete. In the midst of this change, he finds a young girl floating in the river. Though he takes her in, the girl may be an omen of a darker future.

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THREE NOBUNAGAS

TO LIVE TO SING

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 106M

CHINA / FRANCE / CANADA 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 100M

DIRECTOR: KEI WATANABE

09-NOV 4:45 PM DOL • 13-NOV 5:45 PM DOL In the 16th century, powerful warlord Nobunaga Oda is trying to unify Japan, much to the chagrin of Kanbara, a warrior of a rival clan who decides to capture him. But just when Kanbara thinks he has him, he and his men find themselves with not one, not two, but THREE NOBUNAGAS. Which is the real Nobunaga, and which ones are decoys? This action comedy is a hilarious whodunnit of historical proportions.

DIRECTOR: JOHNNY MA

13-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 16-NOV 1:00 PM DOL Zhao Li is the manager of a small Sichuan Opera troupe, living and performing together in a rundown theatre located in the outskirts of Chengdu. When she receives the notice of demolition for the theatre, Zhao Li hides the news from everyone else, fearing that this could spell the end of her opera troupe: besides demolition, it’s the life of her “family” that is at stake. As she struggles to search for a new theatre for them to both sing and live in, the opera and its fantastic characters slowly begin to seep into her real world...

TOKYO HULA

TORA-SAN: MY UNCLE

WORLD PREMIERE

SPECIAL SCREENING

MADE IN HAWAI‘I

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 72M

JAPAN 1989 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 109M

DIRECTOR: LISETTE-MARIE FLANARY

DIRECTOR: YOJI YAMADA

11-NOV 6:15 PM DOL • 17-NOV 6:00 PM DOL

09-NOV 12:30 PM DOL

21-NOV 7:00 PM MAC • 24-NOV 4:30 PM PAL

Tora-san returns home to visit his sister and her family in Tokyo. His nephew, Mitsuo, is depressed because he has failed his university entrance examination, and also because Izumi, a young girl he is in love with, has transferred to a school in Saga, Kyushu. Mitsuo leaves home and finds her. Digitally remastered, this 42nd entry in the TORA-SAN film series ties in to the main story of TORA-SAN: WISH YOU WERE HERE, also screening at HIFF.

Today it is estimated there are nearly 2 million people dancing hula in Japan—a figure greater than the entire population of Hawai‘i. With more people dancing hula in Japan than in Hawai‘i where the native art was born, this explosive growth has created a multimillion dollar industry based on culture as commodity. But what motivates Japanese students and teachers to dance hula and how is it translated into a foreign culture? How do Native Hawaiians participate in this cross-cultural exchange?

PRECEDED BY: VOICES OF THE FOREST

WORLD PREMIERE UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 9M

DIRECTOR: BRADLEY TANGONAN 44 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

TORA-SAN: WISH YOU WERE HERE

THE TRUTH

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 115M

FRANCE, JAPAN 2019 | FRENCH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 106M

DIRECTOR: YOJI YAMADA

DIRECTOR: HIROKAZU KOREEDA

09-NOV 3:00 PM DOL • 10-NOV 11:45 AM DOL

15-NOV 8:15 PM DOL • 16-NOV 1:00 PM DOL

Tora-san is back! To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the longest running Japanese film series (48 in all), director Yoji Yamada returns with a 49th entry that continues the story of the supporting characters in the films, who were left with indelible impressions by the avuncular Tora-san (the late Kiyoshi Atsumi). You will see many returning faces of beloved characters, now older. It is a reunion of sorts, and also a celebration on this iconic everyman who has touched the hearts of millions of fans.

THE TRUTH is Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda’s first film made outside his native country. One of the great stars of French cinema, Fabienne (Catherine Deneuve) has a troubled relationship with her daughter Lumir (Juliette Binoche). When Lumir and her husband (Ethan Hawke) return to Paris with their young child, things come to a head with the publication of Fabienne’s memoir. Truths are told, accounts are settled, and love and resentment are confessed.

THE TWO POPES

UNTRUE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

PREMIERES

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SHOWCASE

UNITED STATES, UNITED KINGDOM, ITALY, ARGENTINA 2019 | LATIN, ENGLISH, SPANISH, ITALIAN, FRENCH, PORTUGUESE, GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 125M

PHILIPPINES 2019 | TAGALOG WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 102M DIRECTOR: SIGRID ANDREA-BERNARDO

DIRECTOR: FERNANDO MEIRELLES

07-NOV 7:30 PM DOL

16-NOV 8:30 PM DOL • 17-NOV 1:45 PM DOL

Living alone in the country of Georgia, Filipina migrant worker Mara falls in love with a fellow countryman named Joachim. Soon however, Joachim starts claiming to hear peculiar sounds and see strange visions. Although she begins to fear him, Mara is even more scared of being all alone in a foreign land, and decides to stay. From Joachim’s point of view, however, it seems like Mara is the one going insane. Is someone being UNTRUE? Or is something more malevolent going on?

Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) requests permission to retire in 2012. Instead, Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins) summons his harshest critic and future successor to the Vatican to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. These two very different men confront their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for a billion followers around the world. Inspired by true events.

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VAI

VERTIGO

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

PACIFIC SHOWCASE

SPOTLIGHT ON KOREA

NEW ZEALAND 2019 | ENGLISH, SAMOAN, MAORI, TONGA WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 90M

SOUTH KOREA 2019 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 114M

DIRECTORS: BECS ARAHANGA, AMBERLEY JO AUMUA, MATASILA FRESHWATER, DIANNA FUEMANA, MIRIA GEORGE, OFA GUTTENBEIL, MARINA ALOFAGIA MCCARTNEY, NICOLE WHIPPY, SHARON WHIPPY

13-NOV 8:00 PM DOL • 15-NOV 5:00 PM DOL A spiritual sequel to HIFF37’s WARU, this new omnibus showcases female resilience and journeys of empowerment through culture and the lifetime of one woman, Vai. Highlighting a spectrum of Pacific Islander cultures (Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Kuki Airani (Cook Islands), Samoa, Niue and Aotearoa) by using an indigenous actress from each culture to portray Vai at different stages of her life, VAI features eight chapters that seamlessly flow in its poetic rhythm.

