Hawai‘i International Film Festival at the MACC

The Honolulu-based Hawaiʻi International Film Festival comes to Maui this weekend with four separate film screenings from Friday, Nov. 30 to Sunday, Dec. 2 at the MACC.

As a forum for international cinematic achievement in the Asia-Pacific region, the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival recognizes new and emerging talent and facilitates dynamic cultural exchange through the cinema arts.

The festival includes documentaries and film shorts, including premieres, experimental films, animation/digital works, and first features by new directors.

HIFF selections and audiences reflect the diverse multicultural face of Hawaiʻi – helping to enrich, enlighten and broaden support for Asian and Pacific films.

Below is a list of featured film screenings:

Friday, November 30 at 6:30 p.m. 

“Moananuiākea: One Ocean. One People. One Canoe”

In 1976, a voyaging canoe called the Hōkūleʻa sparked a cultural revival that quickly spread throughout Polynesia, breathing life into ancient myths and legends. Moananuikea: One Ocean. One People. One Canoe celebrates the historic worldwide voyage of the Hōkūleʻa that connected countless communities around the globe. The story of this voyage represents the fulfillment of the vision of Nainoa Thompson and his contemporaries of passing the mantle to the next generation of kānaka maoli who will retain the skills of their ancestors and perpetuate this tradition.  More than four decades later, Hōkūleʻa continues to inspire a new generation of navigators and voyagers to gather their courage and sail beyond the horizon of the Pacific.

Saturday, December 1 at 3 p.m.

“Sharkwater Extinction”

“Sharkwater Extinction” is a follow-up film to “Sharkwater” that follows filmmaker Rob Stewart through an inspiring action-packed journey as he exposes the massive illegal shark fin industry. From West Africa, Panama, and France to our own backyard, Stewart’s third film dives into the violent underworld of the pirate fishing trade to expose a multi-billion dollar industry. Sadly, Stewart passed away during the production of this film, but his conservationism and love for the ocean lives on in his work.

Saturday, December 1 at 3 p.m.

“50 First Kisses”

Meeting the woman of your dreams in Hawai‘i is a blessing until you discover she has short-term memory loss and forgets everything the next day. It’s the Japanese remake of the rom-com, “50 first Dates.” Takayuki Yamada is Daisuke, a womanizing travel agent. The object of his affections, Rui (Masami Nagasawa), is an art teacher living with her father and brother, who try to preserve the illusion that nothing has changed since the day of the accident that caused her amnesia.

Sunday, December 2 at 1:30 p.m. 

“Anote’s Ark”

Threatened with total destruction by rising sea levels, the low-lying pacific nation of Kiribati is poised to be one of the first catastrophic victims of climate change. Set against the backdrop of international climate negotiations, “Anote’s Ark” follows the country’s president as he fights to have climate displacement recognized as an urgent human rights issue, and to find a lasting home for his people and 4,000 years of their culture.

Tickets are $12 per screening and are available online or at the MACC box office during open hours.

The MACC box office can be contacted at 808-242-SHOW.