For Immediate Release
Contact:
Monica Ivey 808.372.4778
[email protected]
Hawaii International Film Festival
PRESS RELEASE
September 28, 2010
HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FINAL MOVIE LINEUP
Festival Runs from October 14th - 24th
HONOLULU, HI -- (Tuesday, September 28, 2010) -- The Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) has
announced the fall movie lineup presenting 214 films from 40 plus countries. This year there are 10
world premieres, 15 international premieres, 21 North American premieres, 35 U.S. premieres, and 133
Hawaii premieres. Here is the full movie lineup in alphabetical order that you can also see online at
www.hiff.org.
Real Life
11/4/08
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 11:00 AM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 8:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | English, French, German w/ English subtitles | 70 M
Director: Jeff Deutchman
Producers: Jeff Deutchman
Cinematographer: Jeff Deutchman, Henry Joost, Lauren Goldenberg, Becky Hurwitz, Joe Swanberg,
Kris Swanberg, Benh Zeitlin, Marcus Cohlan, Kevin C, Natalie Difford
11/04/08 is inspired by Barack Obama’s words to his supporters about taking part in the history that was
his United States Presidential Election of 2008. Director, Jeff Deutchman, created 11/4/08 by collecting
footage of this day from friends who voted, waited, watched and talked about the election across the U.S.
and the globe. In Chicago, people were up early to stand in long lines to vote and some hoping to see
Obama himself at the polls. The city of Homer, Alaska demonstrates connected interest of the youth and
parents on the election. There are interviews with people both local and international — from Dubai,
Berlin, Geneva, New Delhi, and France — that express personal or general convictions, both good and
bad about the presidential candidates, Obama and McCain, as well as other aspects of the US and the
future for change. As all waited for the announcement of Obama’s win, we see how various parts of the
United States and around the world lived through this day in history.
Closing Night Film
71: INTO THE FIRE
POHWASOGEURO
Hawaii Premiere
South Korea 2010 | Korean w/ English subtitles | 116 M
Friday, October 22 I 8:00 PM I Regal Dole
Director: John H. Lee
Screenwriter: John H. Lee, Man-hee Lee, Dong-woo Kim
Producers: Tae-won Chung
Cinematographer: Chan-min Choi
Cast: Seoung-won Cha, Sang-woo Kwon, Seoung-hyun Choi (aka TOP), Seoung-woo Kim
Based on a true story, 71: INTO THE FIRE illuminates the harrowing events of a group of South Korean
student volunteer soldiers that suddenly find themselves amidst the horrors of war. Left behind and alone
to protect their outpost while the rest of their regiment leaves to guard another stronghold, the platoon of
young soldiers come face to face with a seasoned North Korean army. Their inexperience and youth
becomes dangerously exposed as they desperately defend their country and fight for their lives. Yet
within this moment of desperation they are neither students nor teenagers, but become brave soldiers
and men. Directed by John H. Lee (A MOMENT TO REMEMBER, HIFF 2005) and featuring impressive
performances by Choi Seung Hyeon (T.O.P from Big Bang) and Cha Seung Won as the North Korean
commander, this film not only delicately depicts the tragedy and sacrifices of the battlefield, but also
warmly commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. With the 38th Parallel a lingering part of
everyday life in South Korea, it is interesting to see how locally made war epics do great box office,
ranging from JSA to SILMIDO. 71: INTO THE FIRE rivals another popular Korean War epic, TAE GUK GI,
in scope and action sequences, which are thrilling, yet very realistic. HIFF is honored to continue the
tradition of presenting new Korean cinema in a major way, as 71: INTO THE FIRE closes this year’s 30th
edition.
Sponsored by: KBFD TV and Korean Air
Spotlight on Japan
ABACUS AND SWORD
BUSHI NO KAKEIBO
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 8:45 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 24 I 12:30 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 129 M
Director: Yoshimitsu Morita
Screenwriter: Michio Kashiwada
Producers: Masayuki Motomochi, Hidekazu Tobita, Masao Teshima
Cinematographer: Yukihiro Okimura
Cast: Masato Sakai, Yukie Nakama, Keiko Matsuzaka, Masahiko Nishimura, Mitsuko Kusabue
From director Yoshimitsu Morita, comes a cinematic adaptation of Michifumi Isoda’s best-selling book.
Based on Isoda’s interpretation of an old account book belonging to a low-ranking samurai family during
the Edo period, ABACUS AND SWORD chronicles the lives of one family struggling through turbulent
19th century Japan. Naoyuki is the 8th head of the Inoyama house, a family of hereditary book-keepers
who have for generations watched over the property of the Kaga Clan. Arithmetic is in his blood. Yet as
the end of the Tokugawa-era looms, tough times fall upon the clan and debts begin to mount. Naoyuki
and his family must resort to drastic measures in order to survive. Truly a tale of struggle, perseverance,
and humility that is in many ways applicable to modern day Japan.
Sponsored by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN Nippon Golden Network
Spotlight on Japan
ABOUT HER BROTHER
OTOTO
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 6:15 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese, English w/ English subtitles | 126 M
Director: Yoji Yamada
Screenwriter: Emiko Hiramatsu, Yoji Yamada
Producers: Kenichi Tamura, Ichiro Yamamoto, Hiroshi Fukasawa
Cinematographer: Masashi Chikamori
Cast: Ryo Kase, Yu Aoi, Tsurube Shofukutei, Sayuri Yoshinaga
Tetsuro (Tsurube Shofukutei, KABEI: OUR MOTHER) has always been the black sheep of the family,
causing trouble for his older sister Ginko (Sayuri Yoshinaga, KABEI: OUR MOTHER) since he was a
child. Ginko is a widow who spends her days running a small pharmacy with her daughter Koharu (Yu
Aoi, HULA GIRLS, HANA & ALICE). But when Tetsuro appears unannounced at Koharu’s wedding
reception, and becomes drunk and disorderly, he disrupts their quiet life and Koharu’s marriage. Tetsuro’s
problems are greater than Ginko realizes and his subsequent return threatens to bring an end to their
relationship. From acclaimed director Yoji Yamada (THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI, LOVE AND HONOR),
ABOUT HER BROTHER is an intimate portrait of familial duty, loyalty, love and loss, both humorous and
heart wrenching. Dedicated to director Kon Ichikawa’s 1960 classic OTOTO, this film is a meditation on
modern Japanese values.
Sponsored by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN Nippon Golden Network
THE ACTRESSES
YEOBAEUDEUL
Hawaii Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 6:15 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
South Korea 2009 | Korean w/ English subtitles | 104 M
Director: J-yong E
Screenwriter: J-yong E
Producers: J-yong E, Dong-hyun Suh, David Cho, Eunun Cho, Jeong-hun Ryu
Cinematographer: Kyung-pyo Hong
Cast: Ok-vin Kim, Ji-woo Choi, Mi-suk Lee, Hyun-jung Ko, Yuh-jung Youn, Min-hee Kim
Six actresses across different age groups are brought together on Christmas Eve for a once-in-a-lifetime
Vogue magazine cover shoot. Of course, when working with actresses with their respective entourages
and demands, anything can happen. Shot documentary-style, THE ACTRESSES is rife with industry
jokes, low blows, egos, and insecurities. Nuanced performances from Ok-vin Kim (THIRST), considered
the next big ingénue, as a quiet, somewhat dark personality and Ji-woo Choi (WINTER SONATA) as an
ice queen with a legion of adorning Japanese fans to die for, are just some of the meta-storylines that
converge with fact and fiction. Influenced by the work of Robert Altman, THE ACTRESSES is truly a new
kind of Korean film. In the heavily regimented Korean star system where image is everything, it is very
interesting to see these actresses riff on their various quirks, ranging from alcoholism to plastic surgery.
For true aficionados of Korean pop entertainment, THE ACTRESSES is the film for you.
Sponsored by: Honolulu Cookie Company
Academy of Creative Media Night
AIKEA
World Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 11 M
Director: James Joshua Goodson
Kainoa wants to become a surf instructor and lead a more clean and positive lifestyle, but friends and
family are happy being drug-addicted losers that don’t support Kainoa surround him.
Short Films Program 1
AIR KNOB
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
Canada 2010 | English | 8 M
Director: Nathan Fleet
Two neighbors, one a quiet, would-be folk guitarist, the other a brash wannabe head banger, vie for air
supremacy in a take no prisoner battle in a sleepy suburban neighborhood.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Student Showcase
AKAMAI BACKYARD
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 AM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 14 M
Director: Akamai Learning
Presented by: ABC Stores, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Servco Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank
Foundation, Hawaii Department of Education Video Technology Group, and The Vilcek Foundation
Extreme Asia
ALIEN VS NINJA
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 10:15 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 81 M
Director: Seiji Chiba
Screenwriter: Seiji Chiba
Producers: Yoshinori Chiba, Seiji Chiba
Cinematographer: Ryo Uematsu, Tetsuya Kudo
Cast: Katsu Itagaki, Ben Hiura, Yuki Ogoe, Donpei Tsuchihira, Mika Hijii, Shuji Kashiwabara, Masanori
Mimoto
ALIEN VERSUS NINJA focuses on Yamata (Masanori Mimoto), a handsome, young ninja with a whole lot
to prove. Although he’s the deadliest assassin in Japan, he’s got a hang-up about his origins: he wasn’t
born a ninja, he was an orphan taken in by ninja. One night, a ball of fire appears in the sky and crashes
near his village. When Yamata’s team investigates the disturbance, nearly everyone is viciously
massacred by an alien life form. With the help of only a few survivors, Yamata and his teammates vow to
avenge their fallen brothers. But how can they when traditional ninja weapons have no effect on the alien
threat? Is Yamata enough of a ninja to save his friends and possibly the planet? ALIEN VERSUS NINJA
is packed with everything gore hounds want in a movie: hot, young Japanese stars, over-the-top martial
arts mayhem, copious spurts of blood and lots of flying body parts. Factor in leather clad super ninjas and
blood hungry aliens and what you get is obvious: a ridiculous amount of fun at HIFF 30!
Student Showcase
ALISHA
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 AM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 11 M
Director: Daniel Citron
Presented by: ABC Stores, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Servco Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank
Foundation, Hawaii Department of Education Video Technology Group, and The Vilcek Foundation
Shorts Program 2
AMADI
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
New Zealand 2010 | English | 15 M
Director: Zia Mandviwalla
As their worlds fall apart, an unlikely connection occurs between a Rwandan refugee living in New
Zealand and his mentally unstable neighbor.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Hong Kong Cinema
AMPHETAMINE
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 10:00 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 16 I 10:00 PM I Regal Dole
Hong Kong 2010 | Cantonese w/ English subtitles | 97 M
Director: Lawrence Lau, Scud
Screenwriter: Scud
Producers: Scud
Cinematographer: Charlie Lam
Cast: Byron Pang, Thomas Price, Linda So, Winnie Leung, Simon Tam
Swimming instructor and martial arts expert Kafka (Byron Pang) and Chinese-Australian finance hotshot
David (Thomas Price) eye each other at a cafe. When they meet again at a temple, David comes on to
Kafka. While David is at ease with being out, Kafka has too much baggage — being poor, addicted,
sexually indifferent to his girlfriend (Linda So) and emotionally attached to David while recoiling from his
sexual overtures due to a traumatic experience. When Linda (Winnie Leung), David’s ex from a previous
chaste relationship, comes to visit from Sydney, things get even more complicated. AMPHETAMINE is
the third film from Hong Kong director Scud, following last year’s PERMANENT RESIDENCE and may be
his most ambitious project to date. Veteran filmmaker Lawrence Lau also contributes his talents to the film
acting as executive director.
Sponsored by: Fiji Water
American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile
APART TOGETHER
TUAN YUAN
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 1:00 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 12:15 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 93 M
Director: Quanan Wang
Screenwriter: Quanan Wang
Producers: Du Daning, Wang Le, Chunsheng Ruan
Cinematographer: Lutz Reitemeier
Cast: Na Jin, Baiyang, Feng Ling, Lisa Lu, Xiaotian Mo, Cai-gen Xu, Lu Yan
After the founding of the island Republic of Taiwan, permission is given for the first time for a group of exsoldiers of the National People’s Party to travel from Taiwan to China and be reunited with family
members in Shanghai. An aging soldier named Lui Yansheng embarks on this journey to find the one and
only love of his life, Qiao Yu’e, whom he left behind in Shanghai without a word of farewell, and their son,
who was born after he took flight. However, obstacles await Lui upon his arrival in Shanghai that puts his
future with Qiao Yu’e and his relationship with his long lost family in jeopardy.
Presented by: The Vilcek Foundation
Spotlight on the Philippines
THE ARRIVAL
United States Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
Thursday, October 21 I 9:00 PM Regal Dole
Philippines 2010 | Tagalog w/ English subtitles | 108 M
Director: Erik Matti
Screenwriter: Erik Matti
Cast: Dennis Ascalon, Milton Dionzon, Dwight Gaston
As a humble person that lives a colorless life, Leo is a single man that works at a small company. Quiet
and insipid, he has very little significance around his friends and family. For a long time, even when he
has been exploited by his friends and boss, he sucks it up and remains silent. There is only one thing that
adds a little happiness to his dull life. Every night as he sleeps, Leo dreams of a beautiful woman coming
out of a house and welcomes him with a tender kiss. One day, he finally decides to embark upon a
journey, looking for the house and woman he long dreams of. THE ARRIVAL is a departure for director
Erik Matti, who is known for his cult sci-fi and fantasy films. THE ARRIVAL is a transitional film, as Matti
dips his toes into experimental cinema, and crafting a story with a dash of magical realism.
Sponsored by: L&L Hawaiian Barbeque
American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile
AU REVOIR TAIPEI
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 2:30 PM I Regal Dole
Taiwan 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 85 M
Director: Arvin Chen
Screenwriter: Arvin Chen
Producers: In-Ah Lee, Wei-Jan Liu, Oi Leng Lui, Wim Wenders, Michelle Cho
Cinematographer: Michael Fimognari
Cast: Amber Kuo, Hsiao-chuan Chang, Ko Yu-Luen, Jack Yao
After his girlfriend leaves for Paris, lovelorn Kai (Jack Yao) spends his waking hours studying French in a
local bookstore where he meets Susie (Amber Kuo), a worker who takes an interest in him. When an
opportunity to travel to Paris to surprise his girlfriend arises, Kai, Susie, and his best friend Gao become
entangled in a whirlwind night around Taipei filled with intrigue and adventure. It is both an ode to the
sights and sounds of the city famous for its night markets and vibrant culture as well as a brilliantly crafted
romantic comedy in which we learn that sometimes the thing we have been searching for all along is right
in front of us. Coupled with a jazzy score, AU REVOIR TAIPEI’s delightful visual style has been capturing
the hearts of audiences and critics worldwide including winning the NETPAC award for best Asian film at
the Berlin International Film Festival.
Presented by: The Vilcek Foundation
Asian Showcase
BABY ARABIA
United States Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 2:45 PM I Regal Dole
Thailand 2010 | Thai w/ English subtitles | 74 M
Director: Kong Rithdee, Panu Aree, Kaweenipon Ketprasit
Screenwriter: Kong Rithdee, Panu Aree, Kaweenipon Ketprasit
Producers: Panu Aree, Chalida Uabumrungjit
Cinematographer: Kong Rithdee, Panu Aree, Kaweenipon Ketprasit, Soraya Nakasuwan
Cast: Baby Arabia
BABY ARABIA follows one of the oldest Thai-Muslim bands specializing in the sub-cultural genre of ArabMalay music – the bouncy ethnic cross-pollination of Arabian melodies, Malay throbs, Thai luk-thung
kicks, and a bit of Latin tempo. We meet Geh, founder of the band who taught himself to play the
accordion 35 year ago. Joining Geh is guitarist Umar (a former Koran teacher with a knack for Egyptian
numbers). Fronting their band is Jamilah, a husky-voiced, humble diva who teaches the Koran during the
day and sings Arabic songs at night while wondering if the world of melody can be both faith-bound and
joyously secular. Baby Arabia plays cover versions of classical and contemporary Arab and Malay music
(though the band members do not speak those languages) and they’ve been touring Muslim communities
around Bangkok and the Central Region for three decades. Though some Islamic scholars question their
brand of worldly merry-making, claiming that it’s against the law of the religion, the humanizing power of
music and irresistible exuberance of their songs provide a definitive counter-argument.
Halekulani Golden Orchid: Documentary Feature Nominee
BARBARA KAWAKAMI: A TEXTURED LIFE
2010 | USA| 19 M Director: Akira Boch
A portrait of Barbara Kawakami who after growing up on a plantation and working for over three decades
as a seamstress, and entering college for the first time at the age of fifty-three--went on to uncover the
lost history of Hawai’i’s early Japanese picture brides.
Spotlight on Japan
BECK
North American Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 10:00 PM I Regal Dole
Tuesday, October 19 I 8:30 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | w/ English subtitles, Japanese| 141 M
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Screenwriter: Tetsuya Oishi
Producers: Naoto Fujimura, Shigeaki Yoshida
Cinematographer: Satoru Karasawa
Cast: Shiori Kutsuna, Takeru Satoh, Hiro Mizushima
Ryusuke is an ultra talented young guitarist who has recently returned from New York. Koyuki is a bored
and bullied student. One fateful day, Koyuki helps rescue Ryusuke’s dog, inspiring Ryusuke to present
Koyuki with his precious vintage guitar. The two decide to form a band, calling themselves Beck, after
Ryusuke’s pooch. The band is an instant hit with the club crowd, but big-time success proves elusive.
When they are offered a chance to play at a rock festival, they finally get their shot, but at what cost?
BECK is a live-action adaptation of the popular anime BECK: MONGOLIAN CHOP SQUAD, based on the
blockbuster manga by Harold Sakuishi. Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi (20TH CENTURY BOYS), the film
features a hot young cast including Takeru Sato as Koyuki and Hiro Mizushima as Ryusuke. BECK
promises to be the J-Rock hit of the year!
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN Nippon Golden Network
Real Life
BEDFELLOWS
2009 | USA| 15 M Director: Pierre Stefanos
A modern day fairy tale set in New York City, BEDFELLOWS follows 20-something Bobby as he returns to
the gay bar where he had his heart broken and meets an attractive stranger named Jonathan. After
deciding to turn their hookup into a sleepover, Bobby dreams about what a lifetime relationship with him
could be like.
American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile
BEIJING TAXI
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 4:15 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 78 M
Director: Miao Wang
Screenwriter: Miao Wang
Producers: Ivana Stolkiner, Miao Wang
Cinematographer: Sean Price Willliams, Ian Vollmer
Cast: Bai JiWen, Zhou Yi, Wei Caixia Wei
With the preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as the backdrop, the feature-length
documentary, BEIJING TAXI portrays the profound transformation of the ancient capital of China told
through the eyes of three taxi drivers. Jiwan Bai, a driver in his mid 50’s, represents the older, lost
generation that came of age during the Cultural Revolution. Caixia Wei, is a mother in her mid-thirties and
of the younger generation who aspires to a free-spirited life. Zhou Yi, an optimistic and content man in his
late thirties that holds on to the more traditional Beijinger’s lifestyle of the past. As the city of Beijing
modernizes, their diverse lives are challenged with the impact of socio-economic changes that create
struggles and limitation. Though their future is yet uncertain, they continue forward with their daily lives
and aspirations. Director Miao Wang’s first feature-length documentary film, BEIJING TAXI, navigates,
through a cinematic and poetic style, on the path that a society travels to modernization.
Presented by: The Vilcek Foundation
Asian Showcase
BI, DON’T BE AFRAID
BI, DUNG SO!
United States Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 8:30 PM Regal Dole
Vietnam, Germany 2010 | Vietnamese w/ English subtitles | 92 M
Director: Dang Di Phan
Screenwriter: Dang Di Phan
Producers: Claire Lajoumard, Bao Mai Nguyen, Dang Di Phan, Oliver Ropke, Dominic Scriven, Henri
Scriven, Anh Hung Tran
Cinematographer: Quang Pham Minh
Cast: Thanh Minh Phan, Thi Kieu Trinh Nguyen, Ha Phong Nguyen, Thuy Hoa, Tran Tien
It’s a stifling summer in the life of 6-year old Bi. He lives with his parents, an aunt with unfulfilled physical
longings, and a maid in an old house in the antique quarter of Hanoi. Bi’s father is often drunk, finds
solace with a masseuse and violently lusts after her. His wife knows about his desire, but endures the
situation silently. Bi is often left alone with just the maid to watch over him. Whenever possible, he
escapes to his favorite spot, an ice cube factory. Bi’s grandfather, a diplomat, has just returned home with
a serious disease after many years abroad. Bi is frightened at first by the unfamiliar grandpa. However, he
is overcome by curiosity and gradually gets closer to him.
Presented by: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, University of Hawaii Manoa
Shorts Program 2
BICYCLE (JITENSHA)
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States, Japan 2009 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 21 M
Director: Dean Yamada
Mamoru sets out on a journey to rebuild his bicycle and finds that his own life is being rebuilt.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Art + Design
BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 9:00 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States, France 2010 | English | 84 M
Director: Richard Press
Producers: Philip Gefter
Cinematographer: Richard Press, Tony Cenicola
Cast: Bill Cunningham, Tom Wolfe, Anna Wintour, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Annette De La Renta
BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK chronicles a man who is obsessively interested in only one thing - the
pictures he takes that document the way people dress. Bill has lived in the same small studio above
Carnegie Hall for fifty years, never eats in restaurants and gets around on a worn-out bicycle — his sole
means of transportation. The contradiction of his monk-like existence and the extravagance of his
photographic subject matter is one aspect of his private life revealed in the movie. A sartorial Weegee,
habitually dressed in a blue work jacket, Bill Cunningham has tried to live his life as an unencumbered
man. He wants only his independence to be able to point his camera when beauty crosses his path. With
this singular goal, he has managed to create a poignant and ongoing chronicle of the intersection of
fashion and society in New York over fifty years — in effect, a portrait of New York City itself.
Presented by: Electric Pencil
Art + Design
BLANK CITY
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 9:30 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 16 I 2:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 94 M
Director: Celine Danhier
Producers: Vanessa Roworth, Aviva Wishnow
Cinematographer: Peter Szollosi, Ryo Murakami
Cast: Nick Zedd, Amos Poe, John Lurie, Steve Buscemi, Jim Jarmusch
“It felt like our lives were movies.” – singer Debbie Harry
A meticulously observed document of New York underground film in the late 70s and early 80s, BLANK
CITY zeroes in on the No Wave and Cinema of Transgression scenes that spawned a generation of
filmmakers. Before the Reagan era resolutely gentrified the lower end of Manhattan, a group of
dispossessed twenty-somethings banded together to create their own world with handheld cameras.
Luminaries like Jim Jarmusch, Amos Poe, Nick Zedd, John Waters and Steve Buscemi stitch together this
particular Zeitgeist of DIY filmmaking with astute observations and frank anecdotes about the good old
bad days. “It’s defined by what it isn’t. What is it? I don’t fuckin’ know.” – artist Lydia Lunch on the No
Wave movement
Presented by: Electric Pencil
Asian Showcase
THE BLUE MANSION
North American Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 16 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Singapore, Malaysia 2009 | Hokkien, Tagalog w/ English subtitles | 103 M
Director: Glen Goei
Screenwriter: Ken Kwek
Producers: Glen Goei, Tommy Tan
Cinematographer: Larry Smith
Cast: Patrick Teoh, Louisa Chong, Kay Siu Lim, Adrian Pang, Neo Swee Lin, Emma Yong
The richest man in Asia dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances but returns as a ghost with
unfinished business. A whodunit ensues when two eager detectives chase leads and suspects including
all his three children. Auteur Glen Goei casts his wicked black humor to expose the heart of darkness in
the patriarchal order that lurks beneath the success of Modern Asia.
With the assistance of cinematographer Larry Smith (EYES WIDE SHUT), Goei makes the most out of his
only location (a 19th-century mansion in Georgetown, Malaysia). With an Agatha Christie like feel, THE
BLUE MANSION is a sophisticated film that will have the audience guessing until the end.
Gala Presentations
BLUE VALENTINE
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 I English I 120m
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Screenwriter: Derek Cianfrance, Joey Curtis, Cami Delavigne
Producers: Lynette Howell, Alex Orlovsky, Jamie Patricof
Cinematographer: Andrij Parekh
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Mike Vogel, John Doman, Faith Wladyka
BLUE VALENTINE is an intimate, shattering portrait of a disintegrating marriage. On the far side of a
once-passionate romance, Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling) are married with a young
daughter. Hoping to save their marriage, they steal away to a theme hotel. We then encounter them years
earlier, when they met and fell in love—full of life and hope.