DIRECTOR: JEON GYE-SOO

08-NOV 8:15 PM DOL • 11-NOV 6:00 PM DOL Seo-young is a contract office worker at a firm in a Seoul skyscraper. Unfortunately she suffers from vertigo, a condition exasperated by the swaying of the tall tower. Seo-young is also having an illicit affair with her handsome boss, patiently awaiting the day when they can go public with their relationship. So when things begin to go south with both her health and her boss, she starts to break down. However, unbeknownst to Seo-young, she has a secret admirer just outside her window.

VORTEX

THE WANDERING CHEF

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA

MIXED PLATE

CHINA 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 103M

SOUTH KOREA 2018 | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 90M

DIRECTOR: GAN JIANYU

DIRECTOR: PARK HYE-RYEONG

11-NOV 8:45 PM DOL • 16-NOV 3:00 PM DOL

16-NOV 3:30 PM DOL • 17-NOV 11:30 AM DOL

Liu has a gambling problem. Having exhausted all of his funds, and the money he’s borrowed from relatives, he is now deep in debt to gambling operators and loan sharks. With no way out of this jam, he is forced into the criminal underbelly to pay off his debt. But what seems a simple job, to steal a car and take it to the chop shop, quickly becomes complicated when a young girl is found in the trunk...

Jiho Im is a celebrated Korean chef and forager, who travels across the Korean peninsula. As he forages for unique ingredients, mosses, herbs, and roots recognized for their medicinal purposes, he stores them almost as potions, while encountering everyday people, listening to their stories, carries their burdens and prepares meals for them. The result is a belly-warming story and poignant documentary that illustrates the deep connection between food, ritual, and memory.

46 HIFF

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DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FIRST SCREENING

WAVES

WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

PREMIERES

FILM FOR THOUGHT

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 135M

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 97M

DIRECTOR: TREY-EDWARD SHULTS

DIRECTOR: LINDA GOLDSTEIN-KNOWLTON

15-NOV 8:30 PM DOL

13-NOV 6:15 PM DOL • 17-NOV 1:30 PM DOL

Set against the vibrant landscape of South Florida, and featuring an astonishing ensemble of award-winning actors and breakouts alike, WAVES traces the epic emotional journey of a suburban African American family—led by a well-intentioned but domineering father—as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the aftermath of a loss. From acclaimed director Trey Edward Shults, WAVES is a heartrending story about the universal capacity for compassion and growth even in the darkest of times.

24-NOV 1:00 PM WAI

WELL GROOMED

WHEN TOMATOES MET WAGNER

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

DOCUMENTARIES

MIXED PLATE

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 88M

GREECE 2019 | GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 72M

DIRECTOR: REBECCA STERN

DIRECTOR: MARIANNA ECONOMOU

09-NOV 1:15 PM DOL • 11-NOV 1:30 PM DOL

16-NOV 6:30 PM DOL • 17-NOV 1:00 PM DOL

Enter the world of creative dog grooming, where owners compete to turn their poodles into bizarre and colourful works of art. Each year, dog groomers from across America travel to the country’s biggest contest in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with bags full of doggy hair dye and rhinestones to prove their talent to a select group of judges. Heartwarming, inspirational and surprisingly poignant, WELL GROOMED takes a compassionate look at the eccentric artists behind the international craze and the four legged friends who love them.

Due to the economic crisis, a tiny Greek farming village has rapidly declined to just 33 inhabitants. Christos, an enterprising farmer, decides to convert his lands to grow heirloom tomatoes with the help of his neighbor Alexandros, and a handful of elderly women, while also playing the epic operas of Wagner to said tomatoes. The result is a humorous and uplifting story of two ingenious Greek cousins and five village grannies, who tackle the world market with their organic tomatoes.

A group of tween girls chant into megaphones, marching in the San Francisco Trans March. Fists clenched high, they wear brown berets and vests showcasing colorful badges like “Black Lives Matter” and “Radical Beauty.” Meet the Radical Monarchs, a group of young girls of color at the front lines of social justice. Set in Oakland, the film documents the journey of the group as they earn badges for completing units including being an LGBT+ ally, preserving the environment, and disability justice, all chronicled during the 2016 Presidential election.

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THE WHISTLERS

THE WHITE STORM 2: DRUG LORDS

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG

ROMANIA 2019 | ROMANIAN, ENGLISH, SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 97M

HONG KONG 2019 | CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 99M

DIRECTOR: CORNELIU PORUMBOIU

08-NOV 8:45 PM DOL • 10-NOV 6:30 PM DOL Corrupt cop Cristi travels to the Canary Island of La Gomera, where he collaborates with mobsters in order to try and free a shady Bucharest businessman named Zsolt, who is believed to know the whereabouts of a mattress containing millions in cash. Under heavy surveillance on the island, Cristi is taught by the local gangsters and a femme fatale, named Gilda, to communicate in an indigenous whistle language called "El Siblo," which is unintelligible to the police because it sounds like bird calls.

DIRECTOR: HERMAN YAU

08-NOV 8:30 PM DOL • 15-NOV 6:30 PM DOL Yu Shun-tin (Andy Lau), a lowly errand boy for a powerful Hong Kong mob boss, is forced to punish his long-time friend Fung Chun-kwok (Louis Koo). Traumatized by the incident, Yu decides to turn his life around and reform, eventually becoming a rich philanthropist. Meanwhile, streethardened Fung becomes a powerful drug lord. It seems the two old friends have diverged. But when ghosts from Yu’s past start to resurface, will their paths cross once more?

THE WILD GOOSE LAKE

THE WITNESS

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA

SPOTLIGHT ON JAPAN

CHINA 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 113M

JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA 2019 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 128M

DIRECTOR: DIAO YINAN

DIRECTOR: JUNICHI MORI

09-NOV 8:15 PM DOL • 10-NOV 6:00 PM DOL

10-NOV 7:45 PM DOL • 15-NOV 6:00 PM DOL

With a bounty on his head and every cop in Wuhan hunting for him, a career criminal flees to the lawless region around the Wild Goose Lake to evade capture. Showcasing his trademark flare and playfulness, director Diao Yinan (BLACK COAL, THIN ICE, HIFF 2014) crafts a powerful noir genre film showcasing the criminal underbelly and absurd contradictions of contemporary China.

