:: closing night rush line update ::

It's closing night for HIFF's Spring Showcase No. 9! Here's the latest on tickets for today's shows!

3:00 PM Letter from an Unknown Woman -- more than 100 tickets
3:15 PM Moonlight in Tokyo -- more than 100 tickets


6:15 PM Love Is a Crazy Thing -- less than 100 tickets
6:30 PM Parineeta -- RUSH LINE
8:45 PM Friends with Money -- RUSH LINE
9:00 PM Rules of Dating -- less than 100 tickets

Unclaimed seats will be made available to the rush line on a “first come, first served” basis fifteen (15) minutes before screening time. The rush line starts one hour before showtime!

:: exclusive trailer for typhoon ::

We'll have an exclusive presentation of the 35mm trailer for Kwak Kyung-Taek's latest blockbuster Typhoon (태풍) at Thursday's screening of Rules of Dating!

The plot? A North Korean pirate (JANG Dong-Gun) is trying to launch a nuclear attack on the ROK and a South Korean agent (LEE Jung-Jae) is hellbent on stopping him!

The 20 billion won film - the most expensive Korean production ever - was shot on location in Korea, Russia and Thailand. Typhoon will be released in the US by Dreamworks/Paramount this year, making it the first Korean film represented directly by a major US distributor!

:: dollar hot dog night ::

OMG, I totally forgot to mention that today is dollar hot dog night at the Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theatres! I think that there now serving Eisenberg Beef Hot Dogs: no phosphates, MSG, fillers or bi-products. All right!

:: cinematography ::

If you loved the gorgeous cinematography of Mark Lee Pin-Bing in Spring Snow, then don't miss his work in another Spring Showcase film, Xu Jingle's Letter from an Unknown Woman.

Mark Lee worked with Wong Kar-wai to lens In the Mood for Love and shot Millenium Mambo for Hou Hsiao-hsien, the creative pulse of Taiwan's New Wave cinema movement.

There are still a few tickets left for Wednesday's screening of Spring Snow, and you have two chances to see Letters!

In other cinematography news, Turner Classic Movies will feature a 54 film tribute to James Wong Howe this month. JWH started his career for Cecil B. DeMille in 1919, was widely proclaimed as one of the best cameramen in the world in the 1930s and was a pioneer for Asian Americans in Hollywood.

:: citizen dog ::

CITIZEN DOG premieres Tuesday night at Dole!

The story of the country bumpkin in the big city is age old and ubiquitous, it's so Joseph Campbell. Director Wisit Sasanatieng sets his hero in Bangkok as fairytale forest; where all men grow tails and his unrequited love interest is an eco-warrior trying to rid the world of plastic.

Sasantieng is the only Thai filmmaker to have his film invited to Cannes, the whimsical and mindblowing western Tears of the Black Tiger, which was never released in the U.S. (Miramax has been sitting on it for almost 5 years now).

Thankfully, we are able to screen his latest Grimm-like fable... We, the festival, pinky-swear that you will have a great time if you attend the film. It's a great date movie too!

:: pele awards ::

Director James Sereno's trailer for the 2005 Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival won three Pele Awards last night. The awards are the Hawaii version of the Clio Awards, recognizing achievement in advertising.

Advertising for the Arts Campaign
"HIFF Campaign," Hawaii International Film festival, FlashLight and Kinetic Film LLC.

Advertising for the Arts Broadcast
"HIFF Trailer," Hawaii International Film Festival, Kinetic Film LLC.

Music Score - Music Only
"Hawaii International Film Festival Trailer," HIFF, DP Music.

Congratulations to Kinetic Media and DP Music!

Take a look at the trailer here!

:: spring films ::

There was an incredible crowd at last night's premiere screening of the French action flick DISTRICT 13! Over 100 people showed up at the last minute and filled the theatre to capacity!

I forgot to mention to the audience that DISTRICT 13's subtitles are as entertaining as the high-energy stunts. The bad guys speak French with a Arabic-influenced street accent. Think hip-hop meets Tony Soprano, and yul get De idea, yo.

The film screens again Wednesday, March 5 at 9:00 p.m.

:: spy sorge ::

SPY SORGE premieres Monday night.

Purported to be Masahiro Shinoda's last film, after a long and illustrious career, he is famous for being part of the New Wave of Japanese directors during the post-Anpo generation, a highly political time.

However, in his later years, Shinoda has increasingly turned to representing Japan’s wartime and immediate postwar experience. With such titles as MacArthur's Children, Setouchi Moonlight Serenade, and Spy Sorge, the director has left a lasting text on the lessons of war.

:: sunday rush update ::

Sunday's screening of Always Sunset on Third Street just went rush line. If you're looking for an alternative, try The Gift or Letter from an Unknown Woman.

It looks like the shows below will go to the rush line in the next few days.

April 3, 6:15 PM Rules of Dating
April 5, 6:30 PM Spring Snow
April 6, 9:30 PM Parineeta

:: man in motion ::

Friday's Man in Motion Award goes to the sharpest dress man in Oah'u, HIFF Gold Member Greg, who managed to see Always Sunset on Third Street at the Dole Cannery, Elvis Costello's live show at the Blaisdell Center and our sold-out screening of Lady Vengeance.