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JAPAN FEST kicks off at HIFF Spring Showcase 2019 with eight new films 

The heartfelt family drama  A LONG GOODBYE will have its US premiere as part of HIFF Spring Showcase's Japan Fest section this April. 

In 2019, for the first time, HIFF will have program sections at the 22nd HIFF Spring Showcase presented by Halekulani, and this will include the first ever JapanFest!

JapanFest has been designed to bring you the latest and greatest Japanese films from the winter and spring season. For this inaugural edition of JapanFest we’ve got an amazing line-up of 8 films, including drama, comedy, romance, foodie films, and even a psychedelic horror thriller! From heartfelt family dramedies like A BANANA? AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT? and A LONG GOODBYE, to foodie infused films like COMPLICITY and A RESTAURANT FROM THE SKY, to high octane manga adaptations turned box-office hits like WHISTLEBLOWER, JapanFest has it all. 

Delve deeper into JapanFest by reading Director of Programming Anna Page's JapanFest blog.    

PACIFIC FOCUS features new doc on the little known Bonin Islands and two films straight from Sundance including film about the legacy of Merata Mita

A family photo of director Heperi Mita with his late mother Merata Mita in a scene from MERATA: HOW MUM DECOLONISED THE SCREEN. 

Pacific Focus is a new section of this year’s HIFF Spring Showcase spotlighting the latest in Pacific Islander-driven cinematic works. It is an extension of the “Pacific Showcase” we have annually during the Fall Festival, which is presented by Pacific Islanders in Communications. 

These three new films represent the broad spectrum of stories that are being told across the Pacific Rim. Two of these films are premieres, straight from their world premieres in snow-covered Park City at the recently concluded Sundance Film Festival. 

• BETWEEN TIDES: A new documentary about the multi-ethnic Bonin Islanders grew up on an island in the Pacific Ocean as Japanese nationals under a U.S. Navy occupation following the Second World War.
• MERATA: HOW MUM DECOLONISED THE SCREEN: Film archivist and filmmaker Heperi Mita's loving portrait of his late mother, filmmaker, activist and indigenous peoples champion Merata Mita.
• TOP END WEDDING: A zany, heartfelt and cross-cultural road trip comedy of disasters from the creators of THE SAPPHIRES (HIFF 2012), 

Read more about the Pacific Focus over at the HIFF blog. 

Event Reminder: WALKING ON WATER screens tonight at Courtyard Cinema at Ward Village as part of Honolulu Biennial

HIFF and Ward Village present Courtyard Cinema, in conjunction with the Honolulu Biennial, present the award winning documentary WALKING ON WATER, which screens tonight at the IBM Courtyard. 

WALKING ON WATER is an uncensored look into the artistic process and personal relationships of Christo, an artist known for his large-scale installations. For the first time since the passing of his wife and partner, Jeanne-Claude, Christo sets out to realize, 'The Floating Piers,' a project they conceived together many years before.   

Honolulu Biennial executive director & co-founder Katherine Tuider will speak before the film as part of the HB19 festivities, which is currently happening through May 5. 

When:  Tonight, March 14 
            Doors open at 6pm / Screening starts right after sundown

Where: Ward Village Courtyard (former IBM Building)
             1240 Ala Moana Blvd (Get Directions)

Although FREE TO THE PUBLIC, a ticket is still required. If the event is “sold out” online, a standby line will be available once all ticket holders enter, if space permits. Seats are not guaranteed, but you are welcome to bring your own chair. RSVP your tickets.

Mahalo to our Major Sponsors! 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Owen Ogawa, President / Jeffrey A. Bell / Kristen O. Chan / Isoo (Dick) Oshima / Christina Hom / 

Jason Cutinella / Mark S. Davis / Ricardo (Ric) Galindez / Jake Houseman / Michael Korniczky / Peter Lewis / Bryan Luke / Wayne Miyao / Brian Uy / Indru Watumull / Howard J. Wolff

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