On the night of her police academy graduation, Natsume gets into a horrific car accident, losing both her brother and her eyesight in the crash. Three years later, Natsume struggles with guilt and her newfound blindness. One day when walking home, she comes across a stopped car, and to her shock, hears the cries of a kidnapped girl inside. Reporting it to the police, she is received with skepticism. But undeterred, she sets off to solve the mystery, uncovering a sinister plot along underway...

48 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

WORDS CAN'T GO THERE

WUSHU ORPHAN

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

DOCUMENTARIES

SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA

JAPAN 2019 | ENGLISH | 89M

CHINA 2018 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 121M

DIRECTOR: DAVID NEPTUNE

DIRECTOR: HUANG HUANG

11-NOV 6:00 PM DOL • 15-NOV 4:30 PM DOL

08-NOV 6:15 PM DOL • 10-NOV 12:30 PM DOL

John Neptune was a California-based surfer, who moved to Hawai‘i, then Japan to become a renowned Japanese shakuhachi flute master. John has innovated on the shakuhachi’s design and developed new sounds never heard before with the instrument, adopting the name ‘Kaizan,’ and partaking on a fascinating 40-year journey of cross-cultural pollination, while being a ‘gaijin’ who is perpetuating an obscure, ancient art form. But what are the sacrifices involved with becoming a true master?

In the 90s, Lu Youhong, a greenhorn teacher, lands his first job at a Wushu academy in remote inland China. As one of the most prestigious martial arts schools in the country, the students are expected to follow a strict curriculum. This seems to work fine for everyone, except a shy, introverted pupil named Zhang Cuishan. Can both teacher and student learn to conform to such traditional standards? Or can they pave their own path?

YELLOW ROSE HAWAI‘I PREMIERE PREMIERES

UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 90M DIRECTOR: DIANE PARAGAS

14-NOV 8:15 PM DOL 21-NOV 7:00 PM WAI Rose, an undocumented 17-year-old Filipina, dreams of one day leaving her small Texas town to pursue her country music dreams. Her world is shattered when her mom suddenly gets picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rose, facing this new reality, is forced to flee, leaving behind the only life she knows, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she searches for a new home in the honky-tonk world of Austin, Texas.

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CAREFUL WHAT CONNECTING THE YOU PACK SHORTS DOTS SHORTS

CURVEBALL SHORTS

LITTLE HEROES SHORTS

From broken air conditioners at the DMZ, to Taiwanese zombies, and a comedy about an elderly man and an aging gun, make sure to pack what you need on this perilous journey. Safety is not guaranteed.

From communicating with deceased loved ones in Japan, to reviving indigenous tattoo practices in Canada, and creating self-sustainability in Puerto Rico post-Maria; real life stories about re/building connections with family, community, the earth, and even ourselves.

Sometimes it's not about the curveballs life throws at us, but how we handle them that counts. Little tales about individuals overcoming life's challenges, both big and small.

Sometimes a small group of people can make a big impact. From two doctors restoring sight to the blind in the Philippines, to a church making a radical decision to be a sanctuary, and a young woman saving the lives of children in Africa, true stories of BIG little heroes.

8-NOV 5:30PM DOL

DIRECTOR: EUNJOO BOO

14-NOV 5:45PM DOL

THE WIND PHONE

A MATTER OF TIME

DIRECTOR: KRISTEN GERWECK

DIRECTOR: PAULA WHETU JONES

SECOND SIGHT

BOZE

TO EACH YOUR SARAH

DIRECTOR: FUYUKO MOCHIZUKI

DIRECTOR: KIM DEOK-GEUN

THIS INK RUNS DEEP

CARRY MY HEART TO THE YELLOW RIVER

9-NOV 11:45AM DOL

AIR CONDITIONER IN PANMUNJEOM DIRECTOR: TAEHUN LEE

THE MENARCHE DIRECTOR: LEE I-HUI

BALLOON

DIRECTOR: JEREMY MERRIFIELD

LUGER

DIRECTOR: FREDDIE WATERS

BITE

DIRECTOR: WU RAY

DIRECTOR: ASIA YOUNGMAN

ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN

DIRECTOR: SMRITI MUNDHRA, SAMI KHAN

SOW (THE SEEDS WE SOW)

DIRECTOR: MIKE ATWOOD, EDSON JEAN

50â&#x20AC;&#x201A; HIFF

10-NOV 1:15PM DOL

OUR HOME

DIRECTOR: ALEXIS HURKMAN

UNKEPT

DIRECTOR: MICHAEL P. VIDLER

DIRECTOR: COLE SAX

SANTUARIO

DIRECTOR: PILAR TIMPANE, CHRISTINE DELP

THE CLINIC

DIRECTOR: ELIVIA SHAW

AUNTY

DIRECTOR: DAVE LAMATTINA, CHAD WALKER

KAMALI

DIRECTOR: SASHA RAINBOW

FILM PROGRAM

MADE IN HAWAI‘I SHORTS

PACIFIC SHOWCASE ACM UHM NIGHT 12-NOV 6:00PM DOL SHORTS

Presenting the very best in short films from kama'aina filmmakers, as well as stories based and shot in Hawai‘i, the MADE IN HAWAI‘I shorts program is an early indicator of Hawai‘i's emerging talents, both in front and behind the camera.

This annual showcase of the very best short films by and about the first peoples of the Pacific presents a broad cross section of genres and themes, ranging from comedy, slice of life drama, magical realism and the varied stories and traditions of Pacific Islanders.

