USA Films
Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung star in
Wong Kar-Wai's "I'm in the Mood for Love,"
which will be featured at the Hawai'i International
Film Festival's Spring Festival in April.

In the mood
for HIFF’s
spring film fest

Wong Kar-Wai's new work
will open the six-day event

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

The Hawaii International Film Festival will hold its fourth annual Spring Film Festival April 20 to 26 beginning with critically acclaimed Chinese director Wong Kar-Wai's newest film, "I'm in the Mood For Love."

The Spring Festival films will be shown at the Waikiki Twins Theater 2.

The festival has been expanded to seven days compared to three days of the previous festivals.

Two films will

be screened at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. daily, with early afternoon matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Times will vary on the weekend.

USA Films
The director is on the set of the film.

General admission is $7; $6 for HIFF. Tickets go on sale April 13 through 15 for HIFF Ohana members, at the Waikiki Twins box office, 333 Seaside Ave., from 1 to 10:30 p.m. daily. The box office will open to the public April 16. For more information please call the HIFF main office at 528-3456 ext. 18.

"I'm in the Mood For Love" stars Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. Set in Hong Kong in 1962, it's a story about love lost and love found by two neighbors who spend a lot of time together, only to find out their rarely present workaholic spouses are having an affair.

"Battle Royale," directed by Fukasaku Kinji, will close the festival with a screening 8:30 p.m. April 26. The film is set in Japan of the not-so-distant future, addressing the fears and realities of contemporary Japan.

In "The Price of Milk," a farm wife tries to rekindle
the flame of her marriage, taking the poor advice of
a friend who suggests roiling the waters by
creating conflict.

In the film starring Beat Takeshi, the country is in chaos and violent youths threaten the government and status quo. The government responds by devising a survival of the fittest law that they hope will rid the country of its menacing youth. An interesting reflection on contemporary Japanese society and the fears and realities it must face.

Other films include:

>> "The Circle" (Iran): This film chronicles the lives of three Iranian women expelled from society for vague crimes and whose paths cross.

>> "Secret Society" (UK/Germany): An interesting tale of a group of British women whose honor is tainted because of their strange love for sumo wrestling. In order to regain their lost honor, the women stage a real tournament against a group of male Japanese Sumo wrestlers.

>> Last Resort (UK): A Russian woman and her son are detained at the London airport and her elusive fiancée fails to collect them. In a final effort to avoid deportation she asks for political asylum and is transported to a refugee area where thousands of others wait pending the review of their application. In this dreary setting, the mother and her son befriend a local business owner who helps them riumph over their bleak situation.

>> "The Heart of the World" (Canada): Cult Canadian director Guy Maddin's tribute to Eisenstein and Vertov; 5 minutes. (The film will precede "Last resort" and "The Convent.")

>>"The Price of Milk" (New Zealand): A romantic comedy about a couple living on a dairy farm. In hopes of reviving their relationship Lucinda consults a friend who suggests that she create minor conflicts to spice up their dying romance.

>> "Innocence" (Australia): Explores the reawakening of sexuality late in life through the affair of a retired organist, widower and music teacher who reconnects with his first love, who is unhappily married.

>> "Better Than Sex" (Australia): A night of uncomplicated, noncommittal sex soon turns into a romantic love affair that lasts an entire week. Two strangers' one night-stand turns into an emotional exploration for both parties, dealing with issues of trust, commitment and vulnerability.

>> "The Convent" (USA): Legend has it that a young girl went into a convent with a sawed-off shotgun and proceeded to murder all the praying nuns except for mother superior, whom she doused with gasoline and set afire with her cigarette. Forty years later, a group of college students enter an abandoned building to spray paint their Greek letters before the homecoming game. They have no idea what happened in the building 40 years ago or what the night has in store for them.

>> "Memento" (USA): A man and his wife are attacked and robbed. The woman dies, and the man is left with both a serious head injury that gives him memory loss, and an urgent thirst for revenge. As he sets off in pursuit of his wife's killer, he becomes increasingly confused about what he is doing, so he tattoos notes onto his skin and takes Polaroid pictures to remind himself of what has transposed. An intricate mystery with a backward chronology. Stars "L.A. Confidential's" Guy Pearce and "The Matrix's"Carrie-Anne Moss.

>> "A Day" (South Korea): A sad yet beautiful love story about a young married couple (played by Sung jae-Lee and So-young Ko) who long for a baby.

After numerous attempts, hope prevails and they finally get pregnant.

However, a routine visit to the doctor unveils a horrible revelation: Their baby, when born, can only live for a day. The young couple are torn with this worst of news and must decide whether to have a child or not, and if so, how to spend that one day.

>> "The Testimony of Taliesin Jones" (USA/UK): Set in the remote Welsh countryside, this film is a unique tale of faith and loyalty. Taliesin Jones is a 12-year-old outsider in school and society. In his despair he turns to God but finds out there are more questions than answers. No one really cares for his plight except for Tal's piano teacher, Billy Evans, played by Johnathan Pryce.

>> "Fiasco" (Iceland): The Bardals may look like normal people, but a dead stripper turns up in the preacher's jacuzzi, which leads to one big fiasco. This cleverly constructed black comedy is set in contemporary Reykjavik.

>> "The American Nightmare" (Canada): This documentary looks at the last 25 years of American horror films. Featuring clips from George Romero, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, David Cronenburg and John Carpenter.

Party on Oscar night

In other festival news, film lovers can join in the festivities when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences stages its 73rd Annual Academy Awards Presentation on March 25, by attending Honolulu's academy-sanctioned Oscar Night America party.

The Honolulu party is one of 37 official parties that will be held across the country on Oscar Night. The celebration, benefitting HIFF, will be held at the W Honolulu Diamond Head, beginning at 4 p.m.

Tickets are $100 a person; $250 a person with Bronze membership; or $500 a couple including Silver membership. Call 528-3456 ext. 19 for tickets.

This marks the third year that the HIFF party has been officially sanctioned by the academy. A limited number of programs and posters will be distributed to HIFF guests on a first-come first-served basis based on availability.

HIFF officials also this night will be awarding select winners of the "Predict the Winners Contest" with autographed memorabilia from the nominated film. A neighbor island weekend getaway to the Sheraton Maui, movie party at the Movie Museum and a year's worth of free Blockbuster Video rentals will also be awarded to winners.

Guests will fill out ballots prior to the Oscar Night America event. HIFF also will present to select contest winners official posters and soundtracks from the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," autographed by nominated film director Ang Lee. The film has received 10 Academy Award nominations.

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