Moving fluidly between these two time periods, BLUE VALENTINE unfolds like a cinematic duet whose
refrain asks, where did their love go? Framing the film as a mystery whose answer lies scattered in time
(and in character), filmmaker Derek Cianfrance constructs an elegant set of dualities: past and present,
youth and adulthood, vitality and entropy. The rigor of his process is visible throughout the film.
Eliminating artificial devices, he has only the truth of the characters to work with. Because Gosling and
Williams bring amazing intensity and emotional honesty to their roles, the experience of connecting to
these two souls becomes truly moving.
Presented by: WATG Designing Destinations
New Chinese Cinema
BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS
SHI YUE WEI CHENG
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 9:00 PM I Regal Dole
China, Hong Kong 2010 | Cantonese w/ English subtitles | 138 M
Director: Teddy Chen
Screenwriter: Bing Wu, Junli Guo, Tin Nam Chun
Producers: James Yuen, Jianxin Huang , Peter Ho-sun Chan
Cinematographer: Arthur Wong
Cast: Jun Hu , Nicholas Tse, Tony Ka-fai Leung, Wang Xueqi, Leon Lai, Donnie Yen
Set in turn-of-the-century Hong Kong, BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS is an old school, all-star
extravaganza the likes of which hasn’t been seen in decades. Nominated for more Hong Kong Film
Awards than any other movie in history, it broke the bank in Hong Kong and busted the box office wide
open in China. The founder of modern day China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, is coming to Hong Kong for a secret
meeting, but the Qing Empress wants his Republican head on a plate. The call goes out: volunteers are
needed to protect Dr. Sun for the few hours he’s in town. Chances of survival are low. Crossbow battles,
primitive IEDs, razor-sharp iron fans and a rain of death ninjas keep things moving as the unprepared
bodyguards buy Dr. Sun safe passage across Hong Kong, a few feet at a time, paying for every inch of
his journey with their blood. BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS is as epic as BEN HUR and as emotional
as grand opera.
Sponsored by: Hawaii National Bank
Pacific Panorama
BOY
Return Engagement Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:45 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 1:00 PM I Regal Dole
New Zealand 2010 | English | 90 M
Director: Taika Waititi
Screenwriter: Taika Waititi
Producers: Ainsley Gardiner, Cliff Curtis, Emanuel Michael
Cinematographer: Adam Clark
Cast: Taika Waititi, James Rolleston, Te Aho Eketone-Whitu
Boy (first timer James Rolleston) lives with his Nan, his brother and his cousins in the rural New Zealand
village of Waihau Bay, where he hangs out with his pet goat and obsesses about one day seeing a
Michael Jackson concert. His father, Alamein (Taika Waititi, who also directs) is famous for many things
including being a war hero and punching out the most people with one fist... at least... that’s who he is
according to Boy’s vivid imagination. In reality, Boy has never really known his dad, since he’s spent most
of Boy’s life either in prison or just not around. But that changes when Nan leaves town to attend a funeral
and dad shows up with his gang of three. In his follow up to EAGLE VS SHARK (HIFF 2008), director
Taika Waititi serves up a heart-felt (if not heartwarming) comedy about a boy looking for a father figure in
a man who may not be fit to be a proper dad. Along the way there are plenty of laughs, but ultimately
Waititi’s willingness to avoid convention in favor of honesty is what makes BOY a winner.
Presented by: Pacific Islanders In Communications and New Zealand Consulate Hawaii Te Aka Aorere
New Chinese Cinema
THE BUTCHER, THE CHEF, AND THE SWORDSMAN
DAO JIAN XIAO
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 2:00 PM I Regal Dole
China, Hong Kong, USA 2010 | Mandarin w/ English Subtitles | 95 M
Director: Wuershan
Screenwriter: Wu Ershan, Ma Luoshan, Tang Que, Zhang Jiajia
Producers: Tang Xiru, Daniel Yu
Cinematographer: Michal Tywoniuk
Cast: Ashton Xu, Liu Xiaoye, You Benchang, Kitty Zhang, Masanobu Ando
This darkly inventive film follows the journey of a mystical blade as it passes through the hands of three
ambitious men. As the interwoven story unfolds, they find that the blade possesses the power to
dramatically change the fate of each of its owners.
The Butcher is a simple man in love with a beautiful courtesan, but is rebuffed each time he approaches
her. The Chef is a handsome loner obsessed with seeking vengeance for the slaughter of his family. The
Swordsman, the son of a legendary warrior, is consumed by the desire to eclipse his father in both power
and fame. Their stories comes full circle as each man takes possession of the mystical blade and
discovers its double edge – the great power it bestows is matched by even greater danger. If you enjoy
KUNG FU HUSTLE or SHAOLIN SOCCER, this film’s kinetic and zany energy will enthrall you.
Presented by: The Hawaii National Bank
Shanghai Shorts
BYOCIA
United States Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 18 M
Director: Echo Zhu
One girl looks for a place called “Byocia”, but the driver from “MoPie” has never heard of it. How will they
spend the two days on the journey? What’s the exact meaning of travel?
Presented by: Smart Exchange Student Media Art Exchange and AMC Academy for Creative Media
World Cinema
CARANCHO
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
Thursday, October 14 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
Argentina, Chile, France, S. Korea 2010 | Spanish w/ English subtitles | 107 M
Director: Pablo Trapero
Screenwriter: Martin Mauregui, Alejandro Fadel, Santiago Mitre
Producers: Pablo Trapero, Martina Gusman
Cinematographer: Julian Apezteguia
Cast: Ricardo Darin, Martina Gusman, Carlos Weber, Jose Luis Arias, Loren Acuna, Gabriel Almiron
Expertly-helmed by seasoned director Pablo Trapero (LION’S DEN), CARANCHO portrays the dark,
gritty, and dangerous lives of two pawns in a world where everyone around them is trying to cash in on
someone else’s misfortune. In Argentina, 8,000 people die in traffic accidents each year, and “the
compensation market is booming,” thus making ambulance-chasing attorneys the norm. Haggard
attorney Sosa (Ricardo Darin) slinks about car accident sites and hospital corridors, looking for desperate
victims to represent. After collecting their insurance money, he gives most of it to his employer. Sosa
meets and falls in love with drug-addicted doctor Lujan (Martina Gusman) and a relationship ensues.
When Sosa tries to help a financially strapped friend by committing insurance fraud, the job goes horribly
wrong and threatens his relationship with Lujan. Sosa decides to change his life, but in this case, doing
the right thing is surely a deadly proposition.
Sponsored by: Hotel Renew
Surf Cinema
CASTLES IN THE SKY
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 10:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 60 M
Director: Taylor Steele
Screenwriter:
Producers: Kent Kreutzer, Sandrine Lima, Nathan Myers
Cinematographer: Alex Berger, Todd Heater
Cast: Craig Anderson, Timmy Curran, Rob Machado, Pete Mendia, Dave Rastovich, Dane Reynolds
CASTLES IN THE SKY is a visual whirlwind that follows surfers to the farthest reaches of the known surf
world and beyond and presents a completely new approach to surf filmmaking. Filmed in five countries
over three years, the movie delves into the true heart of the locations while the surfers travel through
them with a sense of open-minded awe. With never-before seen waves, an original score, and some of
the best surfers in the world such as Jordy Smith, Dane Reynolds, Rob Machado and Dave Rastovich
contributing their art, passion and athleticism, this is as close to the experience of pioneering new
coastlines as you can get without getting on a plane.
Sponsored by: Wahoo's Fist Taco and Contrast Magazine
Student Showcase
THE CENTRE LINE
World Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 PM I Regal Dole
New Zealand 2009 | English | 14 M
Director: Cody Packer
Presented by: ABC Stores, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Servco Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank
Foundation, Hawaii Department of Education Video Technology Group, and The Vilcek Foundation
EuroCinema Hawai'i
CERTIFIED COPY
COPIE CONFORME
Hawaii Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 6:30 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
France 2010 I French w/English Subtitles I 106 M
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Screenwriter: Abbas Kiarostami
Producers: Angelo Barbagallo, Charles Gillibert, Marin Karmitz, Nathanael Karmitz
Cinematographer: Luca Bigazzi
Cast: Juliette Binoche, William Shimell, Jean-Claude Carriere, Agathe Natanson, Gianna Giachetti
Legendary Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, who won the 1997 Palme d’Or at Cannes with A TASTE OF
CHERRY and had a brief American art-house moment with THE WIND WILL CARRY US, slides smoothly
into upscale Western filmmaking with CERTIFIED COPY, an intriguing, not-quite love story featuring
French superstar Juliette Binoche, English opera singer William Shimell and the spectacular Tuscan
countryside. Binoche plays a nameless woman who lives with her son in the Italian city where British
author James Miller (Shimell, a debonair, erudite presence in his screen debut) has landed on his book
tour. She’s a journalist who writes about books, and offers to take him on a brief driving tour to a nearby
village so they can chat. Even before they set out, Binoche’s 10-year-old son jokes that she’s decided to
fall in love with Miller.
Presented by: EuroCinema Hawaii and Modern Luxury Hawaii Magazine
Made in Hawaii
CHASING RAINBOWS
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 7:30 PM I Regal Dole
Thursday, October 21 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 85 M
Director: Greg Andermann
Screenwriter: Greg Andermann
Producers: Greg Andermann
Cinematographer: Peter K. Tang
Cast: Greg Andermann, Ashley Maynard, Blake Oshiro, Brian Misaka, Catharine Haker, Charles Buck
The battle between the Evangelical Church and the Gay movement in America or LGBT all started in
Hawaii. Both of these diverse groups are actually searching for their true identity. Yet they both share the
same hopes, the same desires and want their own piece of the American Dream. They both simply want
to be heard, affirmed and become a part of mainstream American culture. CHASING RAINBOWS
attempts to chronicle this battle as it pertains to local politics and way of life. With the recent veto of the
same-sex marriage act by Governor Lingle, this hot button issue has become, yet again, political fodder
for the this year’s mid-term elections. With interviews by prominent figures on both sides of the coin,
ranging from Pastor Wayne Cordero of New Hope Church, Rabbi Peter B. Schaktman of Temple EmanuEl, as well as former legislator Dennis Arakaki of Hawaii Family Forum, the film does a good job of
providing a forum for both sides.
Presented by: Bank of Hawaii
Student Showcase
CHIUNE SUGIHARA: HUMANITARIAN HERO
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | English | 10 M
Director: Brett Tanonaka
Presented by: ABC Stores, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Servco Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank
Foundation, Hawaii Department of Education Video Technology Group, and The Vilcek Foundation
Asian Showcase
CIN(T)A
United States Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 7:30 PM I Regal Dole
Tuesday, October 19 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
Indonesia 2010 | Indonesian w/ English subtitles | 79 M
Director: Sammaria Simanjuntak
Screenwriter: Sammaria Simanjuntak, Sally Anom Sari
Producers: Sammaria Simanjuntak, Adi Panuntun, Budi Sasono
Cinematographer: Budi Sasono
Cast: Sahat Gultom, Saira Jihan, Sunny Soon
Cina, a Chinese Christian, and Annisa, a Malaysian Muslim, both love God dearly. However, these two
cannot be in love with each other since they call God by different names. Cina is an outgoing and
optimistic freshman, while Annisa is an actress and aspiring film director whose fame and beauty left her
lonely. They overcome the gap between each other and fall in love despite the differences in personality
and background. However, they can’t overcome their difference in faith. CIN(T)A not only has the rawness
and passion of the indie film but also the fast-paced and stylish music video-esque quality. Thanks to the
immaculate execution of the director, Sammaria Aimanjuntak, ethno-religious conflict in a multicultural
society like Indonesia is smoothly integrated into a love story as racial, religious and cultural collisions
tear the world of two lovebirds apart.
Presented by: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, University of Hawaii Manoa
Extreme Asia
CLASH
BAY RONG
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Tuesday, October 19 I 10:00 PM I Regal Dole
Vietnam 2009 | Vietnamese w/ English subtitles | 100 M
Director: Thanh Son Le
Screenwriter: Thanh Son Le, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Quang Hung Ho
Producers: Veronica Ngo, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Jimmy Nghiem Pham
Cinematographer: Dominic Pereira
Cast: Thanh Van Ngo, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Phuc Hoang, Hien Hieu, Minh Thang Lam, The Winh Tran
CLASH, starring Johnny Tri Nguyen and Veronica Ngo (the stars of THE REBEL) and directed by Thanh
Son Le (who served as an assistant director on THE REBEL) is another reinvention of the Vietnamese
action film. Ex-convicts Quan (Johnny Tri Nguyen) and Cang (Johnny Depp look-alike Thang Minh Lam)
are part of a hit squad assembled by Trinh (Veronica Ngo) to steal a hard drive from French mobsters.
Trinh works for an elusive criminal mastermind who seeks the hard drive to get control of Vietnam’s first
and only satellite. As the crew proceeds to execute the theft, a lone counter-operative from within the
crew runs off with the hard drive. Quan reluctantly helps Trinh hunt down the traitor, but nothing is what it
seems in this duplicitous world of crime and secret agendas. Director Le’s film represents a milestone in
Vietnamese filmed entertainment, cross-pollinating the trends of the West with the sensibilities of the
Vietnamese.
Presented by: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, University of Hawaii Manoa
Green Screen
CLIMATE OF CHANGE
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 8:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 85 M
Director: Brian Hill
Screenwriter: Simon Armitage
Producers: Katie Bailiff
Cinematographer: Wayne Vinten, Michael Timney, Tony Coldwell, Roger Chapman
Cast: Tilda Swinton
“We are the renters of this world, not its masters,” reminds Pooshkar, a precocious 13-year-old member of
a youth environmental defense group in India. He and his fellow voraciously energetic students actively
rally against the use of plastics. In Africa, a renaissance man teaches citizens to harness solar power to
cook food. In Papua New Guinea, villagers practice sustainable logging to save their rainforests. A
woman in London uses her PR savvy to start a successful environmental communications firm. Selfdescribed “hillbillies” in Appalachia battle the big business behind strip mining.
In this rich and inspiring documentary, director Brian Hill takes us around the world to find the ordinary
people taking action in the fight to save our environment. Hill and his cinematographers create a real
sense of ambience in each of the countries and communities they visit.
Presented by: Pacific Edge Magazine and Green Drinks Honolulu
Shorts Program 3
COLD TURKEY
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
Ireland 2009 | English | 11 M
Director: Gavin Keane
COLD TURKEY concerns the misadventures of a frustrated Foley artist, curious children and petrified
poultry.
Sponsored by: Stella Artois
American Indies
COLD WEATHER
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 7:00 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 16 I 12:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 96 M
Director: Aaron Katz
Screenwriter: Aaron Katz, Brendan McFadden, Ben Stambler
Producers: Lars Knudsen, Brendan McFadden, Ben Stambler, Jay Van Hoy
Cinematographer: Andrew Reed
Cast: Cris Lankenau, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Raul Castillo, Robyn Rikoon, Jeb Pearson
Back in Portland after deciding to momentarily abandon his forensic science studies in Chicago, Doug
(Cris Lankenau; QUIET CITY) takes up residence with his slightly more stable sister, Gail (Trieste Kelly
Dunn; UNITED 93). Lacking the ambition to pursue his dreams at the moment, Doug takes what promises
to be a temporary job working the nightshift at an ice factory. Soon, co-worker/DJ/Star Trek enthusiast
Carlos (Raul Castillo; PARAISO TRAVEL) takes an interest in Doug’s ex-girlfriend, which doesn’t bother
Doug in the least. But when she doesn’t show up to one of Carlos’ DJ gigs, Doug and his compatriots are
thrust into the middle of a mystery filled with cowboy photographers, code breaking, and a missing
briefcase full of cash. Thoughtfully paced with a mellow attitude, COLD WEATHER’s tone is distinctly
Portland. Director Aaron Katz (QUIET CITY) centers the somewhat detached detective story around the
brother/sister relationship, giving the film a resonant core that elevates it above your average PI fare.
Presented by: DHL
Shorts Program 2
COMFORTABLE DISTANCE
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | English | 15 M
Director: James Bang
Though Helen is devoted to her dying husband, her new and fulfilling relationship with Glen awakes her
moral dilemma. Should she pursue happiness?
Presented by: Stella Artois
Spotlight on Japan
CONFESSIONS
KOKUHAKU
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 10:30 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 107 M
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima
Screenwriter: Tetsuya Nakashima
Producers: Genki Nakashima
Cinematographer: Atsushi Ozawa, Shoichi Ato
Cast: Yoshino Kimura, Masaki Okada, Takako Matsu
Reigning in his impulse to create surreal candy-colored worlds full of chaos and confusion, director
Tetsuya Nakashima (KAMIKAZE GIRLS, MEMORIES OF MATSUKO) opts instead for an intense drama
throbbing with dark emotions. Television heroine, Takako Matsu, plays a middle-school teacher whose
four-year-old daughter is murdered. Shattered, she finally returns to her classroom, only to become
convinced that two of her students were responsible for her daughter’s death. No one believes her, but
she decides that it’s time to take her revenge. What happens next is all-out psychological warfare waged
against her students in an attempt to force them into confessing what she knows in her heart to be true:
they are guilty. And it’s true: they are guilty, but not of the crime she thinks they committed. Nakashima
wrote this movie with the idea of turning his lead actresses image on its head, and he said he would not
shoot it without her. To select the 33 students in her class he auditioned over 1000 Japanese teenagers.
The result is a richly polished, deeply disturbing, emotionally devastating film that we are proud to
introduce to American audiences.
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN Nippon Golden Network
Short Films Program 1
THE CONTINUING AND LAMENTABLE SAGA OF THE SUICIDE BROTHERS
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | No Dialogue| 10 M
Directors: Arran Brownlee, Corran Brownlee
Two brothers with a death wish live out the clockwork like monotony of their everyday lives while forever
over-looking the presence of their fairy godmother.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Gala Presentations
CONVICTION
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 I English I 106m
Director: Tony Goldwyn
Screenwriter: Pamela Gray
Producers: Tony Goldwyn, Andrew S. Karsch, Andrew Sugerman
Cinematographer: Adriano Goldman
Cast: Juliette Lewis, Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Bailee Madison, Peter Gallagher
CONVICTION is the inspirational true story of a sister’s unwavering devotion to her brother. When Betty
Anne Waters’ (two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank) older brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is
arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two,
dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty
Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18 year quest to free Kenny.
With the help of best friend Abra Rice (Academy Award nominee Minnie Driver), Betty Anne pores through
suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor (Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo),
meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny’s arrest. Belief in her brother - and her quest for the
truth - pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the hope of
exonerating Kenny.
Presented by: Davis - Levin Livingston Attorneys
Eat, Drink, Film
COOKING UP DREAMS
DE OLLAS Y SUENOS
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 8:15 PM I Regal Dole
Brazil, Peru 2010 | Spanish w/ English subtitles | 75 M
Director: Ernesto Cabellos
Screenwriter: Ernesto Cabellos
Producers: Ricardo Cabellos, Ernesto Cabellos
Cinematographer: Ernesto Cabellos
Cast: Gaston Acurio
No longer, the lighter option to topics of “serious” discussions, food and its cultures are increasingly
recognized as becoming a vitally material link between people, their place within political economies and
hopes for a national future. This is especially true in Peru. Director Ernesto Cabellos Damián’s COOKING
UP DREAMS tells the story of Peruvian cuisine, which, as he shows, is also the story of Peru. COOKING
UP DREAMS documents this story in the restaurants of top chefs and family kitchens, in historical preColumbian Peru and in the Peruvian diasporas in Paris, New York and Madrid, in Lima’s Señor de
Milagros procession and Mistura, an annual food festival. The drama of Peruvian internationalization
builds as we observe, for instance, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, along with other up and coming Peruvian
chefs, as they construct high class cuisine from traditional methods and ingredients - like gamitana, a
type of fruit eating piranha. Come to COOKING UP DREAMS, and come hungry for a wealth of meals
that are both newly known and as old as tradition.
Shorts Program 2
CRYSTAL
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 5 M
Director: Brett Wagner
In a pixilated universe, one man chases clarity of vision.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Documentary Feature Nominees
CULTURES OF RESISTANCE
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | Burmese, Arabic, English, Farsi, French, Hebrew, Portuguese, Spanish,
Vietnamese, Xhosa w/ English subtitles | 73 M
Director: Iara Lee
Producers: Iara Lee
Cinematographer: David Ross Smith
Cast: MedellÌn poets for peace, Capoeira masters from Brazil, womenís movement leaders in Rwanda,
Iranian graffiti artists
“We are the renters of this world, not its masters,” reminds Pooshkar, a precocious 13-year-old member of
a youth environmental defense group in India. He and his fellow voraciously energetic students actively
rally against the use of plastics. In Africa, a renaissance man teaches citizens to harness solar power to
cook food. In Papua New Guinea, villagers practice sustainable logging to save their rainforests. A
woman in London uses her PR savvy to start a successful environmental communications firm. Selfdescribed “hillbillies” in Appalachia battle the big business behind strip mining. In this rich and inspiring
documentary, director Brian Hill takes us around the world to find the ordinary people taking action in the
fight to save our environment. Hill and his cinematographers create a real sense of ambience in each of
the countries and communities they visit.
Presented by: The Hawaii Independent
Shorts Program 4
DANCING IN THE PARK
World Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 4:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | Vietnamese w/ English subtitles | 12 M
Director: Mike Douglass, Henry Mochida
Every morning Hanoians from across the city gather at Thong Nhat Park for ballroom dancing, exercise
and chatting, but as the city at its millennium opens to a new era of global investment, the park has
become a target for commercial development that threaten the conviviality of city life.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
DAY TRIP
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
New Zealand 2010 | English | 11 M
Director: Zoe McIntosh
A gang member wakes up one morning and decides he needs a day off. With his tattooed face and
prominent gang patch, he is a fish out of water when he arrives in the idyllic small port town of Picton, but
the experience he has there will change his outlook on life forever.
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Narrative Feature Nominee
DEEP IN THE CLOUDS
BI LUO XUE SHAN
International Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 3:45 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 9:30 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 I Mandarin w/English Subtitles I 93m
Director: Jie Liu
Screenwriter: Wenxue Cun, Jie Liu
Producers: Huarong Li, Jie Liu
Cinematographer: Harrison Zhang
Cast: Chunmei Feng , Chunhua Hu , Adi Ji , Pi Hei , Zhenye Na , Wang Puze
DEEP IN THE CLOUDS is a present day tale that takes place in a remote village in southwestern China.
Superstition still rules among the Lisu-ethnic inhabitants, who believe they are descended from the bears
in the mountains and are strongly influenced by the pronouncements of the oldest man in the village, the
100-plus-years-old Duoliba (Ji’adi), who sits counting sweet corn to measure his remaining days. Seven
years ago, Duoliba’s son and elder grandson crossed the border into Burma to look for work and have not
been heard of since. Considering them dead, Duoliba wishes younger grandson Dialu (Wangpuze) to
marry his elder brother’s wife. Dialu actually loves the beautiful Ji’ni (Nazhiye), but she is under pressure
from her father to marry a wealthy but drunken villager to secure her family’s welfare. While Dialu ponders
whether to disobey his grandfather and go to Burma to find his father and brother, tensions rise in the
cash-strapped village, and are exacerbated by Duoliba’s refusal to bend to government pressure to be
relocated elsewhere.
Student Showcase
DIFFERENT COLORS
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 AM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 3 M
Director: Ann Truong
Presented by: ABC Stores, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Servco Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank
Foundation, Hawaii Department of Education Video Technology Group, and The Vilcek Foundation
Shorts Program 2
DIPLOMACY
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | English, Farsi w/ English subtitles | 9 M
Director: Jon Goldman
Can two interpreters use a unique and daring approach to bring about mutual understanding between two
strong-willed diplomats?
Presented by: Stella Artois
Shorts Program 2
DIRTY BITCH
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Malaysia 2009 | English, French, Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 14 M
Director: Sun Koh
Jen is going to college, but she has a major secret to hide. Inspired by a badly censored VHS of Claire
Denis’ NENETTE ET BONI found in a Singapore library.
