The Entrepreneurial Guide to Entertainment
with Sandy McKee
The place to be in Hawaii from October 15 to 25, 2009 is, without question, the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF). Use your miles, max your cards, do whatever it takes to attend. I’m not alone in my views. “Must attend,” writes Entertainment Weekly. “One of the ten best film festivals around the world,” according to Travel & Leisure Magazine. And, my personal favorite from The Japan Times: “The ideal movie-geek's holiday.”
Movie geek though I may be, I confess my first attendance at HIFF was in 2008 on ACM Night. ACM stands for the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Academy for Creative Media and is the film school that my daughter attends. ACM Night showcases short films produced by the students, many of whom I predict will go on to be filmmaking powerhouses, if the shorts I’ve seen are any indication.
In the car on the way to the theater, my daughter and I engaged in a heated discussion about which film should be crowned the Best Film of All Time. She mentioned modern films that made me despair for the younger generation; I chose solid classics which she dismissed with scorn. We both furiously defended our positions. Things got so hot, if you plopped streaming lava into the conversation, it would have cooled things down. Just as she was threatening to bung me out of the car (letting her drive was my first mistake) and I informed her I was going to cut her out of my will (for real this time), I shouted out, “Seven Samurai!” She paused, contemplated, and said, “Okay.” Finally, deep called to deep! The rest of the evening was exceedingly pleasant and entertaining.
I enjoyed last year’s HIFF so much that I decided to volunteer this year to help in whatever capacity they might need. The highlight of HIFF for me will once again be ACM Night. I spoke with student director/screenwriter Priscilla Stafford about her short romantic-comedy Flowers, Chocolate, and Candlelit Dinners, which has been nominated for the Viewers’ Choice award. It is about a guy who tries to make romantic gestures to show his deepening commitment to his girlfriend. Unfortunately, nothing works out the way he plans and he stumbles through one awkward moment after another.
This year HIFF will show around 177 films from more than 36 countries. The opening night film is Mother from director Bong Joon-ho of South Korea. His 2006 horror/thriller Gwoemul (English name: The Host) was one of the highest grossing films in South Korea. Mother is a psychological murder mystery/thriller about a mother who goes to great lengths to prove the innocence of her mentally-challenged son who was accused of a brutal murder. Director Bong has been favorably compared to classic Hitchcock (think Vertigo or Rear Window).
The centerpiece film is Red Cliff (Hong Kong, China) by John Woo who directed Paycheck, Windtalkers, Mission Impossible II, etc. Red Cliff is a historical epic about the famous Battle of the Red Cliffs which took place during the Three Kingdoms period in ancient China (circa. 208 AD). The film has already garnered eleven film festival awards, so it is off to an impressive start.
The closing night film is Chinese director Tian Zhuangzhuang’s Warrior and the Wolf. This film also takes place in ancient China and tells the story of a disillusioned army general who finds himself stranded in a village populated by a strange clan with mystical connections to wolves. The film is based on a short story by Japanese writer Yasushi Inoue.
Also in the line-up is a celebration of the hit TV series Lost with special appearances by the cast; and, the world premiere of a film about Hawaii’s Princess Kai’ulani (1875-1899). The title of this film (Barbarian Princess), as well as other aspects of the film, is the subject of controversy here in Hawaii. The producers say the title is meant to be ironic, not disrespectful. However, Native Hawaiian leaders say it is an insult to the memory of the tragic young royal who died of illness at the age of 23. I do not know if this rift can be mended; but, I pray that the community can come together at HIFF and respect each other’s views.
For more information, please visit Sandy's TNNW Bio.
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