HIFF Talks: The Official Podcast of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Recorded by and for the HIFF community, we go a little beyond the normal Q&A with filmmakers on their works and interests. Starting with intention, our talks inevitably go into unexpected, spontaneous directions. Such is the life of building community with creatives with a touch of aloha.About HIFF (hiff.org)As the vanguard forum of international cinematic achievement in the Asia-Pacific region, Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF) endeavors to recognize new and emerging talent, promote career development and original collaborations through innovative education programs, and facilitate dynamic cultural exchange through the cinema arts.
Episodes
31 episodes
Interview with Filmmaker Justyn Ah Chong - HIFF44 HOCCI Podcast
HOCCI's Ashton Obrero sits down with Emmy award-winning filmmaker Justyn Ah Chong to discuss his career and experience at the 44th Annual Hawai'i International Film Festival. Justyn co-produced this yearʻs centerpiece presentation, MOLOKA'I BOU...
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36:29
Interview with Daerius Legg, HIFF43 Key Visual Artist - HIFF43 HOCCI Podcast
HOCCI's Olivia Trice interviews Daerius Legg, the artist behind HIFF43's key art visual and main trailer artist. Daerius' style was inspired by his love of manga and anime (Katsuhito Otomo and Osamu Tezuka) and his philosophy of "being stoked" ...
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Season 3
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Episode 30
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1:03:48
Interview w/ Laurel Tamayo, Co-Producer of GEN Z MENTAL HEALTH: CLIMATE STORIES - HIFF43 HOCCI Podcast
HOCCI's Sean Oketani sits down with Laurel Tamayo to discuss her short film, GEN Z MENTAL HEALTH: CLIMATE STORIES, which was a part of the official selection for HIFF43 in the Environmental Shorts Program. This podcast interview covers the topi...
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Season 3
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Episode 29
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20:17
Interview with Hunter Naho‘oikaika, Director of SEEING WITH HAWAIIAN EYES - HIFF43 HOCCI Podcast
HOCCI's Sean Oketani sits down with filmmaker Hunter Naho‘oikaika to discuss her film, SEEING WTIH HAWAIIAN EYES, an official selection of the 43rd Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani (HIFF43) and screened in the "Kānaka...
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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20:56
BROKER Review - HIFF42 HOCCI Podcast
In this episode, HIFF HOCCI mentee Jim Fahey sits down with Leo Williams, a NY-based film critic, to discuss about the HIFF42 Closing Night Film BROKER directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It's an interesting conversation as this is Jim's first Kore-...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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17:48
A Discussion about SHE SAID - HIFF42 HOCCI Podcast
In this episode, HIFF HOCCI mentee Jim Fahey sits down with Leo Williams, a NY-based film critic, to discuss about the film SHE SAID directed by Maria Schrader. An official selection of HIFF42, the film is currently in commercial release in U.S...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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17:27
The Choice of Forgiveness - HIFF42 HOCCI Podcast
In this episode, HIFF HOCCI mentee Olivia Thrice talks about the joys of returning to the cinema to experience films as HIFF fully returns to an in-person event. She also explores the theme of "forgiveness" in films she watched at HIFF42....
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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12:17
A Discussion about FINDING SATOSHI - HIFF42 HOCCI Podcast
In this episode, HIFF HOCCI mentee David Murray sits down with his buddy Terry to discuss about the film FINDING SATOSHI directed Laurent Barthelemy and is part of HIFF42's
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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16:23
Live Q&A: Alika Tengan and the EVERY DAY IN KAIMUKĪ team
Although Alika Tengan's film made it into Sundance in 2022, he was unable to experience his film in front of an in-person theatrical audience. To rectify this, HIFF made his film the closing feature of the Spring Showcase on April 14, 2022. And...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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36:08
Live Q&A with Crystal Kwok , filmmaker of BLURRING THE COLOR LINE
After a screening of BLURRING THE COLOR LINE on April 12, 2022 at the Consolidated Theaters in Honolulu, Anderson Le chats with Crystal Kwok about the journey she took to make this riveting documentary, focusing on her Chinese grandparents livi...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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36:32
SUNDANCE 2022: Snow Hnin El Hlaing, filmmaker of MIDWIVES
Snow Hnin El Hlaing is the filmmaker of MIDWIVES, which premiered worldwide at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022. MIDWIVES is a documentary about a midwife and her apprentice, both living in Myanmar during a time of intense conflict and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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26:06
SUNDANCE 2022: Alika Maikau Tengan, co-writer/director of EVERY DAY IN KAIMUKĪ
Serial HIFF contributor Alika Maikau Tengan has made the Hawaiian film community proud, premiering his first feature film EVERY DAY IN KAIMUKĪ, at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022. Beforehand, he's built a reputation as a talented filmmaker w...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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30:58