Presented by: Stella Artois
American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile
DOG SWEAT
ARAGH SAGEE
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
Sunder, October 17 I 2:00 PM I Regal Dole
Iran 2010 | Farsi w/ English subtitles | 90 M
Director: Hossein Keshavarz
Screenwriter: Hossein Keshavarz, Maryam Azadi
Producers: Hossein Keshavarz, Maryam Azadi, Alan Oxman
Cinematographer: Ehsan Karimi
Cast: Ahmad Akbarzadeh, Tahereh Esfahani, Bagher Forohar, Shahrokh Taslimi, Rahim Zamani
Invoking the subversive urgency of cinema vérité, filmmaker Hossein Keshavarz interweaves the lives of
seven young people in contemporary Iran. Misunderstood by their families and oppressed by
conservative Islamic society, they act out their personal desires behind closed doors. A feminist finds
herself in an affair with a married man; new lovers search for a place to be physically intimate; a gay man
is pressured to leave his partner for an arranged marriage; a female pop singer risks exposure; and a
grief-stricken son lashes out at fundamentalists. Keshavarz’s film debut is certain to trigger conversation
about the contradictions brewing within contemporary Iran, where two-thirds of the population is under
thirty. This covert society, forced to operate without government sanctions, is bravely brought into the
sunlight by Dog Sweat, which displays a side of Iranian life virtually unseen by the outside world. Shot
clandestinely in Tehran—a risky endeavor for the cast and crew—this provocative film provides the new
generation of Iranians a fervent voice of rebellion.
Presented by: The Vilcek Foundation
Sound x Vision
DOGS IN SPACE/WE’RE LIVIN’ ON DOG FOOD
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
Australia 1986 | English | 103 M/ Australia 2010 | English | 94 M
Director: Richard Lowenstein
Screenwriter: Richard Lowenstein
Cast: Tony Helou, Deanna Bond, Nique Needles, Saskia Post, Michael Hutchence
HIFF is proud to present this double feature on the little-known Australian ‘70s punk scene. DOGS IN
SPACE is Australia’s only punk movie. Late INXS singer Michael Hutchence plays an enigmatic band
frontman. The soundtrack features Hutchence, Ollie Olsen, Iggy Pop, the Boys Next Door and many
more. With chaotic style and lifestyles, plentiful drugs and biting dialogue, the film portrays the destruction
of an anarchic utopia and captures the mood of this pivotal period. The documentary WE’RE LIVING ON
DOG FOOD is an eclectic and honest examination of Melbourne’s post-punk music scene of this era that
spawned the likes of Nick Cave, the Birthday Party, Rowland S. Howard, the Primitive Calculators,
Whirlywirld and the unique ‘Little Band’ scene amongst many others. Participants proffer their
recollections and air their animosities in a tribute to those seminal times in a sequence of remarkably
candid interviews about their music, the drugs, the fashions, the influences, the philosophies, the venues
and the legacy of the era.
Spotlight on the Philippines
DONOR
United States Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
Philippines 2010 | Tagalog w/ English subtitles | 86 M
Director: Mark Meily
Screenwriter: Mark Meily
Producers: Mark Meily, Imee Marcos, Greg Garcia, Lee Briones-Meily
Cinematographer: Jay Abello
Cast: Meryll Soriano, Baron Geisler, Jao Mapa, Tabatabaee Kami
Mark Meily (CRYING LADIES) returns to form with DONOR, a hard-hitting parable that ostensibly tackles
the kidney trade, the ridiculous statutes that attempt to prevent it, and the traditional male domination in a
society where breadwinner status in the family is steadily shifting to females. Stuck in a marriage-less
relationship with perennial bum Danny (Baron Geisler), Lizette (Meryll Soriano) is barely able to make
ends meet with the very little that she gets peddling pirated DVDs. A recent police raid leaves her jobless.
She attempts to apply for work abroad but eventually discovers that the simple act of job application will
cost her a fortune. Back at home, Danny requests that she fund his gun acquisition. Strapped for cash,
she is forced to sell a kidney to a Jordanian businessman for a hundred thousand pesos. One of the
conditions of the deal however is for her to marry the Jordanian, in compliance with a law that prohibits
the donation of organs to a stranger. The results are both humorous and troubling.
Presented by: L&L Hawaiian Barbeque
Film for Thought
DOOMAN RIVER
United States Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 6:45 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
France, South Korea 2009 | Mandarin, Korean w/ English subtitles | 89 M
Director: Lu Zhang
Screenwriter: Lu Zhang
Producers: Guillaume de Seille, Jeong Jin Lee, Hye Kyung Woo
Cinematographer: Wei Xu
Cast: Jian Cui, Lan Yin, Jin-Long Lin, Xuansheng Jin
The Dooman River forms the vital border that separates North Korea from mainland China. Focusing on
this harsh and isolated part of the world, the film DOOMAN RIVER tells the story of a small village of
Koreans living on the Chinese side of the river. The frozen river is frequently crossed by fleeing North
Korean refugees, while the village residents eek out a meager existence often supported by relatives
working in South Korea. Directed by Zhang Lu (IRI, DESERT DREAM), the film explores the lives of the
villagers from the perspective of 12-year-old Chang-ho (Cui Jian), who lives with his sister and
grandfather while his mother works in South Korea. The strained relationship between the villagers and
the starving refugees hits home for Chang-ho when he befriends a young North Korean refugee boy.
Through this tale of survival and friendship, the viewer is provided a glimpse into a unique community of
people who live along North Korea’s ‘other’ border.
Presented by: Hawaii Council for the Humanities
Hong Kong Cinema
ECHOES OF THE RAINBOW
SUI YUET SAN TAU TITLE
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
Hong Kong 2010 | Cantonese w/ English subtitles | 118 M
Director: Alex Law
Screenwriter: Chi-Leung Kong, Chi-Wai Chan
Producers: Mabel Cheung
Cinematographer: Charlie Lam
Cast: Simon Yam, Sandra Ng, Aarif Lee
ECHOES OF THE RAINBOW is Director Alex Law’s (THE SOONG SISTERS) semi-autobiographical look
at his childhood during 1960s Hong Kong. With a detailed eye for life of the period and an inspiring story
about a resilient family in tough times, this heartwarming nostalgia drama has won the hearts of
audiences around the world. Told through the eyes of sticky-fingered eight-year-old boy Big Ears (Buzz
Chung), ECHOES OF THE RAINBOW takes place in a close-knit grassroots community in 1960s Hong
Kong. Big Ears’ mother and father (Sandra Ng and Simon Yam, in an award-winning performance) run the
neighborhood shoe store, and his older brother Desmond (pop singer and HKFA Best New Artist winner
Aarif Lee) is every family’s dream son - an outstanding athlete with grades worthy of Hong Kong’s best
school. Their lives aren’t always happy, but the family sticks together through all the rough times, no
matter how bad it gets.
Presented by: Fiji Water
Made in Hawaii
ECILA
World Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 9:30 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 24 I 8:15 PM Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 90 M
Director: Darieus Legg
Screenwriter: Darieus Legg
Producers: Robert Campbell
Cinematographer: Darieus Legg
Cast: Britney Sussman, Garison Berg, Kaveh Karden, Enayat Ghalamfarsa, Aaron Leroux, Cyrus Legg
Belcapo is a city run amok. All citizens are requested to evacuate the city. However, one reporter stands
alone, Ecila. The main lead for her story is the old man on the pink moped (the hunted rabbit), believed to
be the runner of the drug “LOVE” and collector of MR. G’s (Leader of the Persian crime family) debts in
the city. Will Ecila get the story that no other reporter has the courage to write? Usually it’s the serene
and sunny beauty of Hawaii that inspires filmmakers. For director Darieus Legg, it was the dirty walls and
post-war architecture of downtown Honolulu that inspired to create a visionary world filled with villains and
anti-heroes. Every shot is framed like a panel from a Frank Miller graphic novel. It is a vision of Hawaii (or
at least shot in Hawaii, since it doesn’t take place in the 808) that is seen through the looking glass darkly.
Presented by: Bank of Hawaii
Short Films Program 1
EMPIRE CORNER
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 12 M
Director: J.P. Chan
After witnessing the brutal attack of a Chinese food deliveryman, a young African American woman goes
in search for a relationship that might have been.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Extreme Asia
FIRE OF CONSCIENCE
FOR LUNG
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 6:15 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 10:15 PM I Regal Dole
Hong Kong 2010 | Cantonese, Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 106 M
Director: Dante Lam
Screenwriter: Dante Lam, Wai Lun Ng
Producers: Dante Lam, John Chong, Candy Leung
Cinematographer: Charlie Lam, Chung-to Tse
Cast: Leon Lai, Richie Ren, Baoqiang Wang, Vivian Hsu, Kai Chi Liu
The investigation of a prostitute’s murder brings headstrong Detective Manfred (Leon Lai also in HIFF
2010’s BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS) in an unlikely collaboration with shady Inspector Kee (Richie
Yen) from the Narcotics Bureau. When DNA of one of Manfred’s colleagues is found at the crime scene,
Internal Affairs comes sniffing around. In the line of fire between high levels of corruption, Manfred must
solve all the twists of the mystery, reluctantly with Kee. Together, the duo will wage a two-man war and
uncover a conspiracy that will threaten to upend the entire police force, and paint the streets of Hong
Kong with blood. This explosive action thriller comes from the mind of action director Dante Lam, who
struck action genre gold with his modern classic THE BEAST STALKER, shown at HIFF last year. FIRE
OF CONSCIENCE is a tour-de-force that harkens to the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema of the
early ‘90s.
Surf Cinema
FIRST LOVE
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 24 I 11:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States, Australia 2010 | English | 58 M
Director: Claire Gorman
Screenwriter:
Producers: Clare Plueckhahn, Fran Derham, Craig Griffin
Cinematographer: Claire Gorman
Cast: Nikki van Dijk, Jess Laing, India Payne
This feature length film follows the lives of three passionate young girls from Phillip Island and documents
their trip to Hawaii - the first step on their journey to making a career out of surfing. 17-year old Jess Laing
has grown up surfing with, and competing against her two friends Nikki van Dijk and India Payne. They’re
all sponsored, surf the same breaks and live within 10 minutes of each other. The girls are all different in
their own ways, but one thing’s certain, they all love the same thing. But when Jess is injured everything
changes. Her trip to Hawaii is replaced with surgery, recovery and rehab. It’s only her love of surfing that
pulls her through. Discover the trials and tribulations of training, competitions and injury whilst gaining an
insight into life on the tour through the eyes of three girls.
Presented by: Wahoo's Fish Taco
EuroCinema Hawai'i
FOUR LIONS
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 8:00 PM I Regal Dole
United Kingdom 2010 | English, Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi w/ English subtitles | 102 M
Director: Christopher Morris
Screenwriter: Simon Blackwell, Sam Bain, Jesse Armstrong, Christopher Morris
Producers: Derrin Schlesinger, Mark Herbert
Cinematographer: Lol Crawley
Cast: Adeeel Akhtar, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, Arsher Ali, Riz Ahmed
Chris Morris’ FOUR LIONS is a funny, thrilling comedy that illuminates modern jihadism through the prism
of farce. It understands jihadists as human beings, and it understands human beings as innately
ridiculous. What THIS IS SPINAL TAP did for heavy metal and DR STRANGELOVE the Cold War, FOUR
LIONS does for the modern face of terrorism. Living with his wife and young son in an unspecified British
city, Omar (Riz Ahmed) is determined to mobilize his band of Muslim brothers: clueless Waj (Kayvan
Novak) relies on Omar to think and act for him; Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) is a sad sack who says little and
spends his time training crows to fly bombs; and white convert Barry (Nigel Lindsay) is a belligerent
renegade as stupid as he is strident. This is what Omar has to deal with. They must strike a decisive blow
on their own turf but can any of them strike a match without punching himself in the face?
Presented by: EuroCinema Hawaii
New Chinese Cinema
THE FOURTH PORTRAIT
United States Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Taiwan 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 102 M
Director: Mong-Hong Chung
Screenwriter: Mong-Hong Chung, Hsiang-Wen Tu
Producers: Shao-Chien Tseng
Cinematographer: Nagao Nakashima
Cast: Xiao-Hai Bi, Leon Dai, Lei Hao, Terri Kwan, Na Dow
THE FOURTH PORTRAIT casts a sobering look at the troubling issues of domestic violence, and the
difficult family dynamics that are born of marriages of convenience. Defying all genre definitions, the film
blends comedic elements with deeply touching moments. The result is a fascinating tale of innocence and
maturity that bears the signature of one of Taiwan’s most exciting new talents. Xiang is trying to adjust to
his new life as an orphan, when his estranged mother suddenly reappears in his life. His mother’s home
is cold and unwelcoming, with a rancorous stepfather and the mysterious presence of a boy who haunts
his dreams. Xiang’s mother married his father in order to obtain citizenship and then abandoned him to
follow the man she now lives with. But a much scarier secret hides in the dark past of his family, one he is
destined to unveil.
Presented by: GIO, Government Information Office Republic of China (Taiwan)
ACM Night
FROM A DEAD STOP
World Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 14 M
Director: Jason Kaneshiro
A truck delivery driver gets into deeper and deeper trouble after striking down a hitchhiker and deciding to
try to get away with it.
Presented by: ACM, Academy for Creative Media
Extreme Asia
GALLANTS
DA LUI TOILE
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 10:00 PM I Regal Dole
Hong Kong 2010 | Cantonese w/ English subtitles | 98 M
Director: Derek Chi-Kin Kwok, Clement Sze-Kit Cheng
Screenwriter: Clement Sze-Kit Cheng, Chi-kin Kwok, Frankie Tam
Producers: Gordon Ka-Tung Lam
Cinematographer: Sing-Pui O
Cast: Kuan-Tai Chen, Siu Lung Leung, Teddy Robin Kwan, Yau-Nam Wong, J.J. Jia
Martial arts fans will delight in this new kung fu comedy from writer/director duo Derek Kwok and Clement
Cheng. As a punishment, incompetent office worker Cheung is sent to a rural village to settle a property
dispute between some greedy property developers and the owners of a run-down teahouse. However, the
teahouse turns out to be owned by Tiger (Bruce Leung Siu-Lung, KUNG FU HUSTLE) and Dragon (Chen
Kuan Tai), two aging martial artists who are anxiously waiting for their master to awaken from a 30-year
coma. When Master Law (Teddy Robin) suddenly awakens unaware that any time has passed, Tiger,
Dragon and Cheung set out to revive the old martial arts studio. Featuring a cast of old school kung fu
stars from the heyday of martial arts films, GALLANTS sets out to prove that youthfulness is a state of
mind. This film is truly an homage to the spirit of kung fu, one that values honor and wisdom and never
backs away from a fight.
Real Life
GERRYMANDERING
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 6:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 77 M
Director: Jeff Reichert
Screenwriter: Jeff Reichert
Producers: Chris Romano, Dan O'Meara, Jeff Reichert
Cinematographer: Gary Griffin
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Howard Dean, Ed Rollins, Gray Davis
Right now, across the country, our two major political parties are gearing up for a once-a-decade war
whose winner will control Congress for the next ten years, and possibly more. There will be battles in
every state, and each will be kept carefully hidden from the prying eyes of average voters who only
become more disenchanted with their government with each meaningless election. Democrats and
Republicans collude to keep these skirmishes private so that they can maintain total control over the
ultimate political weapon: the ability to directly determine the outcome of elections. Why bother stuffing
ballots when they can just draw districts? For the first time, GERRYMANDERING exposes the most
effective form of manipulating elections short of outright fraud. After the 2010 Census is finished, will you
know where your district went?
Made in Hawaii
GET A JOB
World Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 7:15 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 3:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 93 M
Director: Brian Kohne
Screenwriter: Brian Kohne
Producers: Stefan Schaefer
Cinematographer: Dan Hersey
Cast: Willie K. Kahaiali'i, Eric Gilliom, Carolyn Omine, Augie Tulba, Jake Shimabukuro
Maui – William (Willie K) is a successful employment agent whose career is jeopardized when, over the
course of one week, he repeatedly fails to find work for Merton (Eric Gilliom), the most unemployable man
on the island. William’s problems are compounded tenfold by his longtime girlfriend, Laura (Carolyn
Omine), who wants desperately to be married and chooses this particular week to achieve her goal at all
costs. At week’s end, William finds himself jobless, homeless, car-less, girl-friendless, but more resolved
than ever to make the tough choices needed to find lasting joy, love and fulfillment. Director Brian Kohne
has definitely something to say about the tough choices made by locals everyday to live in paradise.
Willie K and Eric Gilliom, who best known as duo act Barefoot Natives, brings both screwball comedy and
dramatic levity to the film. Kohne’s play on stereotypes is gut-breaking indeed, but there’s a grander
scheme to the madness in GET A JOB – the pursuit of the American dream.
Presented by: Bank of Hawaii
EuroCinema Hawai'i
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST
LUFTSLOTTET SOM SPRANGDES
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 9:30 PM I Regal Dole
Sweden, Denmark 2010 | Swedish w/ English subtitles | 148 M
Director: Daniel Alfredson
Screenwriter: Jonas Frykberg, Ulf Ryberg
Producers: Jon Mankell, Lone Korslund, Peter Nadermann
Cinematographer: Peter Mokrosinski
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyquist, Lena Endre, Annika Hallin
This final chapter picks up immediately where the last film ended. Lisbeth Salander, played by the
incomparable Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, is fighting for her life in more ways than one. In intensive
care and charged with three murders, Salander will not only have to prove her innocence, but also
expose the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. Once upon a time, she was
a victim. Now Salander is fighting back! The late author Steig Larsen’s “Millennium Trilogy” has taken the
world by storm and the films are equally as successful, generating huge box office worldwide. With David
Fincher’s upcoming Hollywood adaptation, it will be hard to shake off Rapace’s explosive and awardworthy performance as the punk rock, obsessive-compulsive, bisexual hacker who stands up to the dark
underbelly of the Swedish patriarchy.
Presented by: EuroCinema Hawaii and Modern Luxury Hawaii
Surf Cinema
GOD WENT SURFING WITH THE DEVIL
Hawaii Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 8:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English, Hebrew, Arabic w/ English subtitles | 84 M
Director: Alexander Klein
Screenwriter: Alexander Klein
Producers: Alexander Klein, Edward Chase, Nikki Scoggins, Jon Schwartz
Cinematographer: Edward Chase
Since the year 2000, over 4,300 Palestinian and 1,000 Israeli lives have been claimed by the escalating
conflict in the region. In 2007 it emerged that a small group of young men were surfing in Gaza, sharing
battered surfboards they had attained prior to the siege. Word traveled north to Israel, and that same
year, a mixed group of Israelis and Americans delivered a dozen boards to their Palestinian counterparts.
In the spring of 2008, they would attempt to deliver another 23 surfboards into Gaza. By this time the
situation in Gaza had deteriorated further, the border still sealed, with military activity a near daily
occurrence. GOD WENT SURFING WITH THE DEVIL charts the difficulties and dangers encountered by
surfers in the region. Along the way it speaks to Israelis, Arab-Israelis, and Palestinians affected by the
violence, charting their daily struggle to supersede the conflict through the joys of surfing.
Presented by: Wahoo's Fish Taco
Surf Cinema
GOING VERTICAL
United States Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States, Australia 2010 | English | 87 M
Director: David Bradbury
Screenwriter: David Margan
Producers: Leah Wright, Robert Raymond
Cinematographer: Simon Temple
Cast: Gerry Lopez, Kelly Slater, Sam George, Nat Young, Bob McTavish, Dick Brewer
The epic search for surfing’s great truth of who really started the Shortboard Revolution that changed the
face of surfing forever. Was it as legend has it, the Hawaiians with their giant waves and proud
Polynesian tradition, or the Californians, who continue to be the commercial machine of modern surfing?
Or was it the brainchild of Australian surfing legend and surfboard designer Bob McTavish, collaborating
with American expat, George Greenough on the remote beaches of Australia. Over the last four decades,
dozens of books, movies and magazine articles have reinforced the prevailing view of surfing history –
that Bob McTavish is the one-and-only king of the short board revolution. But is this claim true? Not
according to a groundswell of opinion that’s erupted recently in the United States challenging that longheld belief. Telling both sides of the story and filmed in Australia, Hawaii and California and featuring
extraordinary archival footage of surf legends of the past four decades as well as champions of the
present, GOING VERTICAL is not your usual surfing film.
Presented by: Wahoo's Fish Taco
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
GRANDA
United States Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
New Zealand 2010 | English | 11 M
Director: Marina McCartney
When Robert meets his Samoan Granda in Aotearoa for the first time he approaches him with caution.
Granda cannot speak English and Robert cannot speak Samoan. As the day progresses he observes
minor actions and reactions from and toward his Granda which encourage him to let down his guard.
Short Films Program 1
THE GREEN TIE AFFAIR
World Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 13 M
Director: Dane Neves
A short musical about a green tie-wearing puppet who is deprived of his identity when people around him
begin to copy his fashion style.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Spotlight on Japan
HANAMIZUKI
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 1:00 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 24 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 128 M
Director: Nobuhiro Doi
Screenwriter: Noriko Yoshida
Producers: Yasuo Yagi, Kazuya Hamana, Jun Nasuda
Cinematographer: Yasushi Sasakibara
Cast: Yui Aragaki, Toma Ikuta, Osamu Mukai, Hiroko Yakushimaru, Misako Renbutsu
HANAMIZUKI is named after and inspired by a hit 2004 single by singer Yo Hitoto which is also used as
the main theme song. Yui Aragaki stars as a Hokkaido high school student named Sae who lives with her
mother Ryoko (Hiroko Yakushimaru) and dreams of attending a Tokyo University. Sae studies for her
entrance exams while being watched over by the flowering dogwood tree (hanamizuki) planted by her
father, who died when she was young. Eventually, she meets and falls in love with Kohei (Toma Ikuta),
who is planning to stay in Hokkaido and become a fisherman like his father. When Sae leaves Hokkaido
for the university, they attempt a long-distance relationship, but it’s ill-fated. However, a miracle occurs ten
years later.
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN Nippon Golden Network
Short Films Program 1
THE HAPPIEST MAN ALIVE
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 12 M
Director: Andrew M. Goodman
An allegorical comedy about a day in the life of a man who instead of wearing his heart on his sleeve,
wears a knife in his heart.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Made in Hawaii
HOLDING FAST THE DREAM
World Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 59 M
Director: Steve Okino
Producers: Miles M. Jackson, Lisa Altieri
Cast: Cliff Watson
Ranging from Alice Ball, to Wally Amos, to Barack Obama, this insightful documentary highlights the 200
year history of African Americans in Hawai‘i. The film explores the importance and the challenges of
building community, the individual and collective search for security, and the dichotomy of race even in a
multi-ethnic society. Untold stories of achievement and success illustrate the tenacity and courage of the
individual, despite isolation and even ostracism.
Presented by: Bank of Hawaii
World Cinema
HOME BY CHRISTMAS
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 1:30 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 24 I 11:45 AM I Regal Dole
New Zealand 2010 | English | 95 M
Director: Gaylene Preston
Screenwriter: Gaylene Preston
Producers: Gaylene Preston, Sue Rogers
Cinematographer: Alun Bollinger
Cast: Tony Barry, Martin Henderson, Chelsie Preston-Crayford, Tina Cleary
Based on a true story. On his way home from rugby practice, Ed Preston (Martin Henderson) joins the
New Zealand Army to fight in World War II. His new wife Tui (Chelsea Preston Crayford) is pregnant and
distraught, but he tells her not to worry; he’ll be home by Christmas. And so he is — four years later —
after escaping from a prison camp in Italy. But while Ed is away, Tui falls for a photographer. This
remarkable story of resilience, determination, and love is told through the eyes of an elderly Ed Preston
(Tony Barry). Gaylene Preston directs this film memoir, based on her interviews with her father. Weaving
strands of poetic imagined drama and archival footage, she presents both sides of her parents’ wartime
marriage: the horror and hardship of battlefield and prison camp, juxtaposed with the loneliness and grief
of a young wife struggling with a newborn baby and a husband declared missing.
Presented by: Hotel Renew
After Dark
A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 10:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 85 M
Director: Adam Wingard
Screenwriter: Simon Barrett
Producers: Simon Barrett, Travis Stevens, Kim Sherman
Cinematographer: Adam Wingard
Cast: Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Brandon Carroll, Lane Hughes
Sarah is starting life over. After her last relationship ended with a revelation that sent her boyfriend,
Garrick, to a life sentence in prison, Sarah had no choice but to leave her past behind. Now that she’s
been relocated to a small town and given a new identity, Sarah’s embracing the opportunity to start life
fresh. Unfortunately for Sarah, the past won’t let go. Garrick escapes prison and discovers Sarah’s new
location, then blazes a violent trail across the country to track her down and disrupt her seemingly perfect
new life. Award-winning director Adam Wingard plays with narrative chronology, sound design and visual
aesthetics to slowly unveil the details of Sarah and Garrick’s dark past. Meanwhile, Garrick grows ever
closer in his search, leading to a violent confrontation in which the true motivation for his obsessive
manhunt is finally revealed.
