2021 Official Selections
A Creature in the Night
4 min | Directed by the Bishop Brothers
A late night laundry load goes awry when a young girl has a chilling encounter in this eerie horror short.
A Voice for Whales
22 min | Directed by Selket Kaufman
This short doc tells the story of Pacific Whale Foundation’s founder Greg Kaufman's fight to save humpback whales from extinction by educating the public about whales and their ocean habitat.
'AILA'AU: Forest Eater
8 min | Directed by Lance Page
A journey through the infamous 2018 eruption of Kilauea's lower east rift zone on the Big Island of Hawaii.
An Occurrence on Channel 38
15 min | Directed by Diq Diamond
After falling into enemy hands, military contractor Peyton Farquhar has his life transformed into a living hell.
'Aumakua Hawaiian Spiritual Guardians
25 | Directed by Kenneth K Martinez Burgmaier
Many families in Hawaii have their own spiritual guardians that have existed for generations and are rarely discussed.
Brown Bodies in a Far Sea
8 min | Directed by Joshua Co
After hearing about an incoming hurricane, a young girl makes preparations to defend her home.
Charity
12 min | Directed by Mitchel Viernes
A man wakes up to find an ominous stranger in his dining room and is faced with making an impossible decision
Cruciball
9 min | Directed by Dan McCoy
When a pot-bellied man joins a peculiar gym with a fondness for yoga balls, he is overwhelmed as the balls begin to invade every aspect of his life.
The Culinary Edge TV: the Poi-Popcalypse
14 min | Directed by Ellard Resignato
This experimental episode of the popular food show The Culinary Edge blurs reality with dystopian elements on the infamous morning of Saturday, January 13, 2018.
Daymare
34 min | Directed by William Guanzon
A group of high school seniors become targets of a masked psychopath in this tribute to the beloved slasher flicks of the 90s.
Dear Mother Nature
30 min | Directed by Tim Kressin
Wyn Wiley (he/him), aka Pattie Gonia (she/her), has made waves over the past year as an environmental advocate drag queen. We follow Wyn as he travels to Hawaii to see first-hand the impacts of careless consumption and plastics on Mother Nature.
Doors
3 min | Directed by Braininacat
Many doors will open with the latest from 3D abstract and surrealist animator Braininacat.
Down on the Sidewalk in Waikīkī
20 min | Directed by Justyn Ah Chong
Between growing frustrations toward cleaning up after tourists and reflections on a traumatizing memory, a voice rises from within a soft-spoken, Hawaiian janitor down on the sidewalk in Waikiki. This narrative short film is inspired by a collection of poetry published posthumously featuring the work of Kanaka Maoli poet Wayne Kaumualii Westlake (1947-84).
Dungeons & Drag Queens
18 min | Directed by Alexandra Livingston
Featuring the talents of Honolulu’s premier drag queens, we meet Rees and her faithful companions as they journey to reclaim the kingdom’s family jewels.
Extra
17 min | Directed by Deborah Glazier
Despite her talent and drive, actress Chelsea Harland constantly finds herself sidelined to extra roles due to her unremarkable looks.
Far Away
3 min | Directed by Chase Kauhane and Kelsi Kauhane
This song and video is about being separated from your 'ohana in a time of need.
Finding Balance
6 min | Directed by Polina Gorman
Born and raised in Honolulu, Robin deals with the daily impact of acoustic neuroma as it affects her personal relationships and her expectations of getting older.
Good Day Song
5 min | Directed by Dane Neves
An optimistic puppet guides you through a music video featuring 30 unique people in 30 unique places, sharing provocative quotes that have helped them through personal adversity.
The Good Father
10 min | Directed by Kyle Motonaga
Young Jake gains the strength to confront his single father, Frank, and free himself from the baggage of his home-life.
Hawaiian Soul
20 min | Directed by ʻĀina Paikai
Against the backdrop of the 1970s native rights movement, George Helm, a young Hawaiian activist and musician must gain the support of kūpuna (community elders) from Maui to aid in the fight of protecting the precious neighboring island of Kahoʻolawe from military bombing.
Heartbeat
4 min | Directed by Chase Kauhane
Set to a song about pursuing your dreams despite challenges, this music video takes us on a journey with brothers Chase and Carl Kauhane as they explore their home island in search of a fresh perspective.
Higher
14 min | Directed by Fairai Richmond
Higher tells the tale of seven people struggling with addiction on one day in Honolulu, and how chance plays a part in bringing their lives together.
Hōkio
10 min | Directed by Mitchel Viernes
A home-care nurse is in for a night of unexpected horrors when she fills in for a colleague's patient.
Howzit
3 min | Directed by Jordan Christopher
Artist Knowledge Iz, dishwasher at a Hilo restaurant, raps about his day-to-day life and what things are really like for a musician who works a 9-5 job.
Hurting Inside
12 min | Directed by Bruno Lemos
A young man who suffers from bipolar depression finds himself washed up on a deserted island after a failed attempt to take his own life.
ILLYINDÉ
3 min | Directed by Cory K. Riley
A dynamic, high energy music video from the album "Kuleana" by Thomas Iannucci.
In Search of Hawaiian Bigfoot: The Maui Skunk Ape
29 min | Directed by MarQ Morrison
Award-Winning, Micro-Documentary Filmmaker "MarQ" takes a look at the little known folklore of the Hawaiian Bigfoot.
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Interrogation Training
(Waikiki P.D.)
7 min | Directed by Jeff Orig
Officer Stan Oh uses non-traditional training techniques to teach the station dispatcher the latest interrogation methods in this episode of Honolulu's hilarious cult hit Waikiki P.D.