8-NOV 8:15PM DOL 17-NOV 3:30PM DOL 22-NOV 7:00PM MAC 23-NOV 1:15PM WAI 24-NOV 12:00PM PAL

MOLOKA‘I BOUND

11-NOV 8:00PM DOL 12-NOV 3:00PM DOL

HINEKURA

DIRECTOR: ARAHANGA BECS

LILIU

DIRECTOR: ALIKA MAIKAU

DIRECTOR: JEREMIAH TAUAMITI

808: HOW WE RESPOND

OUR ATOLL SPEAKS: KO TALATALA MAI TŌ MĀTOU WENUA

DIRECTOR: IAN BELL

DOWN ON THE SIDEWALK OF WAIKIKI

THE LEIS OF MY HEART DIRECTOR: DYMOND CABILDO

BLADES

DIRECTOR: NOAH TRAMUTO

HAWAI'I HARDCORE DIRECTOR: ERICK MELANSON

LAURIE RUBIN

DIRECTOR: JUSTIN KIMATA

DISTORTED

DIRECTOR: SOPHIA WHALEN

WITHER

DIRECTOR: JOSHUA CO

UPROOT

DIRECTOR: KALILINOE DETWILER

TEST DRIVE

DIRECTOR: MAIA GOEL

DIRECTOR: JUSTYN AH CHONG

DIRECTOR: CUBERO DEL BARRIO GEMMA

'ĀPONO

LIKE MADDAH

TEETH

DIRECTOR: RENA SHISHIDO

DIRECTOR: AARON SCHNOBRICH

MO'O!

LAST TAXI DANCE

THE GIRL AND THE KAPPA MONSTER

DIRECTOR: ANELA LING

DIRECTOR: BRAYDEN YODER

OTHER PEOPLE

THE TREE AND THE PIROGUE

DIRECTOR: BRYSON CHUN

DRIVING

DIRECTOR: CHELSI JOHNSTON

FALL GUY

DIRECTOR: BRADLEY CRAWFORD

THE PIT WHERE WE WERE BORN

DIRECTOR: SÉBASTIEN MARQUES

DIRECTOR: EMMA DAILY

SHANGHAI FILM ACADEMY SHOWCASE 12-NOV 8:30PM DOL

CRICKET

DIRECTOR: XI HAN

ESCAPED SOLDIER DIRECTOR: ZHU MINGJI

FLUTE

DIRECTOR: ZHU YIWEN, LAN SHASHA

DUMBNESS

DIRECTOR: ZHU MINGJI

SHANGHAI MAN WOMAN DIRECTOR: YUAN DAOWU

WHEN I AM SEVEN DIRECTOR: LIU ZHENG

THE WINGED BOY DIRECTOR: SHEN ZHIWEI

SKIRT

DIRECTOR: BRIANA SMITH, CHLOE MA

DIRECTOR: GAVIN ARUCAN

ROOMMATES

DIRECTOR: KYLE MOTONAGA

MERAKI

DIRECTOR: RENA SHISHIDO

TĀ MOKO - BEHIND THE TATTOOED FACE DIRECTOR: MICK ANDREWS, DAVID ATKINSON

DIRECTOR: ALEXANDER BOCCHIERI

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HIFF VIRTUAL REALITY

Virtual Reality (VR) is an exciting new way to experience media and the world around us. With a headset that completely covers your field of vision, VR puts you in exciting and immersive 360 environments -- from under the sea to the surface of the moon -- and opens up wholly new ways of telling stories. Over the Veteran’s Day long weekend, HIFF is proud to present a free VR program held across two locations in Kakaako. With a mixture of family-friendly animations, hilarious comedies and incredible works of interactive art, HIFF VR is an exciting way to experience a new world of possibilities. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE. For more information or to reserve your place, visit www.hiff.org/vr.

LOCATIONS HIFF VIRTUAL CINEMA 9 November - 11 November 10:00am - 8:00pm The Barn, SALT at our Kakaako 691 Auahi Street Honolulu, HI 96813 Drop by the HIFF VIRTUAL CINEMA at SALT to experience our Animated and Environmental shorts programs in immersive 360 video, or hang out in our lounge space and enjoy trailers to some of HIFF’s feature films. Sessions start every 15 minutes from 10:00am, and are suitable for families, groups and individuals. Walk-ins or reservations welcome.

HIFF VR LOUNGE 9 November - 11 November 10:00am - 8:00pm Entrepreneur's Sandbox 643 Ilalo Street Honolulu, HI 96813 With cutting-edge HTC Vive Pro headsets, the HIFF VR LOUNGE is home to our most advanced and interactive 3D VR experiences, including our Spotlights on Taiwan and Indigenous Perspectives. Feel free to enjoy the lounge space while you wait, or come along to one of our masterclasses to hear first hand about VR production, industry and technology. Reservations recommended.

HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION Virtual reality might not be suitable for all users. Young users may find it difficult to comfortably wear a headset, so VR is not appropriate for children under the age of 8. Participating in VR experiences may cause discomfort for some people, including nausea, dizziness, headaches, disorientation or injury.

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FILM PROGRAM

HIFF VR PROGRAMS SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN TAIWAN ACADEMY, TAIWAN MINISTRY OF CULTURE

Taiwan produces some of the most extraordinary works of VR storytelling in the world today, and HIFF is proud to present a retrospective of some of the most interesting recent Taiwanese projects. Wake up in an ABANDONED TEMPLE, and journey back in time to find out what brought a young girl to a haunted graveyard. Get your life together with the help of your disappointing spiritual guardian in the hilarious YOUR SPIRITUAL TEMPLE SUCKS, push yourself to the edge of memory and movement in the incredible AFTERIMAGE FOR TOMORROW, or travel through a psychedelic past with the boundary-pushing digital experience BODYLESS.

SPOTLIGHT ON INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN COMMUNICATIONS

How can new technologies help us tell stories that stretch back 60,000 years? Meet Nyarri Morgan, an Aboriginal man whose first encounter with Western civilisation was an atomic test 50 year ago in COLLISIONS. Experience the rebirth of an ancient riverbed in BAYI GADIYA, transport yourself to the imagined futures of four Aboriginal young people in FUTURE DREAMING, or travel across the Australian continent with 150 traditional dancers in CARRIBERRIE.

ANIMATED SHORTS (45 MINUTES) A selection of short, fun and family-friendly animations from Baobab Studios, founded by the director of MADAGASCAR. Aliens face off against their ultimate match - an adorable bunny - in INVASION!, and then get into more deep-space trouble in ASTEROIDS! when they encounter more unexpected obstacles. Then, fly past the sun to save your friends in the gorgeously-animated CROW: THE LEGEND, starring John Legend and Oprah Winfrey.