Presented by: Chinatown Newspaper
Hong Kong Cinema
HOT SUMMER DAYS
CHUEN SING YIT LUEN - YIT LAT LAT
North American Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 2:30 PM I Regal Dole
Hong Kong, China, United States 2010 | Cantonese, Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 93 M
Director: Tony Chan, Wing Shya
Screenwriter: Tony Chan
Producers: Fruit Chan, Paul Cheng, Zhongjun Wang, Zhonglei Wang
Cinematographer: Sion Michel
Cast: Nicholas Tse, Jacky Cheung, Rene Liu, Vivian Hsu, Barbie Hsu, Daniel Wu
A chauffeur (Jacky Cheung) and a foot masseuse (Rene Liu) romance through text messages, unaware
of each other’s identities. An innocent factory girl asks her admirer (Jing Bo Ran) to stand outside in the
heat for 100 days to prove his love. A sushi chef (Daniel Wu) prepares the perfect meal so that the food
critic he loves (Vivian Hsu) will stay with him forever. A blinded photographer (Duan Yi Hong) must locate
the beautiful model (Michelle Wai) he insulted. An old man (Gordon Liu) desperately searches for an
antique light bulb for the shrine of his late wife. And each night, an air conditioner repairman (Nicholas
Tse) challenges a mystery girl (Barbie Hsu) to a road race. When a blackout spreads across the city, the
city turns to chaos. Can love shine through? These six intertwined stories take place over one of the
hottest summers in Hong Kong, in one of the biggest crowd pleasers of the year. A sequel is already in
the works!
Presented by: Fiji Water
Spotlight on Korea
THE HOUSEMAID
HANYO
United States Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 9:15 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 8:30 PM I Regal Dole
South Korea 2010 | Korean w/ English subtitles | 104 M
Director: Sang-soo Im
Screenwriter: Sang-soo Im, Ki-young Kim
Producers: Jason Chae
Cinematographer: Hyung-deok Lee
Cast: Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-jae Lee, Seo Woo, Yeo-jeong Yoon
Eun-yi (Jeon Do-youn, SECRET SUNSHINE) plays an innocent young woman who accepts a job working
as a nanny and maid for a very wealthy family. The housewife (Seo Woo) who hires her is young and
beautiful, but vulnerable in her pregnancy. Her mother has successfully married her off to a rich, powerful,
and cultivated man. Both women depend on the income and the mercy of the man of the house, but Hoon
(Lee Jung-jae) is exacting in his standards. All the more surprising then, that his eye comes to rest on
Eun-yi, a working class woman still a little rough around the edges, but when Hoon approaches her for a
swift seduction, she turns out to be his match. The women of the house, though, prove to be a greater
challenge. This polished thriller offers plenty of surprises. Instead of a story with a scheming femme
fatale bringing down a marriage, director Sang-soo Im turns it into a face-off between one family’s
ruthless wealth and the cunning of an ordinary woman. With its glossy surfaces and startling sensuality,
THE HOUSEMAID is sure to raise pulses as it proceeds from decadence to danger to a jaw-dropping
climax.
Presented by: KBFD
EuroCinema Hawai'i
HOW I ENDED THIS SUMMER
KAK YA PROVYOL ETIM LETOM
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 6:45 PM I Regal Dole
Russian 2010 | RUSSIAN W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES| 124 M
Director: Aleksei Popogrebsky
Screenwriter: Aleksei Popogrebsky
Producers: Roman Borisevich, Aleksandr Kushaev
Cinematographer: Pavel Kostomarov
Cast: Grigoriy Dobrygin, Sergei Puskepalis, Igor Chernevich, Ilya Sobolev, Artyom Tsukanov
One place. One day. Two men.
The place is a polar station on a remote island in the Arctic Ocean. A day up here in the far north lasts
weeks, since the sun never sets during the summer at this high latitude. This used to be an important
research station but, Sergei, an experienced meteorologist and Pavel, a high school graduate, are now
the only inhabitants. Soon a ship will arrive to pick up the two men. Sergei is anxious about returning to
his wife and child on the mainland, while Pavel hopes that he might yet be able to experience the kind of
real adventure he was dreaming of when he volunteered for an internship in this desolate region. And
then one day when Sergei is out angling, Pavel picks up a radio message that he daren’t communicate to
Sergei. Director Alexei Popogrebski found the inspiration for his psychological polar thriller in the diaries
of N. V. Pinegin which were written in 1912 when Pinegin accompanied Russian polar explorer Georgio J.
Sedov on his tragic attempt to reach the North Pole.
Presented by: EuroCinema Hawaii and Continental Airlines
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Documentary Feature Nominees
HOW MUCH DOES YOUR BUILDING WEIGH, MR. FOSTER?
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 1:00 PM I Regal Dole
United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, United States, Switzerland, France, China, Hong Kong 2010 I English
78m
Director: Norberto Lopez Amado, Carlos Carcas
Screenwriter: Deyan Sudjic
Producer: Elena Ochoa
Cinematographer: Valentin Alvarez
Cast: Norman Foster
In the terrific-looking globe trotting documentary HOW MUCH DOES YOUR BUILDING WEIGH, MR.
FOSTER? Spanish directors Norberto Lopez Amado and Carlos Carcas worshipfully trace the career of
prolific English architect Norman Foster from his humble origins to the top of his profession, visiting some
of his most iconic structures, and exploring how the “Mozart of Modernism” has been influenced by the art
world and incorporates art into his designs. Sharing his visionary friend Buckminster Fuller’s philosophy
of more for less, Foster soon earned acclaim for his spare, expressive designs and new ways of dealing
with materials. As Foster’s practice has gone global, he has moved beyond individual buildings to create
entire urban living environments. Although he has won more than 500 awards and citations for
excellence, the now 75-year-old Foster comes across as both generous and modest.
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
I AM THE TAUPOU
World Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
Samoa 2010 | Samoan, w/ English subtitles | 5 M
Director: Participants of the PIC American Samoa Filmmakers’ Workshop
A young Taupou (sacred maiden) must find the balance between Samoan traditions and her modern way
of life.
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Documentary Feature Nominees
I WISH I KNEW
HAI SHANG CHUAN QI
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 I Mandarin w/English Subtitles I 138m
Director: Zhang Ke Jia
Screenwriter: Zhang Ke Jia
Producers: Likwai Yu, Tianyun Wang, Meg Jin, Lin Ye, Xiong Yong
Cinematographer: Likwai Yu CasT: Tao Zhao, Dan qing Chen, Han Han, Rebecca Pan
Treasurable images from Chinese cinema and moving personal histories from the people of Shanghai
lend potent human and aesthetic dimensions to I WISH I KNEW, Zhangke Jia’s lengthy survey of the
city’s eventful past and ever-changing present. Originally commissioned to open the Shanghai World
Expo before post-production delays put it on course for Cannes, this beautifully filmed work represents a
shift from the docudrama experimentation of 2008’s 24 CITY into a purer nonfiction vein. I WISH I KNEW
had its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard.
Director Zhang-Ke Jia will be in attendance as this year’s FILMMAKER IN FOCUS.
ACM Night
ILLUMINATE
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 14 M
Director: Angie Lee
As life leads to unexpected circumstances, college student Ashley becomes an anchor to the family,
bringing strength and faith in a seemingly hopeless situation.
Presented by: ACM, Academy of Creative Media
Made In Hawaii
INDIE DISTRIBUTION 2.0:
IS THE SKY FALLING FOR HAWAII FILMMAKING?
Saturday, October 23 I 12:00 PM I Regal Dole
Digital tools have democratized filmmaking by making it easier to realize your auteur dreams and make a
movie. But with demise of the “mini-majors” and boutique distributors, and Hollywood squeezing out
smaller films theatrically, is “the sky falling” (as proclaimed by ex-honcho of Warner Independent, Mark
Gill) for independent cinema? In many ways, there are even more avenues for indie filmmakers,
especially with broadband Internet and cable television opening up in-roads to get films to consumers. It’s
just trying to get noticed, which is the hard part. In Hawaii, where our unique stories may be difficult to
market beyond our shores, we’ll talk to a panel of filmmakers, producers and distributors on their stories
on how they got their films out there and what the future holds for local filmmaking. We’ll discuss new
distribution models, niche marketing, and how social media can result in sales back to the filmmaker.
We’ll also focus on local company EggUp.com and how these former hackers decided to join the indie
film distribution fray and present a truly intriguing and potentially exciting distribution model for
filmmakers.
Presented by: Bank of Hawaii
Hong Kong Cinema
IP MAN 2
YIP MAN 2
Hawaii Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 9:45 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
Hong Kong 2010 | English, Cantonese w/ English subtitles | 108 M
Director: Wilson Yip
Screenwriter: Edmond Wong
Producers: Bak-Ming Wong, Hang-Sang Poon
Cinematographer: Hang-Sang Poon
Cast: Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung, Simon Yam, Sammo Hung, Xiaoming Huang
The incredible Donnie Yen returns as the Wing Chun master in the rousing, action packed sequel, IP
MAN 2. Following the events of the first film, Master Ip and his family settle in Hong Kong after the end of
the Second World War. However, Master Ip’s attempt to establish a Wing Chun school is met with
resistance by a cabal of local martial arts instructors, led by Master Hung (portrayed by the film’s action
director Sammo Hung). In addition to this challenge, a greater threat looms. The brutal foreign devil,
western boxing champion Taylor “The Twister” Milos (martial artist Darren Shahlavi) has arrived in Hong
Kong, seeking to take on any challengers in order to prove his superiority over the Chinese martial arts
masters. To defend his personal honor, and the honor of his nation, Master Ip prepares for the battle of his
life against a seemingly unbeatable adversary.
Presented by: Fiji Water
Art + Design
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: THE RADIANT CHILD
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 14 I 9:15 PM I Regal Dole
Friday, October 15 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 88 M
Director: Tamra Davis
Screenwriter: Becky Johnston
Producers: Lilly Bright, Stanley F. Buchthal, Maja Hoffmann, David Koh, Alexis Spraic
Cinematographer: Tamra Davis, David Koh, Harry Geller
Cast: Jean Michel Basquiat
In 1986, director Tamra Davis (CROSSROADS; BILLY MADISON) filmed an interview with her friend
Jean-Michel Basquiat in a Los Angeles hotel room just two years before his untimely death. In 2010, this
lost footage – which hasn’t been seen for over 20 years – becomes the backbone of this definitive
documentary on the late prince of the 1980s New York art scene. From his early notoriety as a graffiti
artist and friendship with Andy Warhol to his heroin addiction and affinity for Hawaii, JEAN-MICHEL
BASQUIAT: THE RADIANT CHILD chronicles the “rock star” artist’s meteoric rise-to-fame with the same
intense, kinetic spirit that energized the paintings he left behind. Using archival footage and insider
interviews, Davis paints a vibrant portrait of the artist as a young man; a lucid look at the densely
articulate neoexpressionist paintings which redefined a genre then and Basquiat’s enduring charismatic
mystique which made him the iconoclast he never knew he’d become today.
Presented by: Electric Pencil
Short Films Program 1
JUNKO’S SHAMISEN
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
Canada 2009 | English, Japanese w/ English subtitles | 10
Director: Sol Friedman
Set in the rural backwoods of feudal Japan, a young peasant girl named Junko, returns home to discover
her blind grandfather brutally murdered and vows revenge.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Surf Cinema
KEEP SURFING
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 9:30 PM I Regal Dole
Germany 2009 | German w/ English subtitles | 94 M
Director: Bjoern Richie Lob
Screenwriter: Bjoern Richie Lob, Benjamin Quabeck
Producers: Bjoern Richie Lob, Tobias Siebert
Cinematographer: Bjoern Richie Lob, Lars Liebold
Cast: Dieter Deventer, Walter Strasser, Eli Mack, Florian Kummer, Gerhard Schlegel
KEEP SURFING tells the story of an unlikely passion in a place that a large part of the world only knows
as Oktoberfest City. Munich, the town of beer drinkers and pretzel lovers, has become the home of a
surfing crowd of urban individualists who pursue their dream of happiness by riding a river wave far from
the ocean. KEEP SURFING portrays six hardcore surfers at the Eisbach (German for “Ice Brook“), who
master river waves while pursuing their own individual goals in life. KEEP SURFING is an ode to
individual freedom and to the people who‘ve achieved happiness on a river wave, where they can go
against the flow and find their place in life. Produced by Tobias N. Siebert, who produced THE STORY OF
THE WEEPING, KEEP SURFING captures a feeling for life and the fascination of surfing, and shows
Munich‘s wild side.
Presented by: Wahoo's Fish Taco
Eat, Drink, Film
KINGS OF PASTRY
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 7:45 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 12:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | French w/ English subtitles | 84 M
Director: Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker
Screenwriter:
Producers: Frazer Pennebaker, Flora Lazar
Cinematographer: Chris Hegedus, D A Pennebaker, Nick Doob
Cast: Sebastien Canonne, Jacquy Pfeiffer, Rachel Beaudry, Phillipe Rigollot, Stephane Glacier, Regis
Lazard, Frederique Lazard
A film that will truly tantalize your taste buds! In this new documentary by D.A. Pennebaker (DON’T LOOK
BACK) and Chris Hegedus (THE WAR ROOM) competitive cooking reaches new heights as 16 men fight
to become a member of French pastry royalty. Once every four years the French conduct one of the most
intense pastry competitions in the world. This three day competition decides who will join the ranks of the
Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France), and the winners are awarded the coveted official
chef’s collar by President Sarkozy himself. The film follows Jacquy Pfeiffer, founder of The French Pastry
School in Chicago, as he returns to France to prove he is worthy of the MOF title. The fierce competition
includes categories ranging from cake and crème puffs to complex six-foot tall sugar sculptures. This film
is sure to amaze and delight with its tale of obsession, passion and sacrifice for the sake of culinary works
of genius.
Spotlight on Japan
KYOTO STORY
KYOTO UZUMASA MONOGATARI
North American Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 2:30 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 16 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | English, Japanese w/ English subtitles | 90 M
Director: Yoji Yamada, Tsutomu Abe
Screenwriter: Yoji Yamada, Tomoaki Sasae
Producers: Ichiro Yamamoto
Cinematographer: Masashi Chikamori
Cast: Hana Ebise, Sotaro Tanaka
This unique film project co-directed by Yoji Yamada (THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI, ABOUT HER
BROTHER) and Tsutomu Abe is both a love letter to the Uzumasa neighborhood of Kyoto and an homage
to the late great Daiei Studio. The film combines real interviews with merchants along Uzumasa’s Daiei
Shopping Street with the fictional story of Kyoko (Hana Ebise), a young librarian torn between two love
interests. Kyoko lives at home with her family who runs a local dry cleaning business. She spends her
days with her childhood sweetheart Kota who lives on her street and has dreams of becoming a famous
stand-up comedian. When a visiting scholar from Tokyo falls madly in love with her, Kyoko must decide
whether she will abandon both Kota and her beloved home.
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN Nippon Golden Network
Shanghai Shorts
THE LEAVING SONG
United States Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 21 M
Director: Qin Bo
The 2010 Shanghai Expo is a major global event. This is the story of a common mason, who comes from
a Sichuan Province, like many migrants workers who come from far off places to work in the major city, is
a cog in the machine of presenting the grandeur of China in the global arena.
Presented by: Smart Exchange Student Media Art Exchange and AMC, Academy for Creative Media
Extreme Asia
LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN
Jingmofungwan: ChenZhen
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 9:00 PM I Regal Dole
Hong Kong 2010 | Cantonese w/ English subtitles | 113 M
Director: Andrew Lau
Screenwriter: Gordon Chan
Producers: Andrew Lau, Gordon Chan
Cinematographer: Andrew Lau
Cast: Donnie Yen, Shu Qi, Anthony Wong, Huang Bo, Kohata Ryuichi
Presumed dead after single-handedly defeating all the Japanese fighters at the Hongkou Dojo to avenge
his master, Chen Zhen (Donnie Yen, IP MAN) joins the Labour Corps during the First World War. Deciding
to return home to defend his country, he arrives in Shanghai disguised as a wealthy businessman named
Qi. He quickly befriends the notorious mafia boss Mr. Liu, owner of the nightclub Casablanca, and Kiki
(Shu Qi), the club’s star hostess. With the rapid expansion of Japanese influence in China, the military
releases a death list, sending Shanghai into complete panic. While this latest adaptation of Chen Zhen is
grand in scale and ambition, it is still anchored to its legendary hero, whose passion for his homeland is at
the heart of the film.
Film for Thought
LEONIE
World Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 8:30 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 16 I 12:30 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | English, Japanese w/ English subtitles | 132 M
Director: Hisako Matsui
Screenwriter: Hisako Matsui, David Wiener
Producers: Hisako Matsui, Ashok Amritrai, Yuuki Itoh, Masao Nagai
Cinematographer: Tetsuo Nagata
Cast: Emily Mortimer, Shido Nakamura
After graduating from Bryn Mawr, a conservative women’s university in Philadelphia, Leonie Gilmour, is
teaching at a girl’s high school, despite her dream of becoming an editor. One day, Leonie meets a
charismatic young poet from Japan, Yone Noguchi. A burgeoning romance begins. However, upon
discovering Leonie is pregnant, Yone flees back to Japan. In order to escape racial discrimination against
her son, Leonie crosses the Pacific Ocean. Through determination and perseverance Leonie raises her
child, nurturing his artistic talents and paving the way for his long and celebrated career, as he grows up
to be the famous sculptor and architect, Isamu Noguchi. This sweeping film from acclaimed director
Hisako Matsui was shot on locations in Japan and the U.S., bringing together international talents to tell
the tale of an American woman, a century ahead of her time, who raised Isamu Noguchi, a creative
genius born of two worlds.
Presented by: Hawaii Council for the Humanities and Center for Japanese Studies, University of Hawaii
Manoa
EuroCinema Hawai'i
THE LEOPARD
IL GATTOPARDO
Monday, October 18 I 6:30 PM I Doris Duke Theatre
Italy 1963 | Italian w/ English subtitles | 205 M
Director: Luchino Visconti
Screenwriter: Luchino Visconti, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Producers: Goffredo Lombardo, Pietro Notarianni
Cinematographer: Giuseppe Rotunno
Cast: Alain Delon, Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Paolo Stoppa, Rina Morelli
Luchino Visconti’s THE LEOPARD (IL GATTOPARDO) is an epic on the grandest possible scale. The film
recreates, with nostalgia, drama, and opulence, the tumultuous years of Italy’s Risorgimento—when the
aristocracy lost its grip and the middle classes rose and formed a unified, democratic Italy. Burt Lancaster
stars as the aging prince watching his culture and fortune wane in the face of a new generation,
represented by his upstart nephew (Alain Delon) and his beautiful fiancée (Claudia Cardinale). Awarded
the Palme d’Or at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, THE LEOPARD translates Giuseppe Tomasi di
Lampedusa’s novel, and the history it recounts, into a truly cinematic masterpiece. This restored version,
by Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation, premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
IL
GATTOPARDO has been restored in association with Cineteca di Bologna, L’Immagine Ritrovata, The
Film Foundation, Pathé, Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé, Twentieth Century Fox and Centro
Sperimentale di Cinematografia-Cineteca Nazionale. Restoration funding provided by Gucci and The Film
Foundation. Presented as part of CINEMA VISIONARIES by Gucci and The Film Foundation.
Presented by: EuroCinema Hawaii
EuroCinema Hawai'i
LOOSE CANNONS
MINE VAGANTI
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 24 I 7:30 PM I Regal Dole
Italy 2010 | Italian w/ English subtitles | 110 M
Director: Ferzan Ozpetek
Screenwriter: Ferzan Ozpetek, Ivan Cotroneo
Producers: Domenico Procacci
Cinematographer: Maurizio Calvesi
Cast: Riccardo Scamarcio, Alessandro Preziosi, Nicole Grimaudo, Ennio Fantastichini, Lunetta Savino,
Elena Sofia Ricci, Ilaria Occhini
Tommaso has a comfortable life in Rome as an aspiring writer and a steady relationship with his boyfriend
Marco. When he’s called back to his hometown of Lecce in Italy’s deep south to help run the family pasta
business, he decides to finally reveal his homosexuality to his family and hopefully get out of his business
obligations in the process. But when his brother thwarts his plans, Tommaso gets stuck on the path that
he was desperately trying to avoid. Director Ferzan Ozpetek takes a playful approach to this family
dramedy, matching a critique of provincial Southern values with an eccentric cast of characters that
includes a philandering conservative father, a boozing aunt, a pair of disgruntled maids, and Tommaso’s
bubbly friends. LOOSE CANNONS is a playful take on family obligation and the possibility of being
uprooted from comfortable surroundings.
Presented by: EuroCinema Hawaii and Continental Airlines
New Chinese Cinema
LOVE IN A PUFF
Chimingyuchungiu
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 9:00 PM I Regal Dole
Hong Kong China 2009 | Cantonese w/ English subtitles | 104 M
Director: Ho-Cheung Pang
Screenwriter: Ho-Cheung Pang, Heiward Mak
Producers: Ho-Cheung Pang, Subi Liang
Cinematographer: Jason Kwan
Cast: Miriam Yeung, Shawn Yue, Singh Hartihan Bitto, Yat Ning Chan
The anti-smoking law that bans smoking in all indoor areas has pushed office smokers to take their
cigarette breaks in the street, hence creating a new community known as the “Hot Pot Pack”. Jimmy
(Shawn Yue), a mild mannered advertising executive in his twenties, befriends a misfit cosmetics
salesgirl, Cherie (Miriam Yeung), who also likes to light up. An awkward romance soon blossoms amidst
the anxiety of their nicotine rush. As they become more attached to each other, they also find themselves
moving farther away from their regular “hot pot pack” into their own private alley. From Pang Ho-cheung,
he of such varied fare (and HIFF favorites) like YOUSHOOT, I SHOOT, A.V., and ISABELLE is considered
the most prolific and exciting Hong Kong director working today. This smartly crafted dark comedy will
definitely turn off anti-smoking advocates. As for smokers who feel shunned by society, this film is for
them.
Presented by: The Hawaii National Bank
Sound x Vision
LOVE NOISE
World Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 4:45 PM I Regal Dole
China 2009 | Mandarin, w/ English subtitles | 63 M
Director: Feng Liu
Producers: Kerli Teo, Vivian Feng
Cinematographer: Yuan Bo, Liu Nan, Alex So
Cast: Pu Cao, Han Fu, Jonathan Erik Leijonhufvud, Xu Dong Shi, Jing Han Wang, Wu Xiao
LOVE NOISE is a documentary film created by the brand Converse as an homage to the uncorrupted and
original music scene taking root throughout China. The bands P.K. 14 and Queen Sea Big Shark were
brought together with all the accompanying noise, unpredictability, and music that true originals bring to
the stage. Band members traveled by bus for two weeks throughout five of China’s musically diverse
cities, and as the tour and story unfolds, the film reveals the personal journeys of the nine featured
musicians on the road to self-expression in a changing culture where art forms like rock n’ roll have a
relatively recent history.
Real Life
LT. WATADA
DOUBLE FEATURE W/ SING CHINA!
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 40 M
Director: Freida Lee Mock
Screenwriter: Freida Lee Mock
Producers: Freida Lee Mock
Cinematographer: Erik Daarstad
Cast: Carolyn Ho, Ehren Watada, Bob Watada, Gary Solis, Eric Seitz, Rosa Sakanichi
In 2006, Lt. Ehren Watada risks a successful career as a military officer when he refuses his orders to
deploy to Iraq. Watada takes his defiance a step further when he becomes the first commissioned military
officer to speak publicly on his refusal for deployment and to challenge the Presidential war policy in Iraq.
Though Watada must face a court martial, the possibility of up to eight years in prison, and the wrath of
the public, he continues to defend his belief that the war in Iraq is in fact illegal and a violation of his oath.
This riveting and suspenseful documentary follows the lonely, courageous, and ultimately redemptive
journey of one man who tries in the midst of daunting opposition to do the right thing.
