In keeping with the MACC’s dedication to supporting the victims of the wildfires, patrons for this concert are asked to bring non-perishable items for the Maui Food Bank.
The 46th Annual Hawaiʻi International Film Festival presented by Halekulani returns to the islands this October, bringing an exciting slate of feature and short film premieres from around the world with a special focus on Asia, the Pacific, and Made-in-Hawaiʻi productions.
For more information, visit HIFF.ORG.
SATURDAY – Public Screenings:
1:00 pm PROTECTING KAHO’OLAWE: 50yrs of Aloha Aina PLUS DOCUMENTING ACTIVISM: The Early Days of the Native Hawaiian Movement (56min)
For decades, Kahoʻolawe endured use as a bombing range by the U.S. military, leaving profound scars across an island sacred to Native Hawaiians. This documentary chronicles the history of Kahoʻolawe, the formation of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO), and the extraordinary movement that fought to reclaim and restore the island.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the first landing by the “Kahoʻolawe Nine,” whose courageous actions in 1976 galvanized a movement that ultimately helped end military bombing, directors Mark Carpenter and Corbin Gregory journey to Kahoʻolawe to witness the ʻohana’s work firsthand. Through intimate personal stories, historical reflection, and the ongoing restoration of the ʻāina, the film honors generations of activists, cultural practitioners, and community members who dedicated themselves to protecting the island. More than a history of resistance, it is a testament to aloha ʻāina—the enduring relationship between people and land—and the continuing responsibility to heal and safeguard Kahoʻolawe for future generations.
Preceded by SACRED ISLAND: LIVING THE DREAM: A group of local musicians visit Kaho‘olawe to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the island’s reclamation from military bombing. They pule (pray) at sacred sites and compose new music for an album inspired by the island’s mana (spiritual power) and the work of nonprofit Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana.
Both films will be followed by a special extended panel discussion after the first screening
3:30 pm EA (Sovereign) (70min)
EA (Sovereign), directed by Noah Keone Viernes and Sancia Miala Shiba Nash, follows Kanaka ʻŌiwi leader and cultural steward Keʻeaumoku Kapu and his family as they fight to reclaim their ancestral lands in Kauaʻula Valley, Maui. Through personal memories, family histories, and generations of resistance, the film traces the enduring impacts of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, plantation agriculture, militarization, and unchecked development on Native Hawaiian land and water rights. Blending archival materials, chants, songs, animation, maps, legal records, and contemporary community life, EA embodies the Hawaiian principle “I ka wā ma mua, ka wā ma hope”—the future is found in the past. Centered on Kapu’s nearly two-decade struggle through the courts and within his community, the film is a powerful testament to Indigenous resilience, cultural sovereignty, and the ongoing movement to restore stewardship of Hawaiʻi’s lands and waters for future generations.
Q&A to follow.
Click HERE to watch the trailer.
6:00 pm THE NAVIGATOR (95min)
HIFF is honored to present the World Premiere of THE NAVIGATOR as its Opening Night film.
In 1980, Nainoa Thompson became the first Native Hawaiian in six centuries to navigate a voyaging canoe from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti without a compass or modern instruments. Nearly 50 years later, he returns to the open ocean for one final, extraordinary crossing. Accompanied by a small crew of student navigators, Thompson journeys 2,400 miles along the ancestral sea road, guided only by the stars, the rhythms of nature, and the teachings of the late master navigator Mau Piailug.
This voyage is more than a test of endurance. It is a responsibility to carry forward an ancient knowledge system—and a deeply personal search for something beyond the horizon. THE NAVIGATOR is a powerful meditation on legacy, discovery, and what becomes possible when we learn to observe, listen, and reconnect with the natural world.
Q&A to follow.
Click HERE to watch the trailer
SUNDAY – Public Screenings:
1:00 pm Pacific Showcase Shorts: Where We Belong Program (79 min total) –
Presented by Hawai’i Pacific Health, this shorts program aligns with HPH’s mission to build a healthier Hawai‘i, celebrating the importance of ‘ohana and community.
THE PLATFORM - Based on the remarkable true story of Taʻu Pupuʻa, The Platform begins where most sports stories end. After emigrating from Tonga to the United States, Taʻu achieves an extraordinary dream: reaching professional football. But in his very first NFL game, a devastating injury abruptly ends his career, forcing him to confront the loss of both football and the future he built around it. In the uncertain space between one life ending and another beginning, Taʻu struggles to find a path forward. What initially appears to be a story about an athlete rebuilding his life gradually becomes something altogether different. The film captures the pivotal moment when possibility reenters his life—the doubt, vulnerability, and courage required to recognize an unimaginable future. Building toward a climactic breakthrough, The Platform explores what can emerge when the life we planned disappears, and we find the courage to imagine another.
OHANA VENDORS – At 22 years old, Mara Onichu has built a life defined by independence. Born in Chuuk and raised in Guam, Mara lost her sight at age three after being diagnosed with spinal meningitis. Doctors once questioned whether she would walk or survive. Today, she is thriving in Honolulu, Hawaii, working at Blind Vendors ‘Ohana, a local company that operates 10 convenience stores inside Honolulu International Airport. After moving to Hawaii following her father’s passing, Mara enrolled at Ho‘opono, a school for the blind that teaches technology, Braille, cooking, and essential life skills. There, she discovered Blind Vendors, a 100 percent local business dedicated to creating employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired. Blind Vendors ‘Ohana focuses on people, not sales quotas. Through training, teamwork, and belief in ability over limitation, the company empowers employees with disabilities to gain confidence, financial independence, and purpose. For Mara, her favorite sound at work is the cash register. It represents capability and growth. While some customers ask her to hurry, most show patience and kindness. Surrounded by supportive coworkers, including one employee who says he is getting paid to be happy at 76 years old, Mara has found more than a job. She has found community. A narrative short based on the remarkable true story of Ta’u Pupu’a, a Polynesian immigrant who rises to the heights of professional football but, after a devastating injury in his very first game, envisions an improbable second act: reinventing himself as an opera singer.
