The Hawaii International Film Festival is an annual event that takes place in Hawaii, US. The primary focus of this film festival is Asian-Pacific cinema, as well as offering education and showcasing the works of new and up-and-coming filmmakers. The main festival takes place every year in November in Honolulu. There are additional screenings across the state in Oahu, Hawai’i, Maui, and Kaua’i. There is a smaller event that generally takes place in March every year, the Spring Showcase. Organizers of the HIFF (Hawaii International Film Festival), offers industry and educational events throughout the year.
The event was founded by Jeanette Paulson Hereniko in 1981. It was a project of the East-West Center, an association that is responsible for this event growing in prominence in the manner that it did. Roger Ebert, the famed film critic, often attended this event due to having a deep, personal connection with it.
In 2020, the event had its 40th anniversary festival that featured a hybrid model due to the coronavirus. There are video on demand elements that were able to be streamed as well as drive-in screenings. There were a few, smaller cinema screenings as well. The dates for the 2021 event have not been announced yet.