SUNDANCE 2022: Ham Tran, writer/director/editor of MAIKA
With MAIKA, writer-director-editor Ham Tran returns to the Sundance Film Festival in 2022, 16 years since his premiering his first feature JOURNEY FROM THE FALL. In between those films, Ham has been a pillar in the Vietnamese film communi...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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35:06
SUNDANCE 2022: Brit Hensel and Keli Gonzales, the filmmakers of ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (WHAT THEY'VE TAUGHT US)
In ten minutes, filmmakers Brit Hensel and Keli Gonzales are able to express so much about their culture as members of Cherokee Nation in ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught), which just had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022. ᎤᏕᏲᏅ i...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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36:50
SUNDANCE 2022: Sonya Childress and Sahar Driver, co-directors of COLOR CONGRESS
Receiving a $1.35M grant and supported by the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the Perspective Fund, Color Congress (colorcongress.org) is poised to make a major impact on the documentary filmmaking community, especially for historica...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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38:05
Susan Soon He Stanton, writer/producer for SUCCESSION and HIFF 41 KAU KA HŌKŪ Juror
HIFF 41 brought in quite an amazing juror to help evaluate the nominees for the KAU KA HŌKŪ (Shooting Star) award. Susan Soon He Stanton currently writers for the hit HBO show SUCCESSION, but before working as a professional playwright, screenw...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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16:21
Dana Ledoux Miller, writer/producer and Pacific Islanders in Communication Trailblazer Awardee
Dana Ledoux Miller has already been attached to so many recognized works: AMC's KEVIN CAN GO F*CK HIMSELF and LODGE 49, Netflix's NARCOS, HBO's THE NEWSROOM, and so much more in progress. Her roots are very much from the Pacific, however, being...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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17:21
Ciara Lacy, director of THIS IS THE WAY WE RISE (HIFF Alumni Check-In)
Sure, we can talk extensively about native Hawaiian filmmaker Ciara Lacy impressive career as a director, producer, and general pillar in the community. Instead, artistic director Anderson Le chose to dive a little deeper into Ciara's personal ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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22:52
Sarah Wayne Callies, actor, director, podcaster & HIFF 41 Made In Hawaii Jurist
Sarah Wayne Callies has had an impressive career in television as an actor and director, most notably in shows such as THE WALKING DEAD, COLONY, COUNCIL OF DADS, and THE GOOD DOCTOR. She's also jumped into the world of podcasting with her...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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29:00
Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence, writer/director and HIFF 41 Made In Hawaii jurist
Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence was an obvious choice for a jurist at HIFF 41: her impressive career thus far includes collaborations with Anna Deveare Smith, Diane Paulus, and Kerry Washington as well writing for shows such as TWENTIES and BOOMERANG. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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25:27
Déjà Bernhardt, writer/director of LAST HAWAIIAN SUGAR
LAST HAWAIIAN SUGAR is a deeply personal project for writer/director Déjà Bernhardt, who depicts the final days of a community's connection to a sugar plantation that kept them together for decades. Déjà chats with Artistic Director Anderson Le...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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31:22
Karan Soni, lead actor and co-writer of 7 DAYS
During the pandemic, Karan Soni and his partner Roshan Sethi decided to break out of their creative slumps and write a film in just eight days that would go on to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021. A romantic comedy set in qua...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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19:31
Dante Basco, director of THE FABULOUS FILIPINO BROTHERS
Over his extensive career in entertainment, Dante Basco has always kept his identity and culture close to his heart. His latest film - a fun close-to-real-life collaboration with several of his family members - reflects his undying hunger to co...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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19:48
Christopher Makoto Yogi, writer/director of I WAS A SIMPLE MAN
Filmed on location in Hawaii, Christopher Makoto Yogi's latest film I WAS A SIMPLE MAN premiered at Sundance virtually and in theaters this year at HIFF. Anderson Le sits down with Chris to explore the film's dream-like visual and sound design,...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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18:25
Destin Daniel Cretton, writer/director of SHANG CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
As this year's recipient of the Halekulani Golden Maile Career Achievement Award, Maui-born Destin Daniel Cretton has had an amazing year. We talk about his humble origins of discovering filmmaking as a youth to building up his career through t...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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29:33
