6 Reasons to Attend Hawai‘i International Film Festival This Fall
Tickets for HIFF42 go on sale to the public Monday, Oct. 17. Here’s our guide to what’s new and interesting this year.
There’s always something exciting at HIFF, and this year is no different. The annual statewide celebration of film continues this year as a hybrid in-person/virtual festival with the theme “Secondary Succession,” focusing on the concepts of regrowth, rebirth and regeneration after devastation.
Here are a few of the new offerings in 2022:
Next Wave Asia
Beyond the spotlights on China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, Next Wave Asia includes films from Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Click here for Next Wave Asia program
HIFF Extreme
Mature viewers who don’t mind uncomfortable stories or graphic portrayals have three films to choose from in this program: Holy Spider, based on the true story of a serial killer in Iran and the journalist who tries to bring him to justice; Project Wolf Hunting, a gory South Korean thriller that takes places on a cargo ship full of criminals; and Safe Word, about a struggling Japanese performer who engages in BDSM entertainment.
Click here for Extreme program
Shorts Programs and Awards
There are multiple shorts programs, which focus on Indigenous stories, mini thrillers, student-produced films and more. The nine shorts that are part of the Green Screen Competition are up for the new Deep Blue Environmental Short award, a $5,000 cash prize. Also new this year, the winners of the HIFF Best Short Film and Best Made in Hawai‘i Short Film awards will be eligible for Oscar consideration.
Lindsey Watson in The Wind & the Reckoning. Photo: Courtesy of HIFF
Throughout the festival, expect the usual robust assortment of shorts, features, talks and spotlights as in years past, but with some twists. Some highlights not to miss:
Opening Night
The festival kicks off at Bishop Museum on Thursday, Nov. 3, with live music, entertainment and food, plus a screening of The Wind & the Reckoning, based on the true story of a local family that refuses to separate when the father and son contract Hansen’s disease in the 1890s. Over at Ward, Yudo: The Way of the Bath brings together estranged brothers who inherit a bathhouse. If you can’t decide between the two , go with The Wind & the Reckoning, which will be shown one night only. Yudo screens again on Nov. 7 at Kāhala.
Song Kang-ho (Parasite, The Host, Snowpiercer) stars in Broker. Photo: Courtesy of HIFF
Centerpieces and Closing Night Film
Don’t miss the co-centerpiece films: Hunt, directed by and starring Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae, playing at Ward Nov. 9 and Kāhala Nov. 12; and The Inspection, from A24, the entertainment company behind such hits as Everything Everywhere All at Once, Hereditary and Lady Bird, which will be shown Nov. 9 at Ward. The closing night film, Broker, comes from director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who will be presented with the HIFF42 Vision in Film Award. Broker screens at Kāhala on Nov. 12 and 13.
Of Note
Other programs worth checking out include the Made in Hawai‘i lineup of four features and 21 shorts; international films that are up for Oscar consideration; highlights from Cannes, Sundance and other prestigious festivals; and the New American Perspectives program centered on immigrant experiences. Sort by what you’re interested in on the program page. You can also sort by venue or date, or read through all the descriptions. But hurry—tickets are on sale Oct. 17 and some will sell out quickly.
Many films will only be available in person, with most screenings taking place at Consolidated Kāhala. For a list of the films that are available virtually, click here. Virtual films can be screened from anywhere in the U.S. unless otherwise noted.
By the Numbers
42: How many years the festival has been running
111: The number of Hawai‘i premieres at HIFF42
37: The number of countries represented at the festival
11: Days of in-person O‘ahu programming
25: Days of virtual programming
$14: The cost of a standard general admission ticket. Tickets are $12 for students, military and seniors.
$500: The cost of an all-access pass that gets you into every O‘ahu screening as well as access to every virtual screening. For other types of passes available (starting at $50), click here.
$5,000: The cash prize for the new Deep Blue Environmental Short award
$10,000: The total cash prizes awarded for Best Made in Hawai‘i films
The Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekūlani runs Nov. 3–13 on O‘ahu, Nov. 17–20 on Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i, Nov. 18–19 on Maui, and Nov. 3–27 virtually. Find more info at hiff.org, @hiffhawaii.