New Chinese Cinema
MA WEN’S BATTLE
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 12:15 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 85 M
Director: Zheng Chang Screenwriter: Zheng Chang, Li Nan Qu Producers: Jian Wen Gao, Yan Yan Wu
Cinematographer: Li Nan Qu Cast: Tai Shen Cheng, Hong Bo Jiang, Ji Wang, Meng Nan Li
This film touches on the complex and twisted relationships between husband and wife, ex-couples and
parents and children. Strange and awkward situations fueled by these difficult relationships make up this
urban family dark comedy. MA WEN’S BATTLE adapted from Chinese writer Ye Zhaoyan’s best-selling
same-named novel, depicts the story of Ma Wen and his wife Yang Xin, who cannot reach an agreement
on the distribution of their common property--the house — after they get divorced. As a result, Ma has to
share a small room with his ex-wife, their young son, and his ex-wife’s new lover. The four protagonists,
struggling with the evolution of romantic relationships, have some clear-headed moments among their
general confusion. Ma Wen, who feels useless and ordinary, wants to live a quiet life, yet must now
endure the agonizing love battle caused by his housing problem.
Presented by: Hawaii National Bank
After Dark
MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED!
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 10:15 PM I Regal Dole
Australia 2010 | English | 84 M
Director: Mark Hartley
Screenwriter: Mark Hartley
Producers: Veronica Fury, Andrew Leavold
Cinematographer: Karl Von Moller
Cast: R. Lee Ermey, Patrick Wayne, Colleen Camp, John Landis, Sid Haig
Busty babes, mutated monsters and midget secret agents, the Filipino genre films of the 70s and 80s had
it all. Saturating drive-ins around the world, the Philippines became a dreamland for exploitation
filmmakers with cheap labor, exotic scenery and non-existent health and safety regulations. The all-toooften overlooked world of Filipino exploitation flicks gets the Mark Hartley (NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD)
treatment in MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED! Featuring interviews with filmmaking legends Roger
Corman, Joe Dante, John Landis, Eddie Romero and a host of filmmakers, actors and critics, each with a
story about a genre with no scruples, no scripts, no boundaries and – more often than not – no clothes.
Presented by: Chinatown Newspaper
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
MALAGA
Sunday, October 24 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
Samoa 2010 | Samoan, w/ English subtitles | 15 M
Director: Robert Poleki, Daniel Poleki
When two brothers, opposite in personality, are sent by the elders into the deepest part of the surrounding
forest to prove themselves, one is put to the test which will ultimately save the others life.
Spotlight on Korea
THE MAN FROM NOWHERE
AJUSSHI
Hawaii Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 9:00 PM I Regal Dole
South Korea 2010 | Korean w/ English subtitles | 119 M
Director: Jeong-beom Lee
Screenwriter: Jeong-beom Lee
Producers: Tae-hun Lee, Seong-woo Kim, Katharine Kim
Cinematographer: Tae-yoon Lee
Cast: Bin Won, Sae-ron Kim, Hyo-seo Kim, Hee-won Kim, Seong-oh Kim, Thanayong Wongtrakul
Cha Tae-Sik (Won Bin of MOTHER), known only as “ajusshi (mister)” in his neighborhood, runs a
dilapidated pawnshop in a seedy part of town. He associates little with those around him except a young
girl named So-Mi (Kim Se-Ron of A BRAND NEW LIFE). So-Mi lives near Cha Tae-Sik’s pawnshop and
often comes over when her junkie mother Hyo-Jeong has men over. One day, Hyo-Jeong comes into the
shop and hocks a bag with a camera, which Tae-sik (unaware that stolen drugs are in the bag) will hold
until she pays him back. In a few days vicious mafia men come looking for So-Mi’s mother knowing she
stole the drugs. Breaking into the pawnshop and grabbing hold of Tae-Sik, they force him to listen to
young So-Mi’s screaming voice on a cell phone. Reclaiming their drugs, the gangsters drive off without
guaranteeing the safe return of So-Mi and her mother. Tae-Sik must now go after the dangerous mobsters
who’ve kidnapped So-Mi, and in the process, face off against the police and his own mysterious past.
Presented by: KBFD
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
MANA I KA LEO: POWER OF THE VOICE
2010 | USA| 26 M
Director: Ruben Carillo
This film examines oli, the Hawaiian tradition of chant through the eyes of 3 contemporary practitioners
who have dedicated much of their lives to preserving and perpetuating the voices and words of their
kupuna. Filmed at sacred spots to our practitioners, the film gives the audience a rare in depth glimpse at
this sacred practice.
Spotlight on the Philippines
MANILA SKIES
HIMPAPAWID
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 6:15 PM I Regal Dole
Tuesday, October 19 I 1:30 PM I Regal Dole
Philippines 2009 | Tagalog w/ English subtitles | 98 M
Director: Raymond Red
Screenwriter: Raymond Red
Producers: Raymond Red, David Hukom, Roger Garcia
Cinematographer: Raymond Red
Cast: Raul Arellano, John Arcilla, Ronnie Lazaro, Soliman Cruz, Karlo Altomonte
In MANILA SKIES, we follow Raul (Raul Arellano), a struggling day laborer who tries to cobble together
some money for a trip back to his childhood home in Romblon, where he hopes to help his ailing father.
Raul’s attempts to secure a more lucrative job abroad are stymied by Manila’s suffocating bureaucracy.
Tired of depending on others, Raul finally decides to strangle fate by virtue of his own calloused hands.
He joins his drinking buddies in an ill-fated plan to steal from a disreputable businessman. With guerillastyle framing, that emotes claustrophobia and anxiety, Red propels us through the grime and heat of the
city and never lets up. Inspired by true events. Spotlight on the Philippines.
Presented by: L&L Hawaiian Barbeque
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Documentary Feature Nominee
MARCH OF THE LIVING
World Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 8:00 PM I Regal Dole
USA 2010 | English, Portuguese, German & Polish w/ E.S| 73 M
Director: Jessica Sanders
Screenwriter: Jessica Sanders
Producers: Jessica Sanders
Cinematographer: Jessica Sanders
MARCH OF THE LIVING tells the story of the last generation of Holocaust survivors traveling to Poland
with thousands of teenagers from around the world to revisit the sites of the Holocaust and retrace the
Death March from Auschwitz to Birkenau, in a journey of remembrance. Filmed in Brazil, Germany,
Poland, Israel and the US, the film tells the moving story of the survivors’ hope of passing down their
history and memory of the Holocaust to the next generation. The film follows survivors and teens from
Sao Paulo, Los Angeles and Berlin on an emotional journey as they confront the enormity of the past and
the possibility of hope in a visit to Israel on its 60th anniversary. A contemporary and unique look at the
Holocaust, the film features striking cinematography of the concentration camps today and images and
artifacts never seen. The film raises questions about Holocaust memory as it relates to genocides
worldwide today, and about what will happen when the remaining survivors, now in the 80’s and 90’s, will
be gone.
Real Life
MARWENCOL
Hawaii Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 9:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 82 M
Director: Jeff Malmberg
Producers: Jeff Malmberg, Tom Putnam, Matt Radecki, Chris Shellen, Kevin Walsh
Cinematographer: Jeff Malmberg
MARWENCOL is a documentary about the fantasy world of Mark Hogancamp. After being beaten into a
brain-damaging coma by five men outside a bar, Mark builds a 1/6th scale World War II-era town in his
backyard. Mark populates the town he dubs “Marwencol” with dolls representing his friends and family
and creates life-like photographs detailing the town’s many relationships and dramas. Playing in the town
and photographing the action helps Mark to recover his hand-eye coordination and deal with the psychic
wounds of the attack. When Mark and his photographs are discovered, a prestigious New York gallery
sets up an art show. Suddenly Mark’s homemade therapy is deemed “art”, forcing him to choose between
the safety of his fantasy life in Marwencol and the real world that he’s avoided since the attack.
Short Films Program 1
MASALA MAMA
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
Singapore 2010 | Hokkien w/ English subtitles | 9 M
Director: Michael Kam
When fate brings a young boy aspiring to be a comic artist and a gentle grocery shop owner together,
they each discover something much more important.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Narrative Feature Nominee
MATCHING JACK
North American Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
Tuesday, October 19 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
Australia 2010 | English | 103 M
Director: Nadia Tass
Screenwriter: David Parker, Lynne Renew
Producers: Nadia Tass, David Parker
Cinematographer: David Parker
Cast: Jacinda Barrett, James Nesbitt, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Roxburgh, Tom Russell
Life seems idyllic for Marisa and her son Jack until an accident at a school soccer match ends with Jack
in hospital and Marisa trying to find her husband, David. Meanwhile, at an out of town conference, David
is planning to leave Marisa for his current mistress. With his phone off and not a care in the world, he is
oblivious to the situation at home. When Jack is diagnosed with leukemia, the only possibility of a cure is
if David has had a child from one of his many flings that could be a bone marrow donor. So Marisa looks
back through his diaries, figures when he could have been having affairs, and goes out door knocking.
Unsuspecting women face a desperate mother as Marisa searches high and low for possibilities while
shedding light on the full scale of David’s infidelity. MATCHING JACK beautifully captures the power of
love and the resilience of the human spirit with a gentle, uplifting and hopeful end.
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
MOKE ACTION
World Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 4 M
Director: Aina Paikai
Two men’s egos get the best of them, but before either of them throw down in fisticuffs, the elder cashier
woman disciplines them, and out of respect to her, they defuse the feud, demonstrating the true meaning
of Aloha.
Gala Presentations
MONGA
North American Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Taiwan 2010 I Mandarin w/English subtitles I 140m
Director: Doze Chen-Zer Niu
Screenwriter: Doze Chen-Zer Niu, Li Ting Tsang
Producers: Doze Chen-Zer Niu, Lieh Lee
Cinematographer: Jack Pollock
Cast: Ethan Juan, Mark Chao
Writer/director Doze Niu presents a Taiwanese twist on the epic gangster film. Named after the Taipei
district in which it is set, MONGA depicts the troubled lives of five young street thugs coming of age in
1980s Taiwan. When the local crime boss’ son Dragon (Rhydian Vaughan) and his sidekick Monk (Ethan
Ruan) invite Mosquito (Mark Chao) to be a part of their Prince Gang, Mosquito discovers an irresistible
world of friendship and brotherhood. However, Mosquito soon discovers that in this violent world things
aren’t always what they seem. When a group of mainlanders attempt to take over Monga, the fragile
balance over the district’s turf is threatened, friendship is tested, and loyalty is questioned. Doze Niu both
directed and co-wrote this film, in which he also makes an appearance as mainland gangster Grey Wolf.
MONGA also notably features star performances by several rising young Taiwanese actors including popstar Ethan Ruan and Mark Chao. MONGA’s tale of loyalty, honor, and betrayal may follow in a long line of
gangster film classics, but Niu adds a unique flavor with a Taiwanese kick.
Presented by: GIO, Government Information Office Republic of China
Shorts Program 3
THE MONSTER
International Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
South Korea 2010 | Korean w/ English subtitles | 23 M
Director: Seong-kyu Ryu
A strange virus is turning people into strange monsters that leer without speaking a word. What would be
a mother’s final decision as the only surviving member in the family?
Presented by: Stella Artois
Extreme Asia
MUTANT GIRLS SQUAD
SENTO SHOJO: CHI NO TEKKAMEN DENSETSU
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:15 PM I Regal Dole
Thursday, October 21 I 10:15 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 90 M
Director: Tak Sakaguchi, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Noboru Iguchi
Screenwriter: Jun Tsugita
Producers: Toshiki Kimura, Gen Sato
Cinematographer: Shu G. Momose
Cast: Naoto Takenaka, Suzuka Morita , Yuko Takayama, Yumi Sugimoto
Rin (Yumi Sugimoto) is your typical Japanese teen. She’s a gentle, fresh-faced kid with loving parents.
She also happens to be the target of merciless bullies who get their kicks destroying her lunch and
tossing her down the stairwell. It might seem that Rin is just one of the many teens victimized everyday in
the Japanese school system. However, MUTANT GIRLS SQUAD takes places in the world of Extreme
Asia. So naturally, on Rin’s 16th birthday, absolute craziness happens — her right hand mutates into a
grotesque and lethal claw, and her adoring father reveals that he’s a grotesque mutant. Before she can
make sense of anything, an anti-mutant hit squad murders her parents, sending her into a rage. What’s a
half-mutant gal to do? Considering this film is directed by the dream team of Japanese gore: Noboru
Iguchi (MACHINE GIRL), Yoshihiro Nishimura (ROBOGEISHA), the answer is simple — embrace her
deadly mutation and slice and eviscerate anyone who stands in her way!
American Indies
NICE GUY JOHNNY
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 9:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 91 M
Director: Edward Burns , Edward Burns
Screenwriter: Edward Burns , Edward Burns
Producers: Edward Burns , William Rexer II, Aaron Lubin
Cinematographer: William Rexer II
Cast: Edward Burns , Matt Bush, Kerry Bishe, Anna Wood, Max Baker
Local sports radio talk show DJ Johnny Rizzo (Matt Bush) promises his fiancé Claire that by the time he
turns 25 years old, he’ll give up his dream of becoming a sportscaster and settle for a job that pays bigger
bucks. Now, he’s flying to New York for a job interview that Claire’s father helped set up and will secure
his future. However, upon arriving in New York, he catches up with Uncle Terry (Edward Burns), a
womanizing bartender who is bent on turning a harmless day in the Hamptons into a farewell party for
Johnny’s bachelorhood. Johnny wants no part in his uncle’s plans until he meets the enchanting Brooke.
Written, directed by, and co-starring Edward Burns, NICE GUY JOHNNY illustrates the constant
negotiation between growing up and the price of our dreams.
Presented by: DHL
Pacific Panorama
NIGHTS IN THE GARDENS OF SPAIN
International Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 1:30 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 6:45 PM I Regal Dole
New Zealand 2010 | English | 76 M
Director: Katie Wolfe
Screenwriter: Witi Ihimaera
Producers: Nicole Hoey
Cinematographer: Fred Renata
Cast: Calvin Tuteao
This feature film adaptation of Witi Ihimaera’s iconic novel stars Calvin Tuteao as David, a successful
businessman who inexplicably estranges himself from his wife (Nathalie Boltt) and children. David is
having an affair with a young male actor and is torn between living that life or the one that he is expected
to live by his immediate and extended family. Complicating matters is his family’s deep roots in the Maori
culture, which disapproves of homosexuality. For a while, the family suspects that David is seeing a
woman. But one night, the actor unexpectedly shows up at David’s family compound, where his mother
(Vicky Haughton) catches the two in a passionate embrace. She immediately banishes David from the
compound, leading him to reveal the truth to all who are important to him. Katie Wolfe directs this film
with a unique combination of sensitivity and honesty, showing us that, even if a man finds the courage to
finally live life on his own terms, he must also find the courage to accept the consequences that follow.
Presented by: Pacific Islanders In Communications
American Indies
NORMAN
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 12:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 97 M
Director: Jonathan Segal
Screenwriter: Talton Wingate
Producers: Jonathan Segal, Dan Keston
Cinematographer: Darren Genet
Cast: Billy Lush, Adam Goldberg, Richard Jenkins, Emily VanCamp, Dan Byrd
NORMAN explores the agony of male adolescence under the severest of emotional pressures. Norman
(Dan Byrd of COUGAR TOWN) is a good high school kid whose private burdens have made him a selfdestructive loner. His mother has died, and now his father is succumbing to stomach cancer, a
circumstance that is certain to leave him alone in the world. Norman’s confused method of dealing with
such stress is to punish himself in small ways, one of which is to endure public humiliation by making a
grotesque audition for the school’s theater program. Then one impulsive, thoughtless act—a lie—gets
way out of hand and makes him the focus of school-wide attention. It also wins him the affections of a
radiantly beautiful classmate Emily (Emily VanCamp of BROTHER’S & SISTERS and EVERWOOD
fame). The drama, literally, of his big showdown as he confronts the consequences of his lie interweaves
simultaneously with the final days of his father’s life. We watch him reach deep into reservoirs of untold
inner strength to face the truth of his own fate.
Presented by: DHL
Pacific Islanders In Communication Pacific Showcase
NOT I
World Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 6 M
Director: Misa Tupou
Awakened from a short nap, a man wakes only to discover the brutal reality of his dream is all too real.
Persian Lens
NOTHING BEHIND THE DOOR
POSHT DAR KHABARI NIST
International Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
Iran 2010 | Farsi w/ English subtitles | 90 M
Director: Shabnam Orfinejad
Screenwriter: Mehdi Ayoubifar, Kianoosh Ayyari
Producers: Kianoosh Ayyari
Cinematographer: Arasha Khalaghdoost
Cast: Hassan Mozani, Mehraveh Sharifinia, Shahram Haghighatdoost, Reza Rooygari, Roya Nonahali
Accompanied by a policeman, Leila goes to her husband’s apartment after receiving the order for custody
of her daughter. After repeated attempts, there is no response from her husband. Meanwhile, a young
jewel robber coerces her sister to be an accomplice in a job. The job may include robbing an elderly
woman one of the sisters works for. The lives of these women intertwine with grave results. Born in 1978
in Tehran, Shabnam Orfinejad is a graduate of Journalism. She started her film career as a script-girl and
editor assistant in several television series and feature films. NOTHING BEHIND THE DOOR is her first
feature film, and HIFF is proud to have its International Premiere.
Presented by: Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute
Film for Thought
NUUMMIOQ
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 6:30 PM I Regal Dole
Finland 2010 | Danish, Greenlandic w/ English subtitles | 95 M
Director: Torben Bech, Otto Rosing
Screenwriter: Torben Bech
Producers: Mikisoq H. Lynge
Cinematographer: Bo Bilstrup
Cast: Julie Berthelsen, Angunnguaq Larsen, Morten Rose, Lars Rosing
The most ambitious film ever to emerge from Greenland, and the first Greenland/Inuit–produced feature,
NUUMMIOQ tells the story of a young man’s odyssey from mundane existence into an acute sense of the
sacred. Malik is a 35 -year-old carpenter living in Nuuk. Like most regular guys in the tiny capital city,
Malik works, cavorts with buddies, and fools around—toggling between Danish and Kalaallisut languages.
When he is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he must decide to either leave his hometown to receive
medical care that would perhaps prolong his life, or stay in Nuuk with family and friends and die within a
few months. Without notifying anyone of his current condition, Malik and his childhood friend Mikael
decide to go on a last boat trip into the fjord, where they seek out the carefree world of their childhood.
During this boat trip, the two friends rediscover their friendship and Malik is given an opportunity to come
to terms with his dire situation. What begins as an unremarkable outing becomes a transcendent journey
at the edge of the world.
Presented by: Hawaii Council for the Humanities
New Chinese Cinema
OCEAN HEAVEN
HI YANG TIAN TANG
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 6:30 PM I Regal Dole
China, Hong Kong 2010 | Mandarin | 97 M
Director: Xiaolu Xue
Screenwriter: Xiaolu Xue
Producers: Lee Hao, Hefeng Ma, Bill Kong
Cinematographer: Christopher Doyle
Cast: Jet Li, Zhang Wen, Lun-Mei Kwai
Martial arts superstar Jet Li gives a stellar non-action performance as a terminally ill father determined to
help his autistic son function independently. Li plays Wang, a maintenance man at an Ocean Park-style
theme park, who lives with his autistic 20-year-old son, Dafu. Dafu is an excellent swimmer and regularly
joins Wang at work, where he is allowed to swim alongside the sea creatures. Wang is resolved to teach
Dafu basic living skills, so that he can function on his own. Simple lessons in dressing, transportation and
money are met with mixed results. When Wang’s condition worsens, he must quickly find someone to
care for his son or send him to a mental asylum. Beautiful water scenes and solid performances from the
cast have helped make OCEAN HEAVEN a hit in China, while shedding light on autism. Li’s stoic
performance as a single father caring for his son is as remarkable as any role he has held in his action
films, and makes this film a must see at this year’s festival.
Presented by: Hawaii National Bank
Made in Hawaii
ONE KINE DAY
World Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 8:30 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 9:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 100 M
Director: Chuck Mitsui Screenwriter: Chuck Mitsui Producers: Angela Laprete, Torry Tukuafu
Cinematographer: Michael Lohmann Cast: Ryan Greer, Christa B. Allen, Janel Parrish, Nalu Boersma,
Keram Malicki-Sanchez, Julia Nickson-Soul
Set in Windward Oahu, slacker-skater Ralsto (Ryan Greer) trudges through one of the most da kine days
of his life. In the course of one day, Ralsto must juggle between responsibility and play — an eventuality
with every young adult. However, problems get a little more hazy and decisions a lot more compromised
when he discovers his girlfriend, Alea (Christa B. Allen, 13 GOING ON 30), is pregnant. With a little help
from his friends, Ralsto finds various means of getting green to get rid of Alea’s da kine. One drug deal,
one cock fight and one raging party later, Ralsto settles his issues once and for all with the most mature
decision he’s had to make in his life so far. Featuring Ryan Greer and Christa B. Allen, Chuck Mitsui
exposes the complications of young adulthood by using folly and juxtaposing drama with comedy in his
directorial debut ONE KINE DAY.
Presented by: Bank of Hawaii
Shorts Program 3
ONE THOUSAND CRANES
World Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 13 M
Director: Zach Carver
Dorian, a romantic young runaway who lives on a rooftop in Brooklyn, makes one thousand paper cranes
to get her wish: the love of graffiti artist Lorenzo.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Gala Presentations
ONE VOICE
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 8:15 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 7:00 PM Sunset on the Beach
United States 2010 | English | 84 M
Director: Lisette Marie Flanary
Screenwriter:
Producers: Ruth Bolan, Heather Giugni
Cinematographer: Brian Wilcox
Cast: Students of Kamehameha Schools
Every year in Hawai‘i, 2000 high school students compete in the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest
where young leaders direct their peers in singing Hawaiian music in four-part harmony. The contest is a
unique cultural celebration that has become a major local event, broadcast live on TV, played on the
radio, and streamed on the Internet. ONE VOICE shares the thrill of the competition via the personal
stories of the student song directors through the eyes of these young Hawaiians. In the style of MAD
HOT BALLROOM and SPELLBOUND, ONE VOICE follows the song leaders for an entire year as they
prepare for the competition held in March 2008. The theme for that year was Ola Ka ‘Olelo ‘Oiwi O Ka
‘Aina or celebrating Hawaiian language revitalization. During the film, we experience Hawaiian culture;
not only as it lives in the children and their families today, but also as it has survived, grown, and
flourished. By the time the documentary reaches the culminating performance, the audience is as
invested in who wins the competition as the students themselves. One night, one chance, ONE VOICE.
Presented by: Bank of Hawaii
Real Life
OUT IN THE SILENCE
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 65 M
Director: Dean Hamer, Joe WIlson
Producers: Dean Hamer, Joe WIlson
Cinematographer: Dean Hamer
Cast: Namoli Brennet, Joel Douek
When a popular 16-year-old jock is brutally attacked for coming out at his small town high school, his
mother reaches out for help to the only person she feels she can trust, an openly gay man who lives 300
miles away. OUT IN THE SILENCE is an uplifting documentary about courageous local residents
confronting homophobia and the limitations of religion, tradition and the status quo in their conservative
small town in the hills of western Pennsylvania.
Made in Hawaii
OUT OF INFAMY
MICHI NISHIURA WEGLYN
Saturday, October 23 I 11:00 AM I Regal Dole
USA 2010 | 18 M
Directors: Nancy Kapitanoff, Sharon Yamato
Michi Nishiura Weglyn (1926-1999) gave up a successful career in show business in the mid-1960s to
write the book, ‘Years of Infamy: The Untold Story of America’s Concentration Camps.’ Providing factual
evidence of governmental misconduct in the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II,
the award-winning book, published in 1976, was hailed as the ‘Bible of 20th Century Japanese
Americans.’
Presented by: Bank of Hawaii
Shanghai Shorts
THE OX LEATHER & THE DONKEY LEATHER
United States Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 | English | 10 M
Director: Zhang Yansong, Tang Min
In the expo park in Shanghai where many people are impacted by different cultures, we find some
Chinese traditions that are about to disappear suddenly, and some people trying their best to preserve it.
In this documentary, the ox leather stands for the Shanxi shadow play, and the donkey leather stands for
the Liaoning shadow play. Though the people are from two different places in China, the old shadow play
culture brings people of both districts together.
Presented by: Smart Exchange Student Media Art Exchange and AMC, Academy for Creative Media
Pacific Panorama
PAPA MAU: THE WAYFINDER
World Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 11:30 AM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 57 M
Director: Na'alehu Anthony Anthony
Screenwriter: Elisa Yadao, Leah Kihara
Producers: Na'alehu Anthony Anthony
Cinematographer: Na'alehu Anthony Anthony, Scott Kanda
Cast: Mau Piailug, Nainoa Thompson, Shorty Bertelmann, Billy Richards
One cannot fully recount the modern history of Hawai’i without sharing the story of Hokule’a, a voyaging
canoe that made the historic 1976 journey from Hawai’i to Tahiti eschewing contemporary navigational
aids, using only traditional wayfinding. Sail through time and share Papa Mau’s story, as the master
navigator and teacher awaits the arrival of his Hawaiian apprentices and their ultimate gift — a sailing
canoe.
