What to Watch at This Year’s Hawai‘i International Film Festival
The 46th annual HIFF runs Oct. 21–Nov. 5 on O‘ahu, then Nov. 6–15 on the Neighbor Islands. Pay special attention to these 19 highlights.
Drifter. Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i International Film Festival
It’s a new era for the Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekūlani as its new executive director, Jean H. Lee, takes the reins for the 46th annual showcase.
Lee, who serves as the presidential chair of the East-West Center, is an award-winning journalist and policy analyst with expertise on North Korea. She joined HIFF on Sept. 1. “HIFF’s theme this year is ‘voyagers and visionaries,’ celebrating the boldness, courage and compassion of the trailblazers depicted throughout HIFF46,” Lee says. “This year’s festival honors Hawai‘i’s significance as a crossroads in the Pacific, and my mission is to champion and amplify the power of storytelling in highlighting our diverse narratives.”
This year’s lineup of 84 films and 86 shorts includes made-in-Hawai‘i documentaries, the directorial debut of a Fast & Furious star, films from Cannes, the always-popular shorts programs and much more.
Folks on O‘ahu can expect most films to take place at Consolidated Theatres Kāhala Oct. 21–Nov. 1, except for opening night, which will be at Hawai‘i Theatre. Screenings then move to Consolidated Theatres Kapolei Nov. 3–5 and Neighbor Islands Nov. 6–15. Again this year, the festival will include the HIFILM Industry Conference, featuring keynote speakers, panels and networking opportunities for filmmakers. It runs Oct. 24–25 at Chaminade University and costs $125.
With a strong focus on the Pacific, Asia and beyond, the festival offers a broad assortment of films. Here are a few standouts.
Opening Night Film: The Navigator
Jordan Manley’s portrait of Nainoa Thompson on his final voyage from Hawai‘i to Tahiti after his first journey without modern instruments almost 50 years ago opens the festival at Hawai‘i Theatre.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Making the Line
Follow two kumu hula over three years of training their hālau for hula competitions.
Behemoth!
Pedro Pascal plays a cellist who has performed his whole life returning to Los Angeles and reconnecting with his former home and family.
Fatherland
Sandra Hüller, known most recently for Project Hail Mary and Anatomy of a Fall, portrays Erika Mann alongside Hanns Zischler as father and Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann during the Cold War in this historical drama.
Naza
A follow-up of sorts to 2024’s No Other Land, directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor return to tell the story of Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, based on investigative reporting and testimony from Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers discussing the “acceptable” level of civilian casualties. The film received a 25-minute standing ovation at its Venice Film Festival premiere.
Lahaina: Voice of Change
What comes next for Lahaina? Native Hawaiian filmmaker Ty Sanga focuses on the community’s healing and what it would mean to return to ‘āina. The film plays with Kūkulu, a short about the practice of hale building.
BTS: The Return
Though this documentary is currently playing on Netflix, the free screening at HIFF includes an in-person Q&A with director Bao Nguyen.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i International Film Festival
The Baddest Speech Writer of All
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry moves into directing with this film about Clarence B. Jones, the late speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The documentary won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year, just a few months before Jones died at age 95. Curry’s co-director, Ben Proudfoot, also directed the short, Mink!, which will also play with the film. Proudfoot will be in attendance for a special extended conversation afterward.
Ink
Sinners’ Jack O’Connell stars as Larry Lamb as he becomes the editor of Britain’s The Sun tabloid under owner Rupert Murdoch in the latest film by Danny Boyle.
Ea (Sovereign)
Noah Keone Viernes and Sancia Miala Shiba Nash tell the story of Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, his family and their fight for their ancestral lands on Maui. The team behind the film will be in attendance for an extended Q&A.
Centerpiece Film: Drifter
Sung Kang, known for his work in the Fast & Furious franchise, makes his directorial debut with this film about a racetrack janitor with a secret talent for drifting and a rare chance to compete. Kang, who also produces, writes and stars in it, will be in attendance for the U.S. premiere.
Made in Hawai‘i Shorts 1
The first batch of the ever-popular shorts program features five stories ranging from 12 to 28 minutes each.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
This is the first documentary about the artist approved by his estate, featuring his sisters Lisane and Jeanine, plus friends and collaborators.
Elephants in the Fog
The leader of a transgender community in Nepal searches for her missing daughter in this film that premiered at Cannes.
Look Back
Hirokazu Kore-eda turns this popular manga about two girls who love to draw into a live-action feature.
Made in Hawai‘i Shorts 2
The second installment of locally made shorts. An additional short called Cheers to Maybe will be added to the Kapolei screening on Nov. 5.
The Blob: A Night of Gore & Score
Kick off Halloween weekend with a screening of this ’80s horror classic alongside live soundtrack remixes by Holden Mandrial-Santos, who has not only composed music for local films but starred in them, too.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
More than 40 years after the second Indiana Jones film premiered (and ushered in new PG-13 ratings), fans will be delighted to have Short Round himself, Ke Huy Quan, in attendance. This year he will receive the Halekūlani Career Achievement Award.
Paradise Lost
A bus of children disappears, and their parents turn to augmented reality to interact with recreations of them. Years later, one of the kids returns, but he’s not at all how his mom expected him to be.
The full list of films and schedule is available here. Tickets are generally $17, but keep an eye out for discounts and day-of increases, plus different costs for special events. Many films sell out in advance, so your best bet is to buy tickets online rather than in person. Find a cost breakdown here.
Passes are also available, but you’ll still need to reserve your spot for screenings. Keep in mind that additional screenings are often added—and schedules can change—so find the most updated list online.
Can’t get enough of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival? Join HIFF Selects, which gives you access to exclusive members-only screenings every month of the year. Or check out HIFF Wednesdays every other week through the rest of 2026 at Consolidated Ward, Kapolei, Pearlridge and Mililani. Hawai‘i-made films will screen at 7 p.m., with the Ward location hosting filmmaker Q&As and special guests.
Katrina Valcourt is the executive editor of HONOLULU Magazine.
