HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
COURTESY HIFF
The HIFF Halekulani Golden Orchid went to "Love for Share," a film about polygamy in Indonesia.
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Indonesia film captures festival’s Golden Orchid
Nia Dinata's "Love For Share" captured the Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for best feature last night at the Hawaii International Film Festival Awards ceremony. The film tells three loosely connected stories about polygamy in modern Indonesia.
"Time and Tide," about a group of expatriates returning to their homeland of Tuvalu, directed by Julie Bayer and Josh Salzman, was named best documentary, with a special mention to "Sharkwater," Rob Stewart's expose about shark poaching.
The festival comes to a close Sunday, but filmmakers and stars from all over the world were welcomed to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel last night to honor the most compelling stories of the event.
Of the films made in Hawaii, top honors went to "Na Kamalei: Men of Hula," about Robert Cazimero's Halau Na Kamalei. "Dao," by Jay Hubert, also received a special mention. Royston Tan's "4:30," from Singapore, about a latch-key kid who steals from his family's tenant, won the NETPAC Award. "Majidee," a Malaysian film by Azharr Rudin, was honored as best short film.
The Cause & f(x) Dream Digital Award went to "Sunday Wind," by Mike Wurth.
Audience Awards went to "The Host" as the best feature, and "Na Kamalei," as favorite documentary. "Ruckus!" won for best short film.
Peter Shaindlin, chief operating officer for Halekulani Corp., one of the festival's sponsors, said he isn't surprised by the growth of the event. "I think to a great extent film in America has outpaced literature as the first point for considering a story and for entertainment," he said.
"In the past, the tourist sector has focused mainly on sporting events ... so what they've learned is that if they create an event with sufficient excitement to lure travelers to Hawaii, they will come. When someone attends a film, they're also participating in the performance of that work, not unlike going to a concert or sporting event. It's experiential."