Presented by: Pacific Islanders in Communications
Shorts Program 3
PATROL
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 15 M
Director: John Ford
A man pretends to be a policeman to impress his six-year-old son.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Student Showcase
PAY NO HEED: AN INVISIBLE AMERICAN
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 AM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 3 M
Director: Devan Meinhart
Presented by: ABC Stores, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Servco Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank
Foundation, Hawaii Department of Education Video Technology Group, and The Vilcek Foundation
Spotlight on India
PEEPLI LIVE
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 4:30 PM I Regal Dole
India 2010 | Hindiw/ English subtitles | 106 M
Director: Anusha Rizvi, Mahmood Farooqui
Screenwriter: Anusha Rizvi
Producers: Aamir Khan, B. Shrinivas Rao, Kiran Rao
Cinematographer: Shanker Raman
Cast: Omkar Das, Raghubir Yadav, Shalini Vatsa, Farrukh Jaffer, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
On the eve of national elections in the Indian village of Peepli, two poor farmers, Natha and Budhia, face
losing their land over an unpaid government loan. Desperate, they seek help from an apathetic local
politician, who suggests they commit suicide to benefit from a government program that aids the families
of indebted deceased farmers. When a journalist overhears Budhia urge Natha to “do what needs to be
done” for the sake of their families, a media frenzy ignites around whether or not Natha will commit
suicide. Soon Natha becomes a cause celebre, who draws out the true character and motivations of
those who cross his path. Anusha Rizvi’s auspicious first feature, PEEPLI LIVE, is a fresh and intelligently
spun satire of the real-life epidemic of farmer suicides that have plagued India for the past decade. With a
deft hand, Rizvi infuses humor and buoyancy in depicting this tragic predicament, illuminating the true
colors of many corridors of Indian society.
Presented by: Watumull's Family Resort Fashion
Real Life
THE PEOPLE VERSUS GEORGE LUCAS
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United Kingdom, United States 2010 | English | 93 M
Director: Alexander Philippe
Screenwriter: Alexander Philippe
Producers: Robert Muratore, Vanessa Philippe, Kerry Roy, Anna Higgs
Cinematographer: Robert Muratore
The passion the original Star Wars trilogy inspires in its fans is unparalleled; but when it comes to George
Lucas himself, many have found their ardor has cooled into a complicated love-hate relationship. This
hilarious, heartfelt documentary delves deep into Lucas’s cultural legacy, asking all the tough questions.
Has Lucas betrayed his masterwork? Should he just have left the original trilogy alone? Is The Phantom
Menace so bad it should carry a health warning? This documentary utilizes interviews taken from over
600 hours of footage, and peppered with extraordinary Star Wars and Indiana Jones recreations lovingly
immortalized in song, needlepoint, Lego, claymation, puppets and paper-mâché. Above all this film asks
the question: who truly owns that galaxy far, far away—the man who created it, or the fans who worship
it?
Spotlight on Japan
PERMANENT NOBARA
PAMAMENTO NOBARA
United States Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 7:00 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 100 M
Director: Daihachi Yosida
Screenwriter: Satoko Okudera
Producers: Kei Haruna, Sei Matsumoto, Yuji Ishida
Cinematographer: Ryuto Kondo
Cast: Miho Kanno , Eiko Koike , Chizuru Ikewaki , Ryudo Uzaki , Mari Natsuki
Recently divorced thirtysomething Naoko (Kanno Miho) has returned with her young daughter Momo
(Hatakeyama Tsumugi) to the quiet fishing village of her birth where her acid-mouthed mother Masako
(Natsuki Mari) runs the only beauty salon, Wild Rose Nobara, renowned for its reliable perms. The salon
is the community’s gossip centre for the local women, all of whom seem to have men and sex on their
minds. The tranquil Naoko seems the only one at peace with herself, and in a happy relationship with her
dream man, out-of-town science teacher Kashima (Eguchi Yosuke). The tone of Yoshida Daihachi’s third
feature couldn’t be more different on the surface from that of his well-travelled debut, the black family
comedy FUNUKE: SHOW SOME LOVE, YOULOSERS! But underneath its largely placid surface, there’s
some of the same weirdness and darkness.
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN, Nippon Golden Network
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Narrative Feature Nominees
PINOY SUNDAY
United States Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 8:00 PM I Regal Dole
Taiwan, Philippines 2009 I Tagalog w/English Subtitles I 84m
Director: Wi Ding Ho
Screenwriter: Ajay Balakrishnan, Wi Ding Ho
Producers: Natacha Devillers, Wi Ding Ho
Cinematographer: Jake Pollock
Cast: Bayani Agbayani, Epy Quizon, Alessandra De Rossi, Meryll Soriano
Nomadic in spirit, PINOY SUNDAY is an atypical road movie that shows Taipei from the point of view of
immigrant workers. The film follows the absurd adventures of Manuel and Dado, two Filipino workers in a
bicycle factory, during a day-long-journey of self-discovery. One day the two friends stumble upon an
abandoned red leather couch, which comes to represent the embodiment of comfort and luxury for their
under-furnished apartment. Embarking on a journey through parts of the city totally unknown to them,
Manuel and Dado will carry the heavy couch far from the factory into remote urban landscapes, populated
by locals who only speak Mandarin. The film is a fine tale of adventure even though discrimination,
hardship and injustice are visible beneath its cheerful veneer. Pristine photography and carefully
composed images make PINOY SUNDAY a surprisingly accomplished debut feature for Wi Ding Ho, and
a shining gem of Asian cinema.
Presented by: L&L Hawaiian Barbeque
Spotlight on Korea
POETRY
SHI
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 6:45 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 24 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
South Korea 2010 | Korean w/ English subtitles | 139 M
Director: Changdong Lee
Screenwriter: Changdong Lee
Producers: Joondong Lee
Cinematographer: Hyunseok Kim
Cast: Junghee Yun, David Lee, Hira Kim
Veteran actor Jung-hee Yun shines in the role of Mija, a beautiful woman in her sixties who moves
gracefully through life, contemplating a trivial daily routine that is ill-suited to her refined persona. With
elegance and a dash of eccentricity, Mija takes care of her ungrateful grandson, Wook (David Lee), and
makes a living by cleaning house for an elderly man who, though paralyzed by a stroke, still responds to
her charm with bouts of drug-induced arousal. On a whim, Mija enrolls in a poetry class at the local
cultural centre and begins a personal quest to find the perfect words to describe her feelings. However,
she’s plagued by the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and struggles with new vocabulary and the challenges
of the creative process. When her world is turned upside down by her grandson’s implication in a
monstrous crime, it is Mija’s unique and touching poetry that allows her to defy the weight of shame and
distance herself from a painful proximity to violence. POETRY follows Lee’s acclaimed SECRET
SUNSHINE by expanding upon the filmmaker’s dissection of disturbing realities, searching for beauty
where it is seldom found.
Presented by: KBFD
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
POI DOGS
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 12 M
Director: Joel Moffett
After their crappy high school team loses the big game (again), a football player and a band geek confront
each other on the way home in Poi Dogs.
Shorts Program 3
PUMZI
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
South Africa 2009 | English | 21 M
Director: Wanuri Kahiu
The outside is dead. A sci-fi film about futuristic Africa, 35 years after World War III, or ‘The Water War.’
Presented by: Stella Artois
World Cinema
PUZZLE
ROMPECABEZAS
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 2:00 PM I Regal Dole
Thursday, October 21 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
Argentina, France 2009 | Spanish w/ English subtitles | 87 M
Director: Natalia Smirnoff
Screenwriter: Natalia Smirnoff
Producers: Natalia Smirnoff, Gabriel Pastore
Cinematographer: Alvarez
Cast: Maria Onetto, Gabriel Goity, Arturo Goetz, Henny Trailes, Felipe Villanueva
On Maria’s fiftieth birthday, her family decides to give her a jigsaw puzzle as a present. Highly delighted
and pleasantly surprised, Maria discovers not only does she enjoy doing puzzles, but she is also
extremely good at them. When an opportunity to enter and compete for the World Puzzle Tournament
appears, Maria’s new passion becomes a testing ground as she struggles to balance her dream and her
relationships. Obsessed by her new hobby, she tells her family a little white lie so that she can train in
peace. She bones up on the rules, immerses herself in the world of jigsaw puzzles and, together with her
partner contestant, does everything in her power to make their dream a reality and bring the puzzle
championship to Argentina.
Presented by: Hotel Renew
EuroCinema Hawai'i
QUEEN TO PLAY
JOUEUSE
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 6:15 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 11:30 AM I Regal Dole
France, Germany 2009 | French w/ English subtitles, English | 101 M
Director: Caroline Bottaro
Screenwriter: Caroline Bottaro, Bertina Henrichs
Producers: Dominique Besnehard, Michel Feller
Cinematographer: Jean-Claude Larrieu
Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline, Francis Renaud, Jennifer Beals
When Helene (Sandrine Bonnaire), a chambermaid in a cliff-top hotel on the beautiful island of Corsica,
sees an American couple (Jennifer Beals and Dominic Gould) playing chess on the balcony of their room,
something deep within her stirs. Their duel is beautiful and sensual, a battle of wits and a declaration of
love. Helene finds a chess set at the house of reclusive Dr. Kroger (Academy Award winner Kevin Kline),
where she cleans. She implores him to teach her how to play. As her passion for the game grows, her
natural talent and unwavering commitment lead her to an unexpected chance to reinvent herself.
Presented by: EuroCinema Hawaii and Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu
Spotlight on Japan
RAILWAYS
BATADEN: ICHIBATA DENSHA MONOGATARI
United States Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 3:15 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 16 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 130 M
Director: Yoshinari Nishikori
Screenwriter: Yoshinari Nishikori, Brazily Ann Yamada, Hirotoshi Kobayashi
Producers: Kazuyoshi Ishida, Masaki Koide, Hirotaka Kitazume, Yushi Ueda
Cinematographer: Hiroo Yanagida
Cast: Kiichi Nakai, Reiko Takashima, Yuika Motokariya
After a quick succession of life-altering events gives Tsutsui pause, he reevaluates his life after years as a
salaryman. He decides to leave his job in Tokyo and pursue his childhood dream of becoming a Train
Conductor in his hometown. As a 49 year-old Tokyo business executive who wants to start over in a job
normally pursued by candidates half his age, Tsutsui faces major obstacles in fulfilling his dream.
RAILWAYS allow the viewer to partake in a gentle and genuine film that successfully combine beautiful
panoramic cinematography with intimate, at times almost voyeuristic, storytelling. A love letter to Japan’s
train system , RAILWAYS successfully incorporates the “klick-klack klick-klack” rhythm of the trains, along
with the ambient sounds of nature, create an atmosphere that will make the viewer long for a place they
may have never visited before. —Gregg Hoshida
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN, Nippon Golden Network
American Indies
RASPBERRY MAGIC
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | English | 82 M
Director: Leena Pendharkar
Screenwriter: Leena Pendharkar
Producers: Megha Kadakia
Cinematographer: Jeffrey Chu
Cast: Meera Simhan, Ravi Kapoor, Maulik Pancholy, James Morrison, Zach Mills
RASPBERRY MAGIC is a touching coming of age tale that focuses on a caring, intelligent and
determined 11-year-old girl named Monica Shah. Monica believes she can solve any problem (even her
parents’ crumbling marriage), but when tensions at home become unbearable, her father leaves and her
mother succumbs to a deep depression. Determined to mend her parents’ relationship, Monica takes
charge, believing that if she wins the school science fair, everything will be okay. Her experiment uses
touch therapy to help a select group of raspberries grow in the forest. She asks: Can you nurture love, or
is it inherently only a natural phenomenon? Monica grapples with this question as she conducts her
experiment on her plants. Working with care and diligence, but with minimal results Monica becomes
frustrated. It is only when she lets go of the scientific method and explores her own sense of compassion
does she finally see results not only in her project, but in her family as well. Tender and sincere,
RASPBERRY MAGIC has won the hearts of festival audiences across the country.
Presented by: DHL
Asian Showcase
RED DRAGONFLIES
United States Premiere
Wednesday, October 20 I 5:30 PM Regal Dole
Singapore 2010 | Mandarin, Malay, Japanese w/ English subtitles | 96 M
Director: Jiekai Liao
Screenwriter: Jiekai Liao
Producers: Lyn-Anne Loy, Tan Bee Thiam
Cinematographer: Wan Ping Looi
Cast: Xuan Ming Ng, Jason Hui, Xin Wei Thow, Yee Jeng Oon, Shang Xuan Yeo
A young artist goes back to Singapore from New York. She returns home, to old friends and familiar
places. Not everything fits in. Memories and friendships are like roots but also like mysteries, and like
such, they’re inexact, slippery, at times revealing, at times mere detours. Two teenage boys and a girl, all
in their school uniforms, walk near a train track around an area of abundant vegetation; their gait is an
exploratory one, charged with fears, amazements and new things (yes, there’s echoes of Rob Reiner’s
STAND BY ME.) One of them gets lost. In that loss, and in the memories of a grown woman, there’s a
sense of unease, a search, and the chance of meeting with the past and the people from it. A film of
derivations with a subtle and singular sensibility, Jiekai Liao’s opera prima leads us to discuss the always
hard to accomplish –even to mention– idea of cinema as poetry, which in this case is made of soft
connections, juxtapositions, rhymes, and bars, that seem as free as necessary.
Gala Presentations
RED HILL
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 9:45 PM I Regal Dole
Australia 2010 | English | 95 M
Director: Patrick Hughes
Screenwriter: Patrick Hughes
Producers: Al Clark, Patrick Hughes
Cinematographer: Tim Hudson
Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Steve Bisley, Tom E Lewis, Claire van der Boom, Christopher Davis
When a young police officer, Constable Shane Cooper, relocates to the small town of Red Hill with his
pregnant wife, he does so in the hope of living a quiet and peaceful family life. But when news of a prison
break in the city sends the local law enforcement officers – under veteran officer Old Bill – into a panic,
Shane’s first day on duty quickly turns into a nightmare.
The escaped prisoner is Jimmy Conway, a convicted murderer serving life behind bars. He returns to the
isolated outpost seeking revenge. Now caught in the middle of what quickly becomes a horrifying blood
bath, Shane will be forced to take the law into his own hands if he is to survive. Australian director Patrick
Hughes’ feature film debut is a taut thriller, told as a modern day Western. Set against the spectacular
backdrop of high-country Australia, the story unfolds with explosive and chilling violence over the course
of a single day.
Persian Lens
RED, WHITE AND THE GREEN
GHERMEZ, SEFID VA SABZ
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 12:00 PM I Regal Dole
Iran 2009 | Farsi w/ English subtitles | 57 M
Director: Nader Davoodi
Screenwriter: Nader Davoodi
Producers: Nader Davoodi
Cinematographer: Nader Davoodi
Last year, the international community was alarmed by the events that occurred in the wake of the tenth
presidential elections in Iran and the eyes of the world’s media were all turned towards what was
happening in the country. During the course of a few days – the most violent since the Islamic Revolution
– more than 65 people died. The international community began to wonder what could have caused such
widespread dissent and such a vehement clash with the government. The documentary RED, WHITE
AND THE GREEN focuses on the last three weeks prior to the elections of June 2009. The film shows
fifty-eight minutes of images from Tehran as it has never before been seen. Perhaps the most moving
aspect of this film is the enormous sense of optimism expressed by most protagonists with regard to the
upcoming elections – little could they know that many of them would experience a rude awakening.
Presented by: Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute
Extreme Asia
REDLINE
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 14 I 9:30 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 102 M
Director: Takeshi Koike
Screenwriter: Katsuhito Ishii
Producers: Masahiro Fukushima
Cinematographer: Ryu Takizawa
Cast: Takuya Kimura, Yu Aoi, Tadanobu Asano
REDLINE is an exuberantly silly animated action-comedy about a wild intergalactic race where anything
goes. Set in a universe full of alien white-trash (green-trash?) obsessed with watching and betting on a
series of sports car/hovercraft/rocket ship races, and effortlessly mixing coolness and absurdity, REDLINE
bears the unique look of animator/director Takeshi Koike (NINJA SCROLL), and the unmistakable
deadpan humor of screenwriter and HIFF Golden Maile winner Katsuhito Ishii (TASTE OF TEA).
Camaro-driving Sweet JP (named for his noble refusal to return fire when his opponents shoot missiles at
him during races) has a bad-ass hairdo, a cherry ride, and the skills to go all the way, but the REDLINE
organizers decide to increase the excitement of the big race by holding it illegally on the hostile planet of
Roboworld. Crammed full of offbeat characters, hilarious dialogue, and absurdly explosive racing action,
REDLINE is simply unmissible for anime lovers, Nascar fans, and Ishii-junkies alike.
Presented by: Giant Robot
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Documentary Feature Nominees
REGENERATION
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
Thursday, October 21 I 6:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 I English I 80m
Director: Phillip Montgomery
Screenwriter: Phillip Montgomery
Producer: Jeremy Goulder, Joel Goulder, Matt DeRoss
Cinematographer: Kevin Krupitzer
Cast: Mos Def, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Ryan Gosling
Beyond the labels of “Generation X” and “Generation Y,” the feature documentary film, REGENERATION
takes an uncompromising look at the issues facing today’s youth and young adults, and the influences
that perpetuate our culture’s apathetic approach to social and political causes. Focused on how today’s
education, parenting, and media can shape us, the film follows three separate walks of life representing
today’s generation. Each brings their own unique perspective - from an inspired collective of musicians
working outside the corporate system, to a twenty-something conservative family about to welcome the
birth of their second child, and a group of five high-school students from the suburbs looking for their
place in society. Narrated by Ryan Gosling their stories are interspersed with the knowledge, wisdom,
and personal reflections of some of the country’s leading scholars, social activists, and media
personalities, including Howard Zinn, Amy Goodman, Noam Chomsky, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli, among
others.
After Dark
ROOM IN ROME
HABITACION EN ROMA
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 PM I Regal Dole
Spain 2010 | Spanish, Italian, Russian, Basque w/ English subtitles | 109 M
Director: Julio Medem
Screenwriter: Julio Medem
Producers: Julio Medem, Alvaro Longoria
Cinematographer: Alex Catalan
Cast: Elena Anaya, Natasha Yarovenko, Enrico Lo Verso, Najwa Nimri
One early summer’s evening, Alba meets Natasha on the streets of Rome, as they spend their last day in
the Eternal City. Alba invites Natasha to her hotel room where they embark on a 12-hour intimate,
passionate, and physical journey that will mark their bodies and souls forever. The couple discusses past
sexual exploits and relationships while also sharing their trepidations about what lies in their immediate
futures. Come morning, the sunrise illuminates more than just their hotel window as the lovers have
revealed deep secrets they’ve never shared before, emboldened by the belief that they will never meet
again. Director Julio Medem (SEX AND LUCIA) combines the original’s lyrical eroticism with his own
visual panache to craft a sensual exploration of love’s fickle caprice.
Presented by: Chinatown Newspaper
Sound x Vision
THE RUNAWAYS
Friday, October 15 I 6:45 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 106 M
Director: Floria Sigismondi
Screenwriter: Floria Sigismondi
Producers: Joan Jett
Cinematographer: Joan Jett
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Scout Taylor-Compton
Of all the bands to come out of the 1970s Los Angeles music scene, The Runaways are by far the most
uniquely fascinating. This is partially due to their music but more so to the fact that they were teenage
girls whose wild and reckless lifestyle was the stuff of legend. Acclaimed video artist Floria Sigismondi
directs from her own script, and her luscious camerawork captures every sweaty detail—from the filthy
trailer where the women practice to the mosh pits of Tokyo. What really makes the film cook are the
sizzling performances by Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart. Not to be missed, THE RUNAWAYS is an
ode to an era and a groundbreaking band.
CONVERSATION WITH MUSIC SUPERVISOR GEORGE DRAKOULIAS
This special presentation of THE RUNAWAYS will be followed by a conversation with music supervisor
George Drakoulias as he discusses the process of crafting the ultimate movie soundtrack.
Spotlight on Japan
SAWAKO DECIDES
KAWANO SOKOKARA KONNICHIWA
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
Thursday, October 14 I 6:30 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2009 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 112 M
Director: Yuya Ishii
Screenwriter: Yuya Ishii
Producers: Mayumi Amano
Cinematographer: Yukihiro Okimura
Cast: Hikari Mitsushima, Masashi Endo, Kira Aihara, Kotaro Shiga, Ryo Iwamatsu
Sawako’s on her fifth job in her fifth year in Tokyo, cleaning up snot-nosed toddlers’ little accidents at a
down-and-out toy company. She’s on her fifth boyfriend too, “below-average” Kenichi, who’s desperate to
marry her and give his daughter, little Kayako, a new mommy. When her father falls deathly ill, Sawako
returns to her hometown, where she finds the family freshwater clam-packing business in disarray.
Squaring off with a legion of hard-bitten fishwives who work the assembly line, it’s up to her to get things
back on track. Pelted with old grudges and surrounded by jeering naysayers, Sawako is forced to face
down her stunted sense of self and fight for tomorrow, whether she believes in it or not. Straight outta
Japan and right into your frozen seafood section, SAWAKO is the most cracked coming-of-age tale you’ll
ever see, complete with a rollicking company anthem celebrating the “lower-middle” of society and
advocating the overthrow of the government, while Hikari Mitsushima’s rigorously disciplined half-shrug
slacker performance effortlessly camouflages the killer instinct lying in wait behind her eyes.
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN, Nippon Golden Network
Shorts Program 4
SAYONARAKEN
World Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 4:15 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 7 M
Director: Nathan Kitada
On an extremely hot day, a lazy young man living with his mother in an apartment lies down on tatami
mats, fanning himself all day. Mother brings back a dead dog that she found in the alley and talks about
the dog and how they used to play together when he was little. After a memory about the dog comes up in
his mind, he is gradually overcome with drowsiness. The daydreaming young man experiences strange
and surprising moment that are a cross between dreams and reality.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Film for Thought
THE SECRETS OF THE TRIBE
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 8:00 PM I Regal Dole
UK, Brazil 2010 | Spanish, English, Italian w/ English subtitles | 110 M
Director: Jose Padilha Producers: Marcus Prado, Carol Nahra, Mike Chamberlain Cinematographer: Lula
Carvalho, Reinaldo Zangrandi
For anthropologists the world over, the discovery of the “primitive” Yanomami tribe in the Amazon Basin—
a tribe previously untouched by contact with the outside world—was a landmark event, causing a swarm
of professional rivals to descend upon the unsuspecting natives. But simple disagreements over
incongruous data quickly snowballed into a maelstrom of escalating jealousy and irreconcilable hatred.
Instead of academic breakthroughs, what actually resulted were numerous hidden and horrifying
scandals, bitter infighting, unethical manipulation, and criminal abuse, as irreparable damage was done to
an entire culture, all in the name of scientific research. Making an attempt at objectivity, coupled with the
gift of hindsight, acclaimed director Jose Padhila has carefully assembled accounts from the alleged
victimizers, deftly revealing each secret one at a time. Padilha elegantly allows all parties involved a
chance to defend and accuse in their own words, including the Yanomami themselves, unearthing a
shockingly layered rat’s nest of anthropological atrocities.
Presented by: Hawaii Council for the Humanities
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Narrative Feature Nominees
SEESAW
International Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 8:00 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 I Japanese w/English Subtitles I 70m
Director: Keihiro Kanyama
Screenwriter: Keihiro Kanyama
Producers: Keihiro Kanyama, Mizuki Nishida
Cinematographer: Mizuki Nishida
Cast: Keihiro Kanyama, Murakami Maki, Keigo Oka
Director Keihiro Kanyama makes his feature-length debut with SEESAW, an intimate portrait of a young
couple living together in urban Japan. When their close friends Keiko (Sora) and Takumi (Keigo Oka)
decide to get married, Makoto (Maki Murakami) and Shinji (Keihiro Kanyama) begin to reconsider their
relationship together. While Shinji is eager to settle down, Makoto would like to focus on her career rather
than marriage. However, Makoto begins to reassess the relationship when she suddenly believes that she
may be pregnant. Keihiro Kanyama shines in his performance as Shinji, while also playing the role of both
director and writer. The film also features Maki Murakami in her first starring role and singer/songwriter
SoRA’s acting debut as Keiko. A tale of love and loss, SEESAW uses this simple playground toy as a
metaphor for the balancing act of life.
