The Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) entered its 42nd anniversary this year and was held from Nov. 3 to 27. The Taiwan Academy of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles cooperated with the Hawaii International Film Festival for the 12th consecutive year to launch "Spotlight on Taiwan," an in-person and online screening of 8 Taiwanese films at Consolidated Theatres Kahala in Hawaii. This includes a special screening of "Goddamned Ashura," a film that will represent Taiwan for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.
"Spotlight on Taiwan" presents films with good box office and good reputation. The film "Goddamned Asura (該死的阿修羅)," which is based on actual events, investigates the ripple effects of a random murder incident by bringing out the complex and multi-layered psychology of six characters. "Mama Boy (初戀慢半拍)" is a romantic comedy depicting the process of an innocent boy looking for love and self-worth in the parent-child relationship and in real life. The film "Gaga (哈勇家)," nominated for 6 Golden Horse Awards and chosen for the "Indigenous Lens" section of HIFF, tells us how the three generations of the Atayal tribe had conflicts over political values and different cultures. "Demi God (素還真)," adapted from the legendary puppet show hero Su Huan Zhen, won the Best Animation Award at the Taipei Film Festival. The four features have an impressive cast. In addition, directors Lou Yi-an and Arvin Chen of "Goddamned Asura" and "Mama Boy" will attend the post-screening discussion to share the underlying narratives.
The short film program was broadcasted online in the United States, including "Tank Fairy," a film that explores gender identity and has won the Best Narrative Short Film Award at the Frameline San Francisco International Film Festival; "To the Sea," a short film that subtly conveys a caregivers' powerlessness and pressure; and short films "Swallow," which Taiwan and Japan jointly produced, and "Do Not Go Gentle in Taipei," which depicts the connection between men and women in Taipei City.
The Hawaii International Film Festival promotes cultural exchanges between Asia, the Pacific Islands, and North America through films. It is one of the few film festivals in the United States that adds great importance to Asian-Pacific films and emerging directors. This year, 102 feature films and 124 short films from more than 30 countries were screened. An in-person film festival also ran from Nov. 3 to 20, while a live-streamed screening ran from Nov. 3 to 27. The award presentation took place on Nov. 13. For film festival tickets and more information, please visit https://hiff.org/.