ENVIRONMENTAL SHORTS (45 MINUTES) Come face-to-face with some of the natural world’s most incredible wildlife, and experience first hand the importance of taking our environmental responsibilities seriously.

MASTERCLASSES AND TALKS Hear from top VR creators from across the world about their creative process, and the current trends in VR industry and technologies. Schedule of talks online at hiff.org.

ASIAN IN AMERICA VR DINNER

See SPECIAL EVENTS Page 66 for details.

HIFF .ORG 53

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NEW AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES PROGRAM

The mission of the New American Perspectives program is to highlight the contributions of immigrant filmmakers and content creators in contemporary cinema and multimedia arts in the United States. In 2019, the New American Perspectives program highlights the work of five talented, cutting-edge, foreign-born artists, and includes a master class with featured filmmaker, Haifaa Al-Mansour. The 2019 program will also highlight the New American Perspectives filmmakers and content creators in a featured panel discussion – free to HIFF attendees – which will focus on their careers and experiences as foreign-born artists. All 5 of the New American Perspectives filmmakers and content creators will be in attendance at the Festival, and will participate in Q&A sessions following screenings of their work. A number of the New American Perspectives filmmakers will also participate in HIFF’s Guest Filmmaker Program which brings filmmakers from around the globe into local K-12 classrooms to speak with students about filmmaking.

2019 FILMS THE PERFECT CANDIDATE HAWAI‘I PREMIERE SAUDI ARABIA, 2019 | ARABIC W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 101M DIRECTOR: HAIFAA AL-MANSOUR

NOV-16 3:00 PM DOL | MASTER CLASS TO FOLLOW Full Synopsis on Page 39.

MASTER CLASS NAP FEATURE FILM

The Master Class will focus on the career, and body of work, of Haifaa Al-Mansour along with the creation of her latest work THE PERFECT CANDIDATE. This is truly an exciting and unique event, not to be missed.

37 SECONDS

ASIAN IN AMERICA

GO BACK TO CHINA

LINGUA FRANCA

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE JAPAN 2019 | JAPANESE W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 115M

VR DINNER EVENT HAWAI‘I PREMIERE

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE UNITED STATES, PR CHINA, HONG KONG SAR CHINA 2019 | ENGLISH | 96M

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE PHILIPPINES 2019 | ENGLISH 95M

DIRECTOR: HIKARI

14-NOV 8:00 PM DOL 16-NOV 2:00 PM DOL Full Synopsis on Page 21.

54 HIFF

CREATOR: JENNY DORSEY Full program details on SPECIAL EVENTS Page 66.

DIRECTOR: EMILY TING

NOV-16 6:45 PM DOL NOV-17 4:30 PM DOL Full Synopsis on Page 29.

DIRECTOR: ISABEL SANDOVAL

NOV-12 7:45 PM DOL NOV-13 6:15 PM DOL Full Synopsis on Page 34.

FILM PROGRAM

2019 NEW AMERICAN FILMMAKERS The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in America and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences. The Vilcek Foundation is pleased to support the filmmakers and content-creators who are part of the New American Perspectives Program – creative spirits like theirs enliven and inspire cinema and multimedia storytelling – art forms that owe much to the immigrant community in the United States.

NAP FEATURE FILMMAKER: HAIFAA AL-MANSOUR Haifaa Al Mansour is the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia. The success of her three short films, as well as the international acclaim of her award winning 2005 documentary WOMEN WITHOUT SHADOWS, influenced a new wave of Saudi filmmakers. Al Mansour’s acclaimed 2012 film WADJDA received numerous awards and accolades at festivals around the world. In 2017 Al Mansour released MARY SHELLEY, starring Elle Fanning and Douglas Booth. In 2018 she released the Netflix film NAPPILY EVER AFTER, starring Sanaa Lathan. She recently directed an episode of an untitled Chris Keyser series scheduled to debut on Netflix in 2019, and an episode of THE GOOD LORD BIRD for Showtime. Her latest film THE PERFECT CANDIDATE had a phenomenal debut at both Venice and Toronto Film Festival this year.

HIKARI HIKARI is a writer-director and cinematographer with a professional background as an actor, dancer, and photographer. Her directorial debut, short film TSUYAKO screened at over 60 film festivals worldwide (including HIFF), winning 38 awards and 2 nominations including Best International Short Film at 2 Academy Award qualified festivals. 37 SECONDS is her feature-length debut, premiering this year at the Berlin Film Festival to much critical acclaim. HIFF is honored to welcome HIKARI to this year’s Festival.

JENNY DORSEY Jenny is a professional chef, writer and artist specializing in multi-platform storytelling fusing food with social good. She leads a nonprofit studio named Studio ATAO and runs her own culinary consulting business. Her food and work has been profiled in outlets such as Eater, Business Insider, Food & Wine, Oxygen TV and NowTHIS. Her full biography, food portfolio and writing can be found at http://jennydorsey.co

ISABEL SANDOVAL Isabel Sandoval is a New York-based Filipina filmmaker and MacDowell Fellow in film. She is the first transgender director to compete at the Venice and BFI London Film Festivals. Her three dramatic features SEÑORITA, APPARITION, LINGUA FRANCA) have competed and screened at prestigious international festivals including Locarno, Busan, Thessaloniki, Stockholm, Goteborg, Hamburg, Vancouver, Goa and Hawai‘i. Her work has been supported by the Tribeca Film Institute, SFFILM, NYFA, MOME, IFP and Frameline.

EMILY TING Emily’s latest feature GO BACK TO CHINA, starring Anna Akana, premiered in competition at this year’s SXSW. Her first feature, ALREADY TOMORROW IN HONG KONG, starring Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg, premiered at Los Angeles Film Festival. Emily was previously known for producing the films THE KITCHEN, A YEAR AND CHANGE, LAND HO!, PIT STOP, and MAN FROM RENO. She most recently produced Lynn Chen’s directorial debut I WILL MAKE YOU MINE.