Student Showcase
SHAWN HARRIS: PERSONAL TRAINER
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 AM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 3 M
Director: Tyler Silver, Simon Turkel
Presented by: ABC Stores, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Servco Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank
Foundation, Hawaii Department of Education Video Technology Group, and The Vilcek Foundation
Spotlight on Japan
SHODO GIRLS!!
SHODO GARUZU!!: WATASHITACHI NO KOSHIEN
United States Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 122 M
Director: Ryuichi Inomata
Screenwriter: Yuko Nagata
Producers: Naoto Fujimura, Tetsuya Sakashita
Cinematographer: Masaaki Ichikawa
Cast: Riko Narumi, Rio Yamashita, Mitsuki Takahata, Fujiko Kojima, Nanami Sakuraba
Meet the Shikokuchuo High School Calligraphy Club, a group of oddball students that take their
calligraphy so seriously that they send new members fleeing down the halls at top speed. For the
Calligraphy Club and their team captain Satoko (Riko Narumi, HOW TO BECOME MYSELF) calligraphy
has become a joyless task requiring endless dedication. But when a new club advisor arrives on the
scene and performs a strange demonstration to music, he forces the students to view calligraphy in a new
and exciting way. The film is set in Shikokuchuo city, the paper producing capital of Japan. Due to a
severe economic recession, the town’s local businesses are closing at an alarming rate. Inspired by their
new advisor, the Calligraphy Club students set out to organize a competition that will revive both their
spirits and the town. Directed by Ryuichi Inomata, SHODO GIRLS!! portrays how this unique competition
has revitalized this traditional art form.
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN, Nippon Golden Network
Spotlight on the Philippines
SIGWA
United States Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 10:00 AM I Regal Dole
Philippines 2010 | Tagalog w/ English subtitles | 109 M
Director: Joel Lamangan
Screenwriter: Bonifacio P. Ilagan
Producers: Eric Honrado, Stanley Uy, Pelita Peralta-Uy, Carmela Endriga-Honrado
Cinematographer: Menino S. Duque
Cast: Marvin Agustin, Pauleen Luna, Megan Young, Tirso Cruz III, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Dawn Zulueta
In the 1970’s, Dolly, a Filipino-American journalist, is sent to the Philippines to do a story about the rising
social instability. She becomes friends with a group of student rebels, who wage a war against an
oppressive government. They recount the horrors and the struggles they go through to make them who
they are and why they fight. After forty years since the violent aftermath, Dolly longs to return to the
Philippines to find out what happened to her fellow comrades. Dolly finds them one by one and listens to
their stories and observes what has become of their lives.
Shifting between the past and present,
SIGWA is the story of six young lives caught in the tempest of the First Quarter Storm during the 1970’s.
Set in the bloodstained page of the history of the Philippines, many who resisted the ruling regime risked
persecution, intrigue, torture and betrayal. SIGWA recounts the untold stories of the horrors of an abusive
government.
Presented by: L&L Hawaiian Barbeque
Real Life
SING CHINA!
(DOUBLE FEATURE W/ LT. WATADA)
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | English | 72 M
Director: Freida Lee Mock
Screenwriter: Freida Lee Mock
Producers: Freida Lee Mock, Helen Bing
Cinematographer: Erik Daarstad
Cast: LOS ANGELES CHILDREN'S CHORUS
Featuring a group of talented 11 and 14 year-old singers, SING CHINA! effectively shows how young
children can pack a 10,000-seat concert hall and mesmerize Chinese audiences. Invited to be in the
Olympics International Youth Arts Festival, the troupe of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus present
classics from Beethoven and Schubert to Duke Ellington and Irving Berlin as they sing their way through
China’s greatest cities - Shanghai, Beijing, Xian and Hong Kong. This documentary offers a fresh and
humorous perspective on the global might of modern day China through the eyes of youth. As violinist
Isaac Stern did decades earlier, these talented kids do their part to bridge a cultural gap between China
and America by promoting understanding among people. SING CHINA! demonstrates how children can
be a force in diplomacy through the power of music.
Student Showcase
SOCIAL DARWINISM AT THE TURN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 AM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 10 M
Director: Marissa Okazaki
Presented by: ABC Stores, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Servco Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank
Foundation, Hawaii Department of Education Video Technology Group, and The Vilcek Foundation
Shorts Program 3
SOME BOYS DON’T LEAVE
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | English | 16 M
Director: Maggie Kiley
The story of what happens when the breakup doesn’t happen.
Presented by: Stella Artois
EuroCinema Hawai'i
A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN
EN GANSKE SNILL MANN
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 10:00 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 24 I 2:30 PM I Regal Dole
Norway 2010 | Norwegian w/ English subtitles | 103 M
Director: Hans Petter Moland
Screenwriter: Kim Fupz Aakeson
Producers: Stein B. Kvae, Finn Gjerdrum
Cinematographer: Philip Ogaard
Cast: Stellan Skarsgard, Bjorn Floberg, Gard B. Eidsvold, Jorunn Kjellsby, Jan Gunnar
Ulrik (Skarsgard), the gentle man of the title, is a mechanic who has just been released from prison,
where he served 12 years for murdering his wife’s lover. After being released from jail he looks to
reinstate himself in decent society, and reconnect with his son who is now grown and about to become a
father himself. His son’s pregnant partner is mistrustful of Ulrik, and the relationship between father and
son is put into jeopardy when cronies from the past insist that he finish a job. The humor of the film does
not necessarily arise from the situations Ulrik is put in, but from the oddball characters that surround Ulrik,
such as his vulgar landlady, who demands that Ulrik service her while she shouts out religious terms.
Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard are a match made in
cinema heaven, and in the criminal comedy A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN they achieve a cool,
deceptively simple minimalism which is both perfectly timed and brilliantly pared-down.
Presented by: EuroCinema Hawaii and Royal Norwegian Consulate General
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Narrative Feature Nominees
SON OF BABYLON
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 6:30 PM I Regal Dole
Iraq 2010 I Arabic, Kurdish w/English Subtitles I 91m
Director: Mohamed Al-Daradji
Screenwriter: Mohamed Al-Daradji, Jennifer Norridge, Mithal Ghazi
Producers: Mohamed Al-Daradji, Isabelle Stead, Atia Al-Daradji, Dimitri de Clercq
Cinematographer: Mohamed Al-Daradji, Duraid Al-Munajim
Cast: Yasser Talib, Shazda Hussein, Bashir Al-Majid
In 2003, three weeks after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Ahmed, an energetic 12-year-old Kurdish boy,
travels with his grandmother along the dustiest, most secluded roads in northern Iraq. In search of their
father/son, a soldier missing since the Gulf War, they head south to Babylon. Along their bumpy way, they
encounter the chaotic state of the country but find unexpected allies on similar quests, including one
former member of the Republican Guard. Though Ahmed may be too young to understand fully the
importance of this journey, his life will be changed forever. Beautifully directed by Mohamed Al-Daradji,
and featuring a magnificent performance from young Yasser Talib as Ahmed, SON OF BABYLON is both
a fulfilling cinematic and emotional experience. It is a story of hope and forgiveness; one that palpably,
and with great humanity, illustrates reality for many Iraqi and Kurdish people in the aftermath of Hussein’s
reign.
Sound x Vision
SOUND OF NOISE
Hawaii Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 10:45 PM I Regal Dole
Sweden, France 2010 | Swedish w/ English subtitles | 102 M
Director: Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjarne Nilsson
Screenwriter: Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjarne Nilsson
Producers: Jim Birmant, Guy Pechard, Christophe Audeguis, Olivier Guerpillon
Cinematographer: Charlotta Tengroth
Cast: Magnus Borjeson, Sanna Persson Halapi, Bengt Nilsson, Johannes Bjork, Marcus Haraldson Boij,
Anders Vestergard, Fredrik Myhr
Police officer Amadeus Warnebring was born into a musical family with a long history of famous
musicians. He hates music. His life is thrown into chaos when a group of six exocentric drummers
decides to launch a musical attack using the city as their instrument. To capture the serial musicians,
Warnebring must enter the world he has spent his entire life fleeing - the frightening world of rhythm and
music. Has insanity finally taken hold of policeman Amadeus Warnebring, or is it the rest of the world
that has gone absolutely mad? Either way, what first seems to be the most difficult case of his career,
turns out to be his only chance of salvation.
Gala Presentations
THE STAR AND THE SEA
World Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 I Mandarin w/English subtitles I 106m
Director: Qiankuan Li, Guiyun Xiao
Screenwriter: Xin Xu
Producer: Feng Xu
Executive Producers: Zhonglun Ren, Xiaoming Yan, Guizhi Xue, Tao Xu, Tianyun Wang, Hongshi Lu,
Changyu Wang, Zhi Zheng
Cinematographer: Xiaofei Song
Cast: Vivian Hsu, Jiahang Su, Alec Su, Chengyang Wang, Xiangmei Su
HIFF is proud to present the latest work from Directors Qiankuan Li and Gaiyun Xiao, who will receive the
Career Achievement Award this year. With an illustrious career in television and as the head of of the
China Film Foundation for a number of years, XINGHAI marks a return to the big screen for Directors Li
and Gaiyun Xiao. The film is a moving portrayal of renowned Chinese composer Xian Xinghai’s
impoverished childhood in a lowly‘Danjia’ fishing family in Macau at the turn of the century, and his
mother’s struggles to bring him up with love despite all the hardship. It is also a heartening tale of young
Xinghai’s strivings, from the awakening of his musical ability, while at the bottom of Macau society, to the
blossoming of his talent in Singapore. Vivian Hsu (she is also in this year’s FIRE OF CONSCIENCE and
HOT SUMMER DAYS) plays Xinghai’s mother, does a fine job as a mother who sacrifices all for her
music prodigy son. In the end, XINGHAI is a quiet, lyrical biopic of one of the great composers.
AWARD FOR CAREER ACHIEVEMENT to Qiankuan Li and Gaiyun Xiao Husband and wife directing
team Qiankuan Li and Gaiyun Xiao are renowned in China and throughout the world for collaborating on
an ambitious and prolific slate of films and television series over the past twenty years. These have
included THE BIRTH OF A NEW CHINA (1989) and groundbreaking TV series THE KOREAN WAR
(2001). Since attending the Beijing Film Academy together, they have built a career that extends beyond
film and television production to include groundbreaking roles in China’s expanding film industry, as well
as social and charitable issues and events. Director Li’s administrative and managerial positions, as
Chairman of the China Film Association and the China Film Foundation, among many others, and
Madame Xiao’s position with China’s National Censorship Board, strongly influence and help set overall
policies for China’s thriving and rapidly expanding film industry. In recognition of their life’s work, their
strong influence on China’s film industry as it developed and matures; and their highly successful careers,
the Festival is honored to present the world premiere of THE STAR AND THE SEA, as well as honor
Directors Li and Xiao with its Award for Career Achievement.
Sponsored by: Hawaii National Bank
Shanghai Shorts
STEALING
United States Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
China 2008 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 7 M
Director: Jing Yanrui
On a subway, a man stops a thief in an attempted purse snatching. But the good Samaritan realizes that
his own wallet is stolen.
Presented by: Smart Exchange Student Media Art Exchange and AMC, Academy for Creative Media
Green Screen
STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE
USA| 2010 | 23 M
Director: Laurie Sumiye
The film begins in a not-so-distant future of 2025 and journeys back to the historical past and present,
reflecting on man’s role in Hawaiian birds’ struggle for life.
Presented by: Pacific Edge Magazine and Green Drinks Honolulu
ACM Night
STUCK
World Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2009 | English, Mandarin, w/ English subtitles | 13 M
Director: Jaime Peak
Jenny, a young college student, has a crush on a boy but is too afraid to speak to him. When they get
stuck in an elevator, the plot takes an interesting turn.
Presented by: ACM, Academy for Creative Media
Shanghai Shorts
A SUMMER, A BOY, AND A CAB
United States Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
China, United States 2010 I Mandarin w/English subtitles I 15 M
Director: Oscar Chang , Paulo Kobayashi, Chu-Jen Wu
Three intertwined stories about everyday people seeking their past and dreams in the city of Shanghai,
China. This special film project is a part of the SMART EXCHANGE, where students from UH Manoa’s
ACM Program travel to Shanghai and collaborate with their counterparts at Shanghai University Film
School. This triptych of stories is the result of this collaboration.
Presented by: Smart Exchange Student Media Art Exhange and AMC, Academy for Creative Media
Film for Thought
SUMMER PASTURE
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 11:30 AM I Regal Dole
China, United States 2010 | Tibetan w/ English subtitles | 85 M
Director: Lynn True, Nelson Walker III, Tsering Perlo
Producers: Lynn True, Nelson Walker III, Tsering Perlo
Cinematographer: Nelson Walker III
With each shot more breathtaking than the last, SUMMER PASTURE offers access to an insular
community and a portrait of a family at a time of transition. Locho and his wife, Yama, live in Dzachukha,
eastern Tibet—nicknamed “five most” by the Chinese for being the highest, coldest, poorest, largest, and
most remote area in Sichuan Province, China. They depend on a herd of yaks for survival, just as their
ancestors did. In recent years, however, Dzachukha has undergone rapid development, which poses
unprecedented challenges to nomadic life. SUMMER PASTURE evolves into an exploration of Locho and
Yama’s travails with illness, infidelity, the dissolution of their community, and the personal sacrifice they
must make to ensure their daughter’s future. Through subtle observation, SUMMER PASTURE provides
a personal account of what it means to be a nomad in a swiftly modernizing world, as well as a universal
story of family survival.
Presented by: Hawaii Council for the Humanities
Shorts Program 3
TABLE 7
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 5 M
Director: Marko Slavnic, Andrew McDonald
A couple on the brink of a breakup have an intimate argument in a Chinese restaurant. Unbeknownst to
them, their every word is being closely monitored for unknown reasons.
Presented by: Stella Artois
New Chinese Cinema
TAIPEI EXCHANGES
DI SANSHILIU GE GUSHI
North American Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 12:45 PM I Regal Dole
Tuesday, October 19 I 6:15 PM I Regal Dole
Taiwan 2010 I Mandarin w/English subtitles I 82 M
Director: Ya-Chuan Hsiao
Screenwriter: Ya-Chuan Hsiao
Producers: Hsiao-Hsian Hou , Jui-Lan Hsiao
Cinematographer: Tse-Chung Lin
Cast: Lun-Mei Gwei, Han Chang, Zaizai Lin
TAIPEI EXCHANGES is the charming story of two sisters running a coffee shop that come up with a
unique method of attracting customers: the shop, Doris’s Cafe, is filled with items that can be swapped for
the customers’ items or services, if the customer can convince Doris’s free-spirited younger sister that it’s
a fair trade. The film, which is cute without being cloying, celebrates the joy of a well-told story and the
concept of “personal value” as romance brews between Doris, who’s never left Taipei, and a pilot who
tells her thirty-five stories of his travels around the world. As the sisters learn and grow from the people
they meet in the coffee shop, they and their customers swap trash and treasures, stories and songs,
wisdom and art, recipes and secrets, hopes and dreams, jobs and careers, and even entire lives. As light
and delicious as Doris’s tiramisu, TAIPEI EXCHANGES is an ethereal treat that leaves you wanting more.
Presented by: GIO, Government Information Office Republic of China (Taiwan)
Shorts Program 2
TELEVISNU
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
India, United States 2010 | English | 15 M
Director: Prithi Gowda
A surreal tale of a young Indian woman who tries to fix her computer but ends up fixing her life.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Centerpiece Presentation
THE TEMPEST
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 3:30 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 8:00 PM I Dole
United States 2010 | English | 110 M
Director: Julie Taymor
Screenwriter: Julie Taymor
Producers: Julie Taymor
Cinematographer: Stuart Dryburgh
Cast: Alfred Molina, Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou, Alan Cumming, David Strathairn,
Chris Cooper
Renowned for her wonderfully inventive works for both stage and screen, Julie Taymor, the visionary
director of TITUS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, FRIDA and the mastermind behind the Broadway
reimagining of Disney’s THE LION KING and the upcoming SPIDERMAN Musical, has applied her
considerable talents to this fascinating rendering of Shakespeare’s late, great mystical romance. Exiled
on a remote island, Prospera (the extraordinary Helen Mirren in a gender bending role), the duchess of
Milan, conjures up a storm to lure a swath of characters from her past to her island kingdom, revealing in
the process a cross-section of human frailties, illusions, kindness and nobility. Ms. Mirren is aided by a
dream cast, including Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper,
Alan Cumming, Ben Whishaw, Tom Conti, Reeve Carney and Felicity Jones. Shot primarily on the island
of Lanai and the Big Island, THE TEMPEST maximizes the beauty and mystique of Hawaii’s scenery to
paint an otherworldly realm. Taymor has a reputation for directing visual feasts and surreal imagery, which
fits perfectly in Shakespeare’s final and tragicomic play. Aside from using Hawaii as a mystical location,
the film is another example of big budget and ambitious productions that are also funded by local
investors, spearheaded by local production company Talk Story Productions. Aside from the master talent
represented in front of and behind the screen, this film continues the tradition of Hawaii’s diverse film
community, showcasing that we can compete and produce world-class filmed entertainment. With its
premieres at the Venice and New York Film Festivals last month, HIFF is honored to bring home THE
TEMPEST as its Centerpiece Gala.
Presented by: Modern Luxury Hawaii Magazine
Green Screen
THERE ONCE WAS AN ISLAND: TE HENUA E NNOHO
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 12:00 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 3:15 PM I Regal Dole
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea 2010 | Pidgin English | 80 M
Director: Briar March
Screenwriter: Briar March, Lyn Collie
Producers: Lyn Collie
Cinematographer: Briar March
Cast: Faith Endar Adu, Teloo Fakatutufenua, Satty Puaria, John Hunter, Scott Smithers
Four years in the making, THERE ONCE WAS AN ISLAND: TE HENUA E NNOHO is the story of a
Pacific Island community in Papua New Guinea and their fight to preserve what really matters in the face
of climate. Takuu atoll is an idyllic home to articulate, educated people who maintain a 1200 year-old
culture and language. Takuu is disintegrating and when two scientists arrive to investigate, the people
realize that their attempts to preserve the atoll are currently making the situation worse.
Sound x Vision
THIS MOVIE IS BROKEN
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 7:30 PM I Regal Dole
Saturday, October 23 I 10:30 PM I Regal Dole
Canada 2010 | English | 88 M
Director: Bruce McDonald
Screenwriter: Don Mckellar
Producers: Austin Wong, Howard Ng, Brandi-Ann Milbradt, Dany M. Chiasson, Niv Fichman, Amy
Paquette, Noah Sega
Cinematographer: John Price
Cast: Broken Social Scene, Georgina Reilly, Greg Calderone, Kjartan Hewitt
Unbelievable: Bruno wakes up in bed next to Caroline, his long time crush. But tomorrow she’s going
abroad to study in France, and maybe she only granted this miracle as a parting gift for her long time
friend. So tonight — tonight is Bruno’s last chance. And tonight, as it happens, Broken Social Scene, her
favorite band, is throwing a big outdoor bash. Maybe if Bruno, with the help of his best pal Blake, can
score tickets and give Caroline a night to remember, he can keep this miracle alive. From Bruce
McDonald, the director of punk film HARD CORE LOGO, has crafted a truly unique rock concert film,
shooting in a documentary style as the concert kicks off with the arena rock sound of one of Canada’s
most dynamic rock bands today. So all you attendees in the skinny jeans and the converse shoes – THIS
MOVIE IS BROKEN is your kind of film!
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Narrative Feature Nominees
THOMAS MAO
United States Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 4:30 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 I Mandarin w/English Subtitles I 77m
Director: Zhu Wen
Screenwriter: Zhu Wen
Producers: Geng Ling, Zhu Wen, Wang Jinghua
Cinematographer: Wang Min
Cast: Mao Yan, Thomas Rohde- wald, Jingzi, Ye Feng, Gouzi
During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the painter Thomas travels from Europe to China to make
sketches. On the distant Mongolian grasslands he meets Mao, who runs a small inn. They spend three
days and three nights together, and their inability to communicate leads to awkwardness and
misunderstandings. One day, the two of them have the same strange dream. Dream and reality become
steadily more entwined, until they can no longer be separated.
Filled with as many laugh-out-loud farcical gags as high brow visual aesthetics, “THOMAS MAO” is a
refreshing aperitif for the artsy crowd yet relatively accessible to an open-minded western audience.
Within China’s current filmmaking trends, it juts out like a lone palm tree in a desert oasis.
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE: THE MUSICAL JOURNEY OF EDDIE KAMAE
World Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 4:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 60 M
Director: Edward L. Kamae
Screenwriter: Don Wallace
Producers: Rodney A. Ohtani, Myrna J. Kamae
Cinematographer: Rodney A. Ohtani
Cast: Edward L. Kamae
THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE tells the story of a young Hawaiian `ukulele virtuoso’s journey of musical
self-discovery and how it turned into a 50-year quest to help preserve his people’s dying culture. At first
Eddie Kamae thought he was just researching some old songs, but felt such a powerful kinship with the
work of Hawaii’s last Queen and most prolific composer, Lili‘uokalani, that his pursuit led him to some of
the most respected gatekeepers of the Hawaiian Renaissance: the great author and translator Mary
Kawena Pukui, the “Songwriter of Waipi’o” Sam Li’a, “Aloha Chant” author Pilahi Paki, and Hawaiian
cultural resource Lilia “Mama” Hale. One by one, they entrusted him with key pieces of Hawaii’s musical
heritage — inspiring him to understand, perform, and pass that heritage on to the children of Hawai’i.
Now, after half a century as a celebrated bandleader, filmmaker, archivist and oral historian, 83 year-old
Eddie Kamae tells this story, honoring his elders with music and vivid anecdotes.
Short Films Program 1
TICKETS
United States Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
Singapore 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 10 M
Director: Sherman Ong
This film centers on Xiao Jing, a ticket seller in an old cinema in Singapore. She came from China to
study acting in Singapore and her ambition is to break into the Singapore film industry as an actress.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Asian Showcase
THE TIGER FACTORY
United States Premiere
Sunday, October 17 I 2:00 PM I Regal Dole
Malaysia, Japan 2010 | Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese w/ ENG. subtitles | 84 M
Director: Ming Jin Woo
Screenwriter: Ming Jin Woo , Edmund Yeo
Producers: Ming Jin Woo, Kohei Ando, Edmund Yeo
Cinematographer: Chun Hung Wan
Cast: Fooi Mun Lai, Pearlly Chua, Susan Lee
Ping Ping is 19 and wants to go to Japan to work in a car parts company. She’s under the guardian of her
aunt, Madame Tien, who shuffles her between two jobs; working in a pig farm, and cleaning dishes in a
rundown restaurant. Tien is also involved in a ‘baby factory’ scheme, pairing young women with migrant
workers and then selling the babies for money. Both Ping Ping and Tien survive with each other in a lovehate symbiotic manner, until a truth about her aunt is revealed to Ping Ping. The prolific and award
winning director Ming Jin Woo is considered one of Malaysia’s best filmmakers, with his past films going
to major film festivals around the world. THE TIGER FACTORY is no different, having debuted at this
year’s Cannes Film Festival. A tale of Southeast Asian despair, this film lyrically paints a story where
dreams are perennially shattered, but sometimes, there is that small ray of hope.
Spotlight on Japan
TIME TRAVELER: THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME
TOKI O KAKERU SHOJO
North American Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 9:00 PM I Regal Dole
Tuesday, October 19 I 7:00 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | w/ English subtitles, Japanese| 122 M
Director: Masaaki Taniguchi
Screenwriter: Tomoe Kanno
Producers: Shusaku Matsuoka, Masatoshi Fujimoto
Cinematographer: Shogo Ueno
Cast: Narumi Yasuda, Akiyoshi Nakao, Riisa Naka
When scientist Kazuko (Narumi Yasuda, DOUBLE TROUBLE) is given an old photograph of herself with
a mysterious young boy, she becomes so distracted that she gets into a serious accident. As her teenage
daughter Akari (Riisa Naka, HALFWAY) sits by her hospital bedside, Kazuko suddenly awakes with a
strange request. Akari must drink a strange time travel concoction that Kazuko has created in her lab and
go back in time to give a vital message to the boy in the picture. Traveling back to 1970’s Japan, Akari
begins the biggest adventure of her life, and creates her own time traveling love story along the way.
