Fresh Ideas
POSTED: Monday, October 06, 2008
Local filmmaker Gerard Elmore, who directed this year's Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival trailer, says HIFF stands out in the crowded worldwide festival lineup because of its “;cutting edge”; quality and ability to draw movies that “;don't catch on until way later.”;
Hawaii International Film Festival» Place: Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
» Dates: Thursday through Oct. 19
» Tickets: $10 per film; $9 students, seniors, children, military. Opening- and closing-night films $15. Fast passes also available.
» Call: 550-8457 (TIKS) or visit http://www.hiff.org Tickets ordered online (print them from your computer) include a $1 service fee.
» Program guides: Available at Starbucks at Bishop and Merchant streets, Ward Center, Kapahulu, Kahala Mall, Manoa Marketplace, Hawaii Kai, Kailua, Kaneohe and Pearl City. Or visit http://www.hiff.org.
Opening film“;The Divine Weapon,”; 8 p.m. Thursday
Sunset on the BeachSaturday: ”;Chief”; (short from Hawaii), “;The Wrecking Crew”; (documentary feature from U.S. about musicians in the 1960s; English)
Sunday: ”;The First Hawaiian Snowball Fight”; (short from Hawaii), “;The Legend of Chang Apana”; (short from Hawaii), “;Sparrow”; (feature from Hong Kong; Cantonese with subtitles)
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One of those is Elmore's first feature—discovered last year at HIFF. “;All for Melissa”; just received national distribution, and will appear in theaters around the country next month, something Elmore calls “;a huge breakthrough.”; Not bad for an entirely local production. But that's what can happen here.
Now in its 38th year, HIFF is still fresh. A showcase for innovative Hawaii productions, it also serves as a veritable world tour of cinema, with 150 films from 36 countries in the lineup. Korea takes center stage this year, garnering the coveted opening and closing film slots.
“;The Divine Weapon,”; an action epic directed by Kim Yoo-Jin that recently hit No. 1 at the Korean box office, begins the festival on Thursday. Set in the 15th-century Joseon Dynasty, it follows a king's secret plans to develop the Singijeon, which resembled the Chinese fire arrow and was a predecessor to the multilaunch rocket system.
Closing the festival is South Korea's “;The Good, the Bad, the Weird,”; set in the 1930s amid conflicts between the Japanese army, Korean independence fighters and Chinese bandits. Kim Jee-Woon directed the Korean-style western, and Jung Woo-Sung stars. Both are slated to attend the film.
“;Rain of the Children,”; a docu-drama from New Zealand director Vincent Ward about his personal journey with an old Maori woman, is the festival's centerpiece. Ward also plans to attend the screening.
In addition to the directors and actors in the highlighted movies, celebrity guests include actor Jason Scott Lee, who will premiere his documentary about living off the grid in Volcano, actress Kelly Hu, who stars with Lee in the HIFF trailer, “;Whale Rider”; actor Cliff Curtis, Puhipau and Joan Lander, and Japanese director Katsuhito Ishii.
Festival director Chuck Boller says there is a business side to the 10-day love-of-art affair that many attendees purchasing tickets never see. The networking, exchange of ideas and opportunity to showcase underground work gives foreign and local filmmakers—like Elmore—the opportunity to strike deals and obtain distribution for their films, many of which premiere in Hawaii and might not get noticed otherwise.
Besides providing a whole lot of entertainment in a short span, HIFF generates some economic benefits as well. And just imagine what visitors think when they see this international display of enlightenment.
Dedicated to promoting understanding and cultural exchange among people from Asia, the Pacific Rim and North America through film, HIFF gives people in Hawaii an opportunity to gaze across the ocean—in both directions. It's also a chance to get a close look at what talented folks are creating right here in the islands.
HIFF highlights
Chinese connection
For the first time, three films created in a unique collaboration between the University of Hawaii's Academy of Creative Media students and Shanghai University students in China will screen at the festival. ACM's professor and chairman, Tom Brislin, says this type of synergy has never occurred before. Students worked together to write, cast and produce the films, which were shot on location in Shanghai in English and Chinese. Two more films will be completed when the exchange program continues with a visit from Shanghai University students during HIFF.
'Chief' returns
“;Chief,”; the short film earning raves at festivals around the country, enjoys a homecoming on Sunday after qualifying for Oscar consideration. “;Beauty Queen,”; another short by “;Chief”; writer and director Brett Wagner, will premiere at HIFF on Saturday.
After the festival, “;Chief”; (and the man who plays him, Chief Sielu Avea) will head to New York City with the HIFF folks in November, when they visit the headquarters of the Vilcek Foundation, which honors American immigrant filmmakers with scholarships. The Vilcek Foundation funded HIFF's special section, “;American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile.”;
Group rates
Know nine friends who also love films? Ask about special group rates for 10 or more people, and special day-time discounts for seniors.
Hell Caminos make video debut
Films aren't the only entertainment on the roster. A locally produced music video also made the selection cut. Hell Caminos, a pscyho-billy rock band (think piercings, leather, spiked hair and driving guitars), premieres “;Old Snake Road”; with zombies and impressive three-dimensional animation from Hawaii-based Hyperspective Studios. Locally based crew members from “;Lost”; led the shoot. The video premieres on Oct. 14 at the Loft, 115 Hotel St. in Chinatown.
More repeats
In case you miss something the first time around, more films will be offered as repeat screenings. Not as easy as it sounds, when a hefty fee is associated with each showing, but HIFF director Chuck Boller thinks this is an important addition. Otherwise, he says, “;By the time the buzz starts, the movie is over.”;
Something besides popcorn
Nobody can be expected to watch films all day without sustenance. So the HIFF Cafe is back in the Dole Cannery ballrooms with decent food - gourmet compared with the usual theater fare - and more important, wine, beer and WiFi Internet access.
It's a great place for local residents, visitors and international guests to mingle with filmmakers, many of whom will participate in Cafe Chats - informal question-and-answer sessions - with attendees.
The cafe opens Friday and runs through Oct. 18, open daily except Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with food and drink service from 1 to 9 p.m.
Get your vote in
Participate now in the Viewers Choice Award, powered by Oceanic Time Warner Cable.
Surf to NGN-on-Demand (channel 680 digital), watch any of the nine selected short films and vote for your favorites.
Last year the competition garnered 8,000 hits. Even better news: More than half of the films originated with UH's Academy of Creative Media.
Student work gets some shine
The Student Showcase features selections from the best high-school filmmakers around the country, and four of the seven entries are from Hawaii. Another bonus: Admission is free.
Seminars explore filmmaking topics
HIFF isn't just about watching movies and music videos. Four fascinating seminars (three of them free) offer insights into indigenous filmmaking, hands-on experience with red camera use and the Cyberspace-Samurai relationship.
The following lectures take place at Regal Dole Cannery 18:
» 24 City & the Effects of the Global Economy on Modern China: A Special Screening and Seminar, 11:30 a.m. Saturday; $20, $15 HIFF members.
» Indigenous Filmmaking and Globalization - Capturing the Film Oeuvre of the Pacific Islander in the 21st Century: Noon Saturday; free.
» Cyber-Samurai Redux - How the Internet, New Media, and Heavy Metal Saved One of the Most Revered Film Studios in Japan: 3 p.m. Sunday; free.
» Red Camera Workshop - Tricks of the Trade with Red: hosted by Co-Creative Studios, 10:30 a.m. Oct. 18; free.