TAMAI – April 13, 2007, is a day I’ll never forget—the day my father went to prison. Fifteen years later, he was released, only to be taken by ICE and deported 6,000 miles away. Tamai is a deeply personal film, told from my own perspective. It’s often said that when a parent receives the sentence, it’s the children who serve the time in secrecy. We wanted to open a window into that reality shared by millions of children nationwide. Through animation, the film explores the bond between a father and son, using abstract symbolism and visual metaphor. At its core, this is a story of resilience—less about the circumstances that divide us, and more about the convictions that keep us together. A documentary about the incredible employees that work for Blind Vendors 'Ohana, the largest employer of blind and low-vision staff in all of Hawai'i.
THE RAPTURE - "When the Rapture happens, you gotta go home." With the rapture just days away, two haututū (mischievous) cousins reunite to complete their Koro's (grandfather's) last wish: to return home. But are they ready? --- With the world set to end in two days, tutu cousins, Roo and Joo are unexpectedly reunited when Roo slips into a church to confess their sins, hoping to make peace before it's too late. Reminiscing on a lesson their koro taught them both growing up “when then Rapture comes, you gotta go home”. For Roo, it's time to go home. For Joo, home is more complicated and reflects the past filled with grief, responsibility, and memories they've been avoiding. Still, with time running out, the cousins hit the road together on a cross-country journey that becomes less about the end of the world and more about reconnecting. As they travel, they share laughter and memories, and on the eve of the Rapture, sitting by a fire, the cousins finally speak honestly about what the rapture means for them. When morning comes, they return home carrying their koro's words and ready for the next phase of the world., A son faces his biggest fear of reuniting with his distant father, who spent 15 years in prison, and now faces a new lifetime sentence —deportation.
Click HERE to watch the trailer.
LANI - LANI tells the story of Tagiralani Luafalealo, the first LPGA golfer to represent Samoa. The short documentary explores the mindset behind her technique, the struggles she faces being a Samoan woman, periods of burnout, the eventual regaining of her love for golf, and the future she strives for that keeps her moving forward.
Click HERE to watch the trailer
IAKWE: Hello, Goodbye - Based on real events, a young traveling salesman who after being adopted at birth, meets his blood relatives for the first time by chance while knocking on doors in Northwest Arkansas. The film explores the power and complexity of family bonds from a Pacific Islander/Marshallese perspective.
OF THE LAND - John, a Samoan musician born and raised in Hawaiʻi, spends the day with his best friend Alex, chasing dreams of music, romance, and a future beyond their everyday lives. But as casual jokes and familiar spaces give way to increasingly painful encounters, the two are forced to confront how differently the place they call home sees them. Of the Land is a story of friendship, identity, and the complicated question of what it truly means to belong to the only place they've ever called home. For John and Alex, preparing for their biggest gig begins like any other day. For the two best friends, an afternoon of joking, talking story, and chasing John’s dreams of music feels completely ordinary, until a series of seemingly insignificant interactions begins to shift the tone of their day. Nothing is overt. A question could be innocent. A comment could be a joke. A moment of exclusion could easily be explained away. But each leaves something behind. Through John’s experience, Of the Land examines the complicated layers of microaggressions and the exhaustion of constantly deciding which moments are worth acknowledging and which are easier to let go. Rooted in friendship and humor, the film explores what it means to be Pasifika, local, and deeply connected to Hawaiʻi, while navigating the subtle ways belonging can be questioned, negotiated, and withheld.
3:00 pm LAHAINA: Voices of Change PLUS KŪKULU (70 mins)
On August 8, 2023, the devastating Lahaina wildfire claimed more than 100 lives, displaced thousands, and destroyed much of the historic West Maui town. One year later, award-winning Native Hawaiian filmmaker Ty Sanga turns his lens toward the quieter, deeply personal work of what comes next. Distinct from last year’s award-winning LAHAINA RISING, Sanga’s latest documentary is rooted more intimately in a Kanaka Maoli perspective, focusing not on the scale of the disaster but on the small steps toward healing: reflection, reconnection, rebirth, and what might be understood as a “second succession.” Once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Lahaina remains an ancestral homeland whose future raises urgent questions about who will return, who can remain, and what rebuilding truly means. Through intimate community perspectives, the film considers recovery not simply as reconstruction, but as an opportunity to restore relationships to ʻāina, culture, and one another, ensuring that Lahaina’s next chapter remains rooted in the people and histories that have always defined it.
Q&A to follow.
6:00 pm MAKING THE LINE (98min)
MAKING THE LINE is a character-driven feature documentary that delves into the world of competitive Hula — where athleticism and artistry are inseparable from a living Hawaiian cultural tradition. At its heart are Kumu Keano and Kumu Lono, two master Hula teachers and life partners who lead a diverse group of dancers striving for excellence in the art and discipline of Hula.
Guided by these two modern-day queer Kanaka whose lives infuse the story with emotional truth and cultural nuance, MAKING THE LINE unfolds over three years, exploring tradition, resilience, and identity in a rapidly changing Hawaiʻi. As the demands of excellence intensify, so do the complexities of life both on and off the line. Their story becomes a portrait of devotion, transformation, and the enduring power of Hula — revealing that it is far more than dance; it is the heartbeat of a people.
Q&A to follow.