Director Masaaki Taniguchi’s feature-length debut film is a live action adaptation of the popular 2006
animated film THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME based on the novel by Yasutaka Tsutui. TIME
TRAVELER offers a fresh interpretation of the novel and differs from the animated feature by providing a
unique storyline and new characters. In Taniguchi’s new adaptation, he shows us that true love is not
bound by time.
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN, Nippon Golden Network
Green Screen
TO LIVE & RIDE IN L.A.
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 8:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 55 M
Director: David Rowe
Producers: Tim Jieh, Rick Kleinsmith
Cinematographer: Marcus Ubungen
Cast: Keo Curry, George Gregor, Trackosaurus Rex, Mr. Quick, Ace Boogie, Hern
For fixed-gear cyclists, Los Angeles is a city that has it all. From the neon glow of Hollywood to the sundrenched boardwalk of Venice Beach, fixed-gear has evolved into a vibrant street culture that is uniquely
L.A. From director David Rowe comes a new documentary feature that explores a side of L.A. few
outsiders have seen. From races through rush-hour traffic to midnight loft parties, TO LIVE & RIDE IN
L.A. is a fast paced-trip through the busy streets and back-alleys of one of the world’s largest cities.
World Cinema
TO THE SEA
ALAMAR
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 9:30 PM I Regal Dole
Thursday, October 21 I 3:45 PM I Regal Dole
Mexico 2010 | Spanish w/ English subtitles | 73 M
Director: Pedro Gonz·lez-Rubio
Screenwriter: Pedro Gonz·lez-Rubio
Producers: Pedro Gonz·lez-Rubio, Jaime Romandia
Cinematographer: Pedro Gonz·lez-Rubio
Cast: Jorge Machado, Natan Machado Palombini, Nestor Marin, Roberta Palombini
Writer and director, Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio, does a stunning job of portraying paternal love and the bond
between a father and son in the movie, ALAMAR. Natan is a 5-year old boy facing the separation of his
parents, Roberta and Jorge. Before Natan and his mother, Roberta, depart for their new home in Rome,
Natan will spend a few days with his father, Jorge. In the crystal clear waters of Banco Chinchorro, off
Mexico’s coast and inhabited by fisherman living in dwellings on stilts, Jorge and Natan will form a
timeless bond. Their days are filled with meaningful duties of fishing, snorkeling, identifying the reef plants
and animals, and survival. Through the responsibilities as a fisherman and the connection with nature,
Jorge teaches Natan invaluable lessons about life and heritage. Shot in the style of a documentary,
ALAMAR beautifully captures the ties between a father and his son.
Presented by: Hotel Renew
ACM Night
TOWN VS COUNTRY
North American Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 9 M
Director: Pablo Paz
Spend a night with Hoku Haiku, a Native Hawaiian islander from the north shore of Oahu who is currently
working to revive Hawaii indigenous agriculture by day and takes to the stage to perform original hip hop
by night.
Presented by: ACM, Academy for Creative Media
Spotlight on India
UDAAN
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 8:45 PM I Regal Dole
India 2010 | Hindiw/ English subtitles | 135 M
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Screenwriter: Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Dipa Motwane, Anurag Kashyap, Ronnie Screwvala, Sanjay Singh
Cinematographer: Mahendra Shetty
Cast: Ronit Roy, Ram Kapoor, Rajat Barmecha, Manjot Singh, Anand Tiwari
Rohan, played by Rajat Barmecha, is from a small industrial town of Jamshedpur. Away for 8 years at
boarding school, Rohan finds his life being closeted with an authoritarian father and a younger half
brother that he didn’t even know existed. Rohan is forced to work against his dream of being a writer and
is instead made to study engineering and work in his father’s steel factory. The movie showcases how
Rohan tackles the innate struggle of handling family responsibilities or chasing one’s own passion. Would
he give in to a future decided by his father? Or would he forge his own life out of given circumstances and
pursue his dream of being a writer? First-time director Vikramaditya Motwane made headlines in India
when his debut film was selected to be screened in the “Un Certain Regard” at the Cannes Film Festival
this year. UDAAN was not only the sole Hindi film to be featured in the Festival; it is also the only Indian
film to make it to the Croisette in the last 7 years.
Presented by: Watumull's Family Resort
Asian Showcase
UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES
LOONG BOONMEE RALEUK CHAT
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 5:15 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 9:15 PM I Regal Dole
Thailand, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands 2010 | Thai w/ English subtitles | 114 M
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Screenwriter: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Producers: Apichatpong Weerasethakul , Simon Field
Cinematographer: Yukontorn Mingmongkon, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Cast: Sakda Kaewbuadee, Jenjira Pongpas, Thanapat Saisaymar
For over a decade, Apichatpong Weerasethakul has built a loyal fan base with his fresh form of cinematic
storytelling. His films are an intoxicating enigma of visual and rural mysticism that can leave viewers
transformed. UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES continues Apichatpong’s
affecting style by taking us on an existential journey through a jungle inhabited by animal spirits and the
apparitions of past lives. Dying from acute kidney failure, Boonmee decides to spend his final days in the
Northeast countryside of Thailand with his sister-in-law, nephew and caretaker. One night Boonmee is
visited by his deceased wife, Huay, and a Yeti-like figure who is Boonmee’s lost son, Boonsong. The
resulting conversations about mortality and reincarnation lay the philosophical framework for the film and
Boonmee’s trek through the jungle where he finds the birthplace of his first life. When UNCLE BOONMEE
won the Palme d’Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Apichatpong’s cinematic alchemy instantly became
the voice for world cinema.
Halekulani Golden Orchid Award: Documentary Feature Nominees
UNDER A JARVIS MOON
World Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 8:15 PM I Regal Dole
Sunday, October 17 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 I English 56m
Director: Noelle Kahanu, Heather Giugni
Screenwriter: Noelle Kahanu, Heather Giugni
Producers: Noelle Kahanu, Heather Giugni, Lisa Altieri
Cinematographer: Noelle Kahanu, Heather Giugni, Naalehu Anthony, Vince Lucero
This eye-opening documentary recounts the long forgotten story of the colonization of the islands of
Howland, Baker and Jarvis. From 1935-1942, over 130 young men, mostly Hawaiians, were sent by the
Federal government to occupy a trio of desolate, sun-blasted, barren, heaps of guano in the middle of the
Equatorial Pacific. Living in teams of four, the young men collected scientific specimens, mapped the
islands, fished, took weather readings, cultivated plants, and prepared a landing field for Amelia Earhart,
who disappeared en route to Howland.
Opening Night Film
UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE
North American Premiere
Thursday, October 14th 8:00 PM Dole
China 2010 I Mandarin w/English Subtitles I 115m
Set in the 1970s during the Cultural Revolution, a young city girl named Jing Qiu, with a condemned
political background, is sent to the countryside for re-education. She meets a young man named Lao
Sun, from a high-profile family. They fall in love, but stories like this are never simple when lovers come
from disparate worlds. The film is based on a popular novel, with a simple story of star-crossed lovers,
which Zhang read and was deeply moved by this. The young leads, Dongyu Zhou and Xiao Dou, have
never acted before and were handpicked by Zhang. They are now rising stars in China, similar to how
Zhang had discovered Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi years before.
Director: Yimou Zhang
Producer: Yimou Zhang
Cinematographer: Xiaoding Zhao
Cast: Meijuan Xi, Xuejian Li, Xiao Dou, Dongyou Zhou
Sponsored by: Hawaii National Bank
Green Screen
UNRESERVED: THE LOUIE GONG STORY
2010 | USA| 14 M
Director: Tracy Rector
A profile of multicultural activist Louie Gong – In March 2009, he began merging Coast Salish art with a
pop culture icon - VANS - to create custom skate shoes that represent his complex cultural identity.
Presented by: Pacific Edge Magazine and Green Drinks Honolulu
Pacific Islanders In Communications Pacific Showcase
VA TAPUIA (SACRED SPACES)
United States Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 2:15 PM I Regal Dole
Samoa, New Zealand 2010 | Samoan, w/ English subtitles | 16 M
Director: Tauti Tusi Tamasese
Lui’s grief for his dead wife has infected his whole life and his taro crops. In the remnants of a cyclone
devastated village, a stranger offers him a release from his own pain and a chance to move forward.
Art + Design
THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF HERBERT MATTER
World Premiere
Thursday, October 21 I 8:30 PM I Regal Dole
Switzerland 2010 | English, German w/ English subtitles | 80 M
Director: Reto Caduff
Screenwriter: Reto Caduff
Producers: Reto Caduff, Laurin Merz
Cinematographer: Laurin Merz, Luke Geissbuhler
Cast: Robert Frank, Alex Matter, Massimo Vignelli, Lorraine Wild, Jessica Helfand
THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF HERBERT MATTER is a revealing look at the fascinating life story of the
highly influential mid-century modern design master. Known as a quintessential designer’s designer,
Swiss born Herbert Matter is largely credited with expanding the use of photography as a design tool and
bringing the semantics of fine art into the realm of applied arts. In today’s commercialized and over
saturated design world, the documentary directed by Reto Caduff (CHARLIE HADEN – RAMBLING BOY,
A CRUDE AWAKENING) lets luminaries such as Robert Frank, Massimo Vignelli, Alvin Eisenmann,
Steven Heller, Elaine Lustig Cohen and others explain why Matter still matters. Through never-beforeseen footage, personal photography and stunning graphic design work, the film explores the social and
cultural impact of his personal visual language that influenced a whole generation of designer and artists.
Presented by: Electric Pencil, AAF - American Advertising Federaion Hawaii, and AIGA
Shorts Program 4
WAR
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 4:15 PM I Regal Dole
Italy 2010 | Italian w/ English subtitles | 16 M
Director: Paolo Sassanelli
In an Italian town immediately after the second World War, conflicts rage between socialist and fascist
neighbors. However, while they argue, the young boys in the neighborhood revel in the idea of being
soldiers.
Presented by: Stella Artois
HIFF Interactive
WAR ON INTERNET ADDICTION
Hawaii Premiere
Tuesday, October 19 I 3:00 PM I Regal Dole
China 2010 | Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 64 M
Director: Sexy Corn
WAR ON INTERNET ADDICTION was a fully volunteer project contributed by a group of avid online
gamers in China, organized by director and screenwriter Sexy Corn. Based on the storyline, 100 gamers
congregated on the game platform, performed with their virtual characters in the game setting, captured
all the video game screenshots from the lengthy process, edited and recorded his own voiceover
narration.
Green Screen
WASTE LAND
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:00 PM I Regal Dole
Brazil, United Kingdom 2010 | English | 90 M
Director: Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, Joao Jardim
Producers: Angus Aynsley, Hank Levine
Cinematographer: Dudu Miranda
Cast: Vik Muniz
Critically-acclaimed contemporary artist Vik Muniz journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native
Brazil to create works of art from materials collected at Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest landfill.
What he finds is the catadores – the self-designated pickers of recyclable materials – who put a human
face to society’s forgotten waste. Filmed over nearly three years, director Lucy Walker (BLINDSIGHT;
COUNTDOWN TO ZERO) focuses her lens on this extremely personal collaboration between Muniz and
the catadores as they recreate photographic images of themselves from everyday garbage. The results
take them from the exotic outskirts of Rio de Janeiro to the international art world of central London and
back again, uncovering lessons on how to recycle their own lives along the way. Mixing fine art with a
social project, feature documentary WASTE LAND is both an education on the realities of an ecosystem
disposed entirely from our everyday conscience and an illustration of the transformative power of the
creative process.
Presented by: Pacific Edge Magazine and Green Drinks Honolulu
Spotlight on India
WE ARE FAMILY
United States Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 12:15 PM I Regal Dole
India 2010 | Hindiw/ English subtitles | 120 M
Director: Siddharth Malhotra
Screenwriter: Gigi Levangie
Producers: Ronnie Screwvala
Cinematographer: Mohanan
Cast: Kajol , Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal
Maya (Kajol) is the perfect mother. Her life revolves around her three children, Aleya (Aanchal Munjal),
Ankush (Nominath Ginsburg), and Anjali (Diya Sonecha) who think nothing less than the world of her.
Despite being divorced from her husband Aman (Arjun Rampal), Maya has ensured that everything runs
smoothly in her house, and that they continue to remain a happy family unit. When Aman introduces his
girlfriend, Shreya (Kareena Kapoor) a career oriented woman who has a lot to learn about children, to the
family, the situation immediately takes an unexpected turn. When an incident changes their lives
drastically, bringing the two women under the same roof, they find themselves putting to test an unusual
situation; can two mothers make a home? Forced to make some unorthodox choices for her family, Maya
must confront her uneasy equation with Shreya and find a way to bring everyone together, despite their
differences, to make them a happy family once again.
Presented by: Watumull's Family Resort Fashion
After Dark
WE ARE WHAT WE ARE
SOMOS LO QUE HAY
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 9:15 PM I Regal Dole
Wednesday, October 20 I 10:15 PM I Regal Dole
Mexico 2010 | Spanish w/ English subtitles | 90 M
Director: Jorge Michel Grau
Screenwriter: Jorge Michel Grau
Producers: Nicolas Celis
Cinematographer: Santiago Sanchez
Cast: April Therese Shannon, Ehecatl Garcia, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Enrique Rocha, Paulina Gaitan
The sudden death of its patriarch leaves a Mexican clan bereft, panicked about their survival, and
fumbling to continue a family tradition—namely, a cannibalistic rite that involves the hunting and gathering
of fresh human meat in present-day Mexico City. As the widow and her three teenage children grow
increasingly desperate, the young director Jorge Michel Grau combines slow-burning suspense with
simmering sexual tension and a queasy sense of mystery: the belief system behind what the family calls
“the ritual” is never fully explained. A potent and tremendously assured first feature, WE ARE WHAT WE
ARE packs the allegorical and visceral punch of the best vintage horror.
Presented by: Chinatown Newspaper
Spotlight on Japan
WELCOME TO THE SPACE SHOW
UCHO SHOW E YOUKOSO
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 23 I 7:15 PM I Regal Dole
Japan 2010 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 136 M
Director: Koji Masunari
Screenwriter: HIdeyuki Kurata
Producers: Tomonori Ochikoshi, Atsuhiro Iwakami
Cinematographer: Takaharu Ozaki
Cast: Tomoyo Kurosawa, Honoka Ikutsuki, Takuto Yoshinaga, Tamaki Matsumoto, Shotaro Unosawa
For five bored schoolchildren at a village summer camp, the search for a lost rabbit ends in saving the life
of a dog-like alien named Pochi. As a reward, Pochi takes the children on an amazing interstellar journey
that starts with an exciting trip to a bustling alien colony on the Moon. Soon, these travelers go from
sipping space colas to thwarting alien poachers. Upon becoming stranded in space, Natsuki, her cousin
Amane and their friends, discover hidden personal strengths and work together in order to safely find a
way back to Earth before their absence is detected. This first feature-length film by the READ OR DIE
anime team is a humorous and often moving family friendly adventure. Director Koji Masunari, writer
Hideyuki Kurata and character designer Masashi Ishihama, create a film full of sentiment and visual
delights that are sure to please both the young and the young at heart. Summing up this heartwarming
tale is the theme song “Who I Was Born to Be,” appropriately sung by UK’s once-hidden gem, Susan
Boyle.
Presented by: Hawaiian Airlines and NGN, Nippon Golden Network
Persian Lens
THE WHITE MEADOWS
KESHTZAR HAYE SEPID
Hawaii Premiere
Saturday, October 16 I 1:30 PM I Regal Dole
Iran 2009 | Farsi w/ English subtitles | 92 M
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
Screenwriter: Mohammad Rasoulof
Producers: Mohammad Rasoulof
Cinematographer: Ebrahim Ghafori
Cast: Hassan Pourshirazi, Younes Ghazali, Mohammad Rabbani, Mohammad Shirvani, Omid Zare
Writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof (IRON ISLAND) expertly weaves poetry, mythology, metaphor, and
the absurd to tell the fable-like story of Rahmat, who sails from island to island on salt-filled Lake Urmia to
collect tears as people unburden their sorrows into glass jars. It is said that the tears are turned into
pearls and their sins are atoned for, but Rahmat’s intentions remain an enigma. His journey is filled with
several encounters that have profound impact on his quest. Moody and elegant, this mesmerizing film
can either be a cinematic statement on the dangers of conformity, theocratic social norms, and the
collective condition of Iran or simply one man’s mythology translated to the screen. On March 2, 2010,
Mohammad Rasoulof was arrested in Iran along with prominent filmmaker Jafar Panahi and 14 others as
part of the recent crackdown in response to post-election disputes.
Presented by: Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute
Persian Lens
WOMEN WITHOUT MEN
ZANAN-E BEDUN-E MARDAN
Hawaii Premiere
Director: Shirin Shirin, Shoja Azari
Screenwriter: Shirin Shirin, Shoja Azari, Steven Henry Madoff
Producers: Martin Gschlacht, Philippe Bober
Cinematographer: Martin Gschlacht
Cast: Shabnam Toloui, Pegah Ferydoni, Arita Shahrzad, Mehdi Moinzadeh
Director: Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari Screenwriter: Shirin Shirin, Shoja Azari, Steven Henry Madoff
Producers: Martin Gschlacht, Philippe Bober Cinematographer: Martin Gschlacht Cast: Shabnam Toloui,
Pegah Ferydoni, Arita Shahrzad, Orsolya Toth, Mehdi Moinzadeh
In her feature-film debut, renowned visual artist Shirin Neshat offers an exquisitely crafted view of Iran in
1953, when a British- and American-backed coup removed the democratically elected government.
Adapted from the novel by Iranian author Shahrnush Parsipur, the film weaves together the stories of five
individual women during those traumatic days, whose experiences are shaped by their faith and the
social structures in place. With a camera that floats effortlessly through the lives of the women and the
beautiful countryside of Iran, Neshat explores the social, political, and psychological dimensions of her
characters as they meet in a metaphorical garden, where they can exist and reflect while the complex
intellectual and religious forces shaping their world linger in the air around them. Looking at Iran from
Neshat’s point of view allows us to see the larger picture and realize that the human community
resembles different organs of one body, created from a common essence.
Presented by: Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute
Spotlight on Korea
WOOCHI
Hawaii Premiere
Sunday, October 24 I 11:00 AM I Regal Dole
Thursday, Octoer 14 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
South Korea 2010 | Korean w/ English subtitles | 136 M
Director: Dong-hoon Choi
Screenwriter: Dong-hoon Choi
Producers: Eugene Lee
Cinematographer: Young-hwan Choi
Cast: Dong-won Gang, Yoon-suk Kim, Soo-jung Lim, Hae-jin Yoo
If Jeon Woochi can vanquish the goblins, recapture both halves of the broken flute, find the bronze
dagger and the mirror, evade the demigods that would trap him in a painting and feel out his attractions
for the enigmatic Su-Jeong Lim, then he has passed the intricate gauntlet that director and writer Donghun Choi has thrown down before him. WOOCHI involves an undisciplined, talented Taoist trickster,
Woochi, who has been derailed from his search for the implements that will make him the most powerful
wizard ever. Centuries ago some bumbling demigods erred in their attempt to secure the world from
goblins. Now, in a plot that spans pre-modern times into a contemporary Korea, Woochi and his sidekick,
a charmed dog-man named Chorangyi, must make their way against formidable wizards and shapeshifting demons in a coerced attempt to save the world. With WOOCHI, Choi has brilliantly executed a
breathless action plot that still finds time for coy asides and smart humor– a must-see.
Presented by: KBFD
Shorts Program 4
WORKS OF ART
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 4:15 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 19 M
Director: Andrew Pang
Meet Art Hahn (Paul Juhn), whose days are a blur of demoralizing auditions and bleak temp jobs (just
one actor among a multitude numbed by the New York struggle). One day, an unusual proposition from
his friend, John Kim (Ken Leung), leads him to a remarkable role that jolts his system like never before.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Short Films Program 1
WU IS DEAD
Hawaii Premiere
Friday, October 15 I 5:30 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English, Mandarin w/ English subtitles | 13 M
Director: Richard Wong
Wu is dead, and his sister is pissed. Sun Mei can’t get over her brother’s death, so she decides to seek
out the wrongdoers one by one and apply apt vengeance.
Presented by: Stella Artois
Shorts Program 4
YOGURT LADY
Hawaii Premiere
Monday, October 18 I 4:15 PM I Regal Dole
South Korea 2010 | Korean w/ English subtitles | 29 M
Director: Lo-you Kim
Yeongseon is a divorcee who delivers yogurt to an apartment building up on a hill. Today, her yogurt cart
breaks down again. A passerby, Ruhan helps her out with the cart. He is a father left alone to support his
family overseas and is delighted thinking that she is his childhood idol Yu Eunha.
Presented by: Stella Artois
ACM Night
YUEN’S GROCERY, NANAKULI
World Premiere
Friday, October 22 I 6:00 PM I Regal Dole
United States 2010 | English | 9 M
Director: Aina Paikai, Gloria Pan
An Academy for Creative Media at UH Manoa and Shanghai University collaboration that combines two
stories portraying life on Oahu’s west side.
Local Short Award powered by GoEggIt.com
GoEggIt.com is a revolutionary new distribution system that empowers content producers to distribute
their films virally through social media. The film is encased in a film called the Egg. This file, the Egg, is
downloaded to your computer for free. View it and then vote for your favorite locally made short film from
the convenience of your
computer. The film that garners the most votes will be announced at HIFF’s Awards Show! Voting begins
October 1 and closes on October 18.
Presented by: ACM, Academy for Creative Media
Real Life
MASTER CLASS WITH FREIDA LEE MOCK: ETHICS OF DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
Saturday, October 16 I 11:00 AM I UH Law School
The Festival and the Carol Burnett Fund proudly hosts a special master class with award-winning
documentarian Freida Lee Mock. Studying history and law at UC Berkeley, Mock is considered one of the
leading American documentary filmmakers working today. She is a Governor of the Documentary Branch
of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is the Chair of its Documentary Executive
Committee. Mock has received an Academy Award® (for MAYA LIN: A STRONG, CLEAR VISION in
1995), five Academy Award® nominations, two prime-time Emmy Awards, and three prime-time Emmy
nominations. Her films range in stories and subjects from art, politics, history and ethics to penetrating
biographies and are characterized by a freshness in ideas and an interest in saying something new. This
year, we are presenting two of her latest works, SING CHINA!, a sequel of sorts to her award-winning
SING! and LT. WATADA, an intimate look at the Hawaii-born soldier who refused to be deployed to Iraq, in
what he called an unjust war. Mock will provide insight on her illustrious film career and also answer
questions and provide guidance to budding filmmakers.
HIFF Interactive
TUDOU: NETIZEN POWER AND THE RISE OF CREATIVE CONTENT IN DIGITAL CHINA
Tuesday, October 19 I 3:00 PM I 120 M
TUDOU.com is not the “YouTube of China.” Or, that’s now what they are now. Launched in 2005, Tudou is
one of the largest video sites in China, where users can upload, view and share clips. By 2007, Tudou
had over 50% of the online video market in China, and by summer of this year, over 170 million unique
visitors. With the annual Tudou Video Festival, Chinese citizens are empowered to create their own
content, including this year’s winner, THE WAR ON INTERNET ADDICTION, a Machinima film that was
shot inside the World of Warcraft game, with the actors being 100 gamers who performed via their
characters inside the system. Tudou has also produced their first internet drama series, an overall
strategy to target China’s 250 million young netizens. Tudou co-founder Gary Wang will provide insight
on the company’s history, their overall strategy, and navigating China’s content restrictions. This
presentation will precede a screening of THE WAR ON INTERNET ADDICTION.
Festival Information
Established in 1981, the Hawaii International Film Festival, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to the
advancement of understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific and North
America through the medium of film. HIFF is the premier international film event in the Pacific and has
won the praise of governments, filmmakers, scholars, educators, programmers and film industry leaders
throughout the world. For the discovery and exhibition of Asian and Pacific features, documentaries and
short films in the nation, it is a primary source. The festival has premiered such movies as ONCE WERE
WARRIORS, THE PIANO, SHINE, SHALL WE DANCE, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, and CROUCHING
TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. Plus, DEPARTURES, a Japanese film, had its U.S. premiere at HIFF in
2008, won the HIFF Audience Award and then went on to win the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign
Language Film.
HIFF's major sponsors include: Regal Entertainment Group, Halekulani Hotels & Resorts, Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, Hawaii Tourism Authority, The Vilcek Foundation, and EuroCinema Hawaii.
The 2010 Hawaii International Film Festival will be held October 14 - 24.
# # #