HIFF .ORG 55

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

FILM FOR THOUGHT: CHANGE MAKERS

Film For Thought is a special program presented in partnership with the Hawai’i Council for the Humanities designed to inspire critical discourse and community dialogue through the medium of film. The tenth annual Film For Thought program will feature six feature films, focused on the theme ‘Change Makers’. The first screening of each film will be followed by a special post-screening scholar led discussion, while a companion booklet containing essays on all five film programs will be provided to audience members at all FFT screenings. All FFT Screenings will be FREE for Students with a valid Student ID. Students will need to present ID in-person at HIFF box office for a free ticket.

2019 FILMS

12-NOV | SCHOLAR-LED DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

AKICITA: THE BATTLE FOR STANDING ROCK HAWAI‘I PREMIERE UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 123M

14-NOV | SCHOLAR-LED DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

CHANGING THE GAME

FOR SAMA

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 95M

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE UNITED KINGDOM, SYRIA 2019 | ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 96M

DIRECTOR: MICHAEL BARNETT

12-NOV | 7:30 PM | DOL 15-NOV | 3:15 PM | DOL 23-NOV | 2:30 PM | PAL

14-NOV | 9:45 AM | DOL 15-NOV | 5:45 PM | DOL 16-NOV | 11:00 AM | DOL 22-NOV | 9:45 AM | PAL

See page 21 for film details.

See page 26 for film details.

DIRECTOR: CODY LUCICH

10-NOV | SCHOLAR-LED DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP HAWAI‘I PREMIERE UNITED STATES, SWEDEN, SOUTH KOREA 2019 | ENGLISH, KOREAN, SWEDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 82M DIRECTOR: DEANN LIEM

10-NOV | 2:15 PM | DOL 11-NOV | 4:00 PM | DOL See page 28 for film details.

56 HIFF

16-NOV | SCHOLAR-LED DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

9-NOV | SCHOLAR-LED DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

DIRECTOR: WAAD AL-KATEAB

16-NOV | 5:30 PM | DOL 17-NOV | 3:45 PM | DOL See page 28 for film details.

13-NOV | SCHOLAR-LED DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW FILM

MAUNA KEA: THROUGH THE KIA'I LENS

WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS

SPECIAL SCREENING UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH, HAWAIIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 30M

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE UNITED STATES 2019 | ENGLISH | 97M

DIRECTOR: VARIOUS DIRECTORS

9-NOV | 6:15 PM | DOL 23-NOV | 12:30 PM | PAL See page 36 for film details.

DIRECTOR: LINDA GOLDSTEIN-KNOWLTON

13-NOV | 6:15 PM | DOL 17-NOV | 1:30 PM | DOL 24-NOV | 1:00 PM | WAI See page 47 for film details.

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

DANIEL K. INOUYE STUDENT FILM INITIATIVE Last year, the Daniel K. Inouye Institute and the Hawai’i International Film Festival launched a partnership to encourage K - 12 students statewide to create films inspired by Senator Inouye’s historic speech at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Senator Inouye, a decorated veteran who served in World War II as part of the 442nd Infantry Regiment, was the first person of color to deliver a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. In that historic moment, Inouye boldly addressed lingering racism in America or what he called the “immorality” of the Vietnam War.

DKII STUDENT SHOWCASE SCREENING

As 2019 marks the 60th anniversary of statehood in Hawai’i, student filmmakers were asked to reflect on what this moment in time means to them, and where they see Hawai’i going in the next 40 years of our centennial of statehood. Featuring archived items of historical importance from the DKII collection, students used these items as inspiration directly or indirectly in their work, as well as drew upon current day objects that reflected modern day themes and perspective as inspiration to produce a short film (no more than 3 minutes in length).

Finalists will be presented during the 38th Annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival (November 7th-17th) during a special presentation screening as part of the Festival’s annual program. 17-NOV 11:00 AM DOL | FREE

DKII FINALIST LUNCHEON & SEMINAR

Finalists will also be invited to attend a Future Filmmaker Luncheon and Seminar, featuring guest speaker and local-born actor, Jacob Batalon, who broke out of the scene with his role as Ned Leeds in SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING and SPIDER-MAN FAR FROM HOME. He returns to O’ahu as DKII youth ambassador and will impart wisdom about his breakthrough career,and share advice on how to break it in the entertainment industry with the state’s future content creators! "I am honored and privileged to be a witness to the creative future of our youth. To have a vision of a better Hawai‘i takes courage, strength, and love. I am truly proud of this initiative, and I hope that these opportunities afforded to them will cultivate a brighter future for filmmakers, actors, and creatives all alike from our great state. You all have a voice that should be heard, and I can’t wait to see what you all have in store," Jacob Batalon shared in a statement. Producer and writer Phil Chung of You Offend Me, You Offend My Family (YOMYOMF) will serve as the moderator for the panel.

DKII STUDENT PRIZES

58 HIFF

In addition to students interacting with internationally recognized leaders in the film industry, the Daniel K. Inouye Institute are awarding prizes to the top student filmmakers with a cash award and a "Get Out and Go" Box that includes a GoPro Hero and a Best Buy gift card for their school. A mini-workshop led by a filmmaker and DKII representative will also be provided for students to get familiarized with the GoPro, as well as a session for an extended discussion on the use of media in activism.

FILM PROGRAM

HIFF EDUCATION

The Hawai‘i International Film Festival offers free and exciting programs for K-12 students throughout the state. The main purpose of our education program is three-fold: • To inspire students to pursue excellence in film and video production • To broaden their understanding of the media industry • To sharpen their critical viewing skills and cultural awareness Students will have the opportunity to participate in three programs: Cultural & Visual Literacy Program, Guest Filmmaker Program, and Student Showcase.

CULTURAL & VISUAL LITERACY PROGRAM

Free theater screenings of highly acclaimed films that bear cultural and/or educational significance.

