Hawaii

Although the cinematic possibilities of Hawai’i—those that lay beyond the tropical tropes of tourism and military patriotism— have always been clear to local residents of the island, only recently has there been notable validation of that truth. The sudden abundance of studio work, a new school for multimedia, and the proliferation of local film festivals, are all signs of Hawai’i developing into a vibrant place to make film and video and for local filmmakers to cultivate a strong community.

Hawaii International Film Festival

The twenty-two-year-old Hawaii Inter-national Film Festival (HIFF) is an ambitious statewide event that screens films and demonstrates the spirit of Aloha, the spirit of inclusion. The festival features 200 films over ten days at a wide variety of venues, from a beach to a symphony hall, on a total of five Hawaiian islands, starting with Oahu.