RIDE YOUR WAVE DIRECTOR: MASAAKI YUASA | 94M

CHANGING THE GAME DIRECTOR: MICHAEL BARNETT | 95M

OCEAN QUEST + TURTLE ODYSSEY DIRECTOR: CASPAR MAZZOTTI | 41M DIRECTOR: SHANE VERTMOOTEN | 48M

GUEST FILMMAKER PROGRAM

The following professionals in the filmmaking industry have volunteered to share their expertise with Hawai‘i’s youth through classroom visits on O’ahu and Kaua’i: Alexander Bocchieri Justyn Ah Chong Gemma Cubero Del Barrio Amelia Borofsky Jenny Dorsey Gerard Elmore Amy Hill Ciara Lacy Anela Ling Anne Misawa ‘Āina Paikai Isabel Sandoval Brian Watanabe

HIFF .ORG 59

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

HIFF EDUCATION

STUDENT SHOWCASE

A free screening of the best films produced by students in grades K-12 from Hawai‘i. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9 | 10 AM | REGAL DOLE CANNERY STADIUM 18 AND IMAX

@MIASHEAFFER

DIRECTOR: KAEDE KIMURA

ANIMATION CLASS 3

DIRECTOR: INTRO TO ANIMATION STUDENTS

BRING TO LIFE: 2019 LILI‘UOKALANI ‘ŌLINO ARTS ANIMATION ACADEMY DIRECTOR: LINDA DORN

FINE

DIRECTOR: JESSICA HEARTHER

GREEN GONE

DIRECTOR: KEANU FRITH, TESS MORETTI-HILL, GABRIEL JEFFERS, MĀHEA DUNN

GROWING OUR FUTURE

DIRECTOR: JESIAH MALAIKINI, HUAKA PARK, IRE PU-AKINA, NAKUALAKUHIKUHI KANAKEOLE-PARK

HARDLY WORKING

DIRECTOR: IRENE YAMASHITA

IRREVERSIBLE

DIRECTOR: EMMA TAMASHIRO, KARISSA TABADERO

KIDS SPEAK ON PLASTIC POLLUTION DIRECTOR: HOKUAOKA’ALE GILMAN, KAILANI IBANEZ, MIKAELA LAGASCA

REMEMBER

DIRECTOR: CHLOE CHIN, TESSA CHIN, KA’IMI KALELEIKI

TWO OF A KIND

DIRECTOR: INEZ ANDERSON

60 HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

HIFF 2019 SEMINARS & PANELS HIFF TALKS: CAPE PITCH WORKSHOP: CRAFTING YOUR PERSONAL STORY 9-NOV 12:00 AM – 1:30 PM | IHEARTRADIO MUSIC HALL | FREE Executives and producers hear tons of pitches - how do you stand out and be memorable? Most people do not know how to pitch themselves and their projects in the most impactful way. You can have the best product, but if you don't know how to sell it, it doesn't matter. Led by CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment), this hands-on, interactive workshop will teach you the tools in crafting an ideal pitch. Very limited seating.

HIFF TALKS: NEW AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES 16-NOV 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | IHEARTRADIO MUSIC HALL | FREE As part of 2019’s New American Perspective’s program presented in partnership with the Vilcek Foundation, HIFF will present a FREE panel discussion with the five filmmakers spotlighted in this year’s program: Haifaa Al-Mansour, Jenny Dorsey, Tatiana Maslany, Isabel Sandoval, and Emily Ting. The filmmakers will discuss their careers, their works, and their experiences as foreign-born artists.

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK : THE WEAVERS OF THE HAWAI‘I STATE CAPITOL TAPESTRIES 10-NOV 4:00 PM | DOL | FREE ‘Ulu‘ulu preserves our moving image history to honor the past, and ensure their availability for future generations. This year we honor those women who were commissioned to create the massive tapestries that hang on the walls of the State Capitol chambers. For 50 years they have adorned the walls of the Senate and House chambers, quietly providing color, background, style, and decoration – but it took a village to create them. We will take a look back in time to see the many hands that made light work.

MAUNA KEA: THROUGH THE KIA‘I LENS 9-NOV 6:15 PM – 7:30 PM | DOL | FREE Free to the public, this special film program and panel discussion will capture the zeitgeist defining ‘Kapu Aloha’ movement happening on top of Mauna Kea and the fight to block the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project from breaking ground. Two short documentaries will be screened—STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS follows Native Hawaiian mother-daughter activists at the forefront of the movement and THIS IS THE WAY WE RISE, follows Dr. Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio through her creative journey through poetry inspired by the Kū Kia‘i Mauna. Panel discussion to follow.

HIFF .ORG 61

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE FILMMAKER IN FOCUS: JOHN WOO

With the support of the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office of San Francisco (HKETO SF), HIFF continues its tradition of honoring great cinema from the region by welcoming the godfather of Hong Kong action cinema: Mr. John Woo. Transforming mundane scenes into a ballet of endless bullets and fluttering doves, Mr. Woo inspired an entire generation of film nerds such as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, eventually crossing over into Hollywood with cult classics such as FACE/OFF and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2. In honor of the 30th anniversary of the original release of Mr. Woo’s classic action thriller THE KILLER starring Chow Yun-Fat, HIFF arranges a special screening with Mr. Woo in attendance for a rare post-film discussion.

SCREENING

THE KILLER WITH JOHN WOO SPECIAL SCREENING SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG

HONG KONG 1989 | CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 111M DIRECTOR: JOHN WOO

16-NOV 8:00 PM DOL | DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW SCREENING See page 33 for details.

NEW HONG KONG CINEMA HIFF will also screen two films: Yonfan’s NO. 7 CHERRY LANE, winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the Venice Film Festival, is an animated ode to the 1960s - a dreamy love triangle between a handsome college tutor, his fashionista student, and her middle-aged entrepreneurial mother. Hong Kong’s official foreign language Academy Award entry THE WHITE STORM 2: DRUG LORDS continues the “Heroic Brotherhood” film tradition led by Mr. Woo and others. Starring Andy Lau and featuring one of the most incredible action sequences ever filmed in a crowded Central MTR station, these films demonstrate the endurance of Hong Kong cinema on the international stage while still retaining a sense of integrity to its unique cultural spirit.

NO. 7 CHERRY LANE

THE WHITE STORM 2: DRUG LORDS

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG HONG KONG 2019 | CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 125M

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE SPOTLIGHT ON HONG KONG HONG KONG 2019 | CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 99M

DIRECTOR: YONFAN

DIRECTOR: HERMAN YAU

14-NOV 7:00 PM DOL • 16-NOV 3:45 PM DOL

08-NOV 8:30 PM DOL • 15-NOV 6:30 PM DOL

See page 37 for details.

See page 48 for details.

62 HIFF

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2019 FALL FESTIVAL

SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN: BREAKING CULTURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS This year’s Spotlight On Taiwan exemplifies the cultural and technological boundaries that make the island nation a cutting-edge destination for 21st century Asian filmmaking. HIFF is proud to present two female-centric stories that explore the darker sides of self-discovery battened down by the patriarchy. Myanmar-born Taiwanese director Midi Z’s NINA WU reunites him with Kexi Wu in a Lynchian look at the inner-psyche of a working actress in Taiwan. Hsieh Pei-ju’s HEAVY CRAVING features a talented chef whose struggles with weight loss and extreme societal pressure. HEAVY CRAVING won the Audience Choice Award at this year’s Taipei Film Festival. For the first time ever, HIFF’s VR Program will feature four works from Taiwan: ABANDONED TEMPLE by Cheng Wei-Hao, AFTERIMAGE FOR TOMORROW by Chen Singing, BODYLESS by Huang Hsin-Chien, and YOUR SPIRITUAL TEMPLE SUCKS by John Hsu. With the support of HTC and organizations like the Kaohsiung Film Festival, Taiwanese VR experiences are already curated at major festivals such as Cannes, Venice and Sundance. Taiwanese cinema is truly breaking barriers and innovating in the future of cinematic storytelling. HIFF’s Spotlight on Taiwan is supported by the Taiwan Academy of Los Angeles and the Ministry of Culture of Taiwan.

FILM SCREENINGS & EVENTS PANEL DISCUSSION: GENDER PARITY IN TAIWAN CINEMA presented by International Woman’s Group at East West Center Participants Association (EWCPA) 8-NOV 2:00 PM | EAST WEST CENTER

HEAVY CRAVING

NINA WU

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN TAIWAN 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 90M

HAWAI‘I PREMIERE SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN TAIWAN 2019 | MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 103M

DIRECTOR: PEI-JU HSIEH

DIRECTOR: MIDI Z

09-NOV 4:00 PM DOL • 10-NOV 2:15 PM DOL

09-NOV 6:30 PM DOL • 11-NOV 3:15 PM DOL

See page 30 for details.

See page 37 for details.

A FREE panel discussion with Taiwanese filmmakers to discuss female empowerment, gender parity and the state of Taiwanese cinema during the #MeToo Movement.

TAIWAN VR SHOWCASE The Taiwan VR Showcase will be presented at the HIFF VR LOUNGE, home to our most advanced and interactive 3D VR experiences. Reservations recommended. More information at www.hiff.org/VR

64 HIFF

HIFF VR LOUNGE 9 November - 11 November, 10:00am - 8:00pm Entrepreneur's Sandbox 643 Ilalo Street Honolulu, HI 96813

FILM PROGRAM

HIFF .ORGâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; 65

2019 FALL FESTIVAL

ASIAN IN AMERICA Experience Asian American history as innovative as its gets: an evocative pairing of virtual reality and fine dining. Across three courses and two cocktails prepared by acclaimed chef Jenny Dorsey (Vilcek New American Perspectives 2019) and her team, take a virtual and tasty tour through the extraordinary history, heritage and culture of Asians in America. The ingredients, cooking techniques and alternating presentations of art take guests on a multi-sensory journey through the trials and triumphs of Asian American identity. Part-fine dining, part-technological feat, ASIAN IN AMERICA has received rave reviews since its premiere, and HIFF is proud to present this unique work in 2019. But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry: the food is as real as it is delicious. For more information, or to book your seat at the table, visit www.hiff.org/asian-in-america.

CINEMA IN THE PARK 13-NOV 7:00PM VWP Presented by Ward Village HIFF is proud to present a special festival edition of its monthly Cinema in the Park in partnership with Ward Village. Rustle up your picnic blankets, pack your favourite movie snacks and enjoy a free screening of a HIFF film favourite under the stars in Victoria Ward Park. Film Information coming soon at www.hiff.org/courtyard-cinema. Want to eat like a VIP? Grab dinner at the many great restaurants around Ward Village and bring it along with you to enjoy during the screening. Show us your receipt from any Ward Village restaurant from the date of the screening and you'll get access to special floor seating up front for the best views. This event is FREE but tickets are required, so RSVP at www.hiff.org/courtyard-cinema to guarantee your place.

66â&#x20AC;&#x201A; HIFF

FILM PROGRAM

AWARDS GALA

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2019 HALEKULANI HOTEL BALLROOM 2199 KALIA ROAD, WAIKIKI 6:00PM RED CARPET 7:00PM CEREMONY The HIFF Awards Gala is the premier red carpet event of the Pacific, a glamorous celebration of cinema, culture and artistic achievement. Held in the majestic Halekulani ballroom, the Awards Gala is the place for filmmakers and VIP guests to mingle and enjoy Halekulani’s legendary hospitality. The HIFF Awards Gala showcases stars from Asia, America and the Pacific that have reached enormous success in their careers, and is home to HIFF’s signature honors: the Halekulani Maverick Award, Halekulani Career Achievement Award and PIC Trailblazer Award, celebrating the contributions of world cinema’s great artists and innovators. The Gala will also feature the announcement of the Made-In-Hawaii and Kau Ka Hōkū Emerging Filmmaker Award, awarded by juries of esteemed industry professionals to showcase the best emerging talent in Asian-Pacific filmmaking. In 2019, in partnership with the Vilcek Foundation, HIFF is proud to also honor the ‘New American Perspectives’ program guests, celebrating the creative contributions of immigrants to the diverse fabric of American society. The Awards Gala is a black tie affair that includes a walk down the red carpet showcased on Hawai’i News Now. All proceeds support HIFF’s work in Hawai’i and beyond. In addition to a fun, star-studded event, your attendance helps to provide access to acclaimed international films, deepen our service to the industry, host free public seminars, and grow our education programs to better serve and cultivate the burgeoning industry in the Pacific.

TO FIND OUT MORE OR TO BOOK YOUR PLACE, VISIT WWW.HIFF.ORG/AWARDSGALA.

HIFF .ORG 67

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