Kama'āina
15 min | Directed by Kimi Howl Lee
A queer sixteen-year-old girl, Mahina, resides in the predominantly Native Hawaiian neighborhood of Wai’anae, Oahu. After suffering abuse from her stepfather, Mahina must navigate life on the streets, until she eventually finds refuge at the Pu’uhonua o Wai’anae––Hawaiʻi’s largest organized homeless encampment.
Laurie Rubin
9 min | Directed by Justin Kimata
A short documentary depicting the life of renowned opera singer Laurie Rubin and her challenges of being born blind.
The Life Mask
4 min | Directed by Dominik Walczuk
A moment with maskmaker Kozmo Mimzi as he describes his first time experiencing the craft of the life mask.
Like Maddah
15min | Directed by Stacy Fukuhara-Barclay
A local Japanese mom returns home to Hawaii to her annoying family.
The Longing Fade
8 min | Directed by Kaveh Karden
A lonely woman longs to connect with a stranger who doesn't know she exists.
Mama's Bench
9 min | Directed by Jonathan Melikidse
Two lonely souls find each other at a park bench.
Mannequin
10 min | Directed by Clark Jacoby Davis
After one roommate brings home a mannequin as a joke, things quickly escalate from weird to scary.
Maybe
10 min | Directed by Kat Cole
After an unexpected encounter in Waikiki, a young girl explores her sexuality in secret, causing new rifts between her and her religious Filipino family.
Moloka'i Bound
9 min | Directed by Alika Maikau
A wayward young man recently released from prison struggles to reconnect with his son and Hawaiian heritage.
Mo'o!
17 min | Directed by Anela Ling
Two grieving cousins navigate O'ahu’s haunted terrain in search of life - before and after.
Other People
9 min | Directed by Bryson Chun
Hot guys. Hot dogs. Hot water. A break up film like no other.
Paradise Under Siege
3 min | Directed by Devon Foster
The rain forests of Hawaii are under fire. The people of the island are fighting back to save their home.
Parental Guidance Suggested
18 min | Directed by Dane Neves
Real parents seek advice from leaders in Hawai'i’s LGBTQI+ community on how to better understand their gay son. To keep their identities anonymous, the parents’ recording will be re-enacted with puppets.
The Pit Where We Were Born
12 min | Directed by Alexander Bocchieri
A father and son reunite around the family 'imu of their Wai'anae farm, to reckon with addiction, control, and a past that continues to color their future.
Potluck with Smooch: Lolo Lau Lau
32 min | Directed by Diq Diamond
After eating some bad 'shrooms and becoming separated from the ChronicCrew, Smooch searches for the jungle grow-camp where he spent his summers as a young man.
Rcycld.Bugs
3 min | Directed by Jordan Christopher
Rcycld.Bugs is an abstract nature short about the tiny world around us.
Reel Wāhine of Hawai‘i
Season 2
53 min | Directed by Vera Zambonelli, Shirley Thompson, Kimberlee Bassford, Taylour Chang, Robin Lung and Renea Veneri Stewart
Redressing gender inequity in the film industry, Reel Wāhine of Hawai‘i documents the real-life stories of Hawai‘i women filmmakers through a female gaze in six short portraits that reveal untold stories of local activists and artists who preserve Hawai‘i history and culture through film.
Reverence
18 min | Directed by Kelii Grace
In ancient Hawaiʻi, a warrior was entrusted with the sacred act of hiding his beloved chief’s bones. To ensure they would never be found, he traveled in secret.
River Street
10 min | Directed by Jana Park Moore
A beautiful ghost wanders the streets of Honolulu's Chinatown, searching for her true love.
Rubyanna Mahina
4 min | Directed by Rubyanna Mahina
Legally blind artist Rubyanna explores how she has been artistically freed, not hindered, by her disability.
Run
12 min | Directed by Fairai Richmond
A young actor struggles with self doubt on the day of an audition.
Sellout
17 min | Directed by Randall Galius Jr.
Two friends put too much of themselves into the screenplay they are writing.
Sequela
18 min | Directed by Nathaniel Lee Tracy
Completely unaware that she is just moments away from being murdered at the hands of her abusive boyfriend, Amy’s pair of ragtag guardian angels lock down their tried and true game plan only to discover circumstances have changed.
Standing Above the Clouds
16 min | Directed by Jalena Keane-Lee
This inter-generational story follows three sets of mothers and daughters indigenous to the Big Island of Hawaii at the forefront of the movement to protect their sacred mountain from an eighteen story, Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).
Swarm Season
85 min | Directed by Sarah J Christman
Ten year old Manu and her mother catch swarms of wild honeybees in order to breed disease resistant colonies as her father takes part in the native Hawaiian movement to protect the sacred Mauna Kea mountain from the construction of a massive telescope.
Teammates
12 min | Directed by Alexander Deedy
At tryouts for the track team at his new high school, a transfer student must decide if it's worth bullying another student to fit in.
Teeth
13 min | Directed by Aaron Schnobrich
In this intimate portrait of sex trafficking in the Aloha state, Hawaiian grandmother Angelica’s healing from sexual abuse as a child parallels the fixing of knocked out and rotten teeth.
This is the Way We Rise
12 min | Directed by Ciara Lacy
An intimate exploration into the creative process of slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio as her calling to protect Mauna Kea reinvigorates.
Three Reasons to Kiss
11 min | Directed by Ta'ltosh
A K-drama addict friend-zones her hopelessly-in-love roommate, only to realizes she loves him and must win him back when he goes out with another woman.
Tiger Monkey Jungle
3 min | Directed by Chad Thurman
Take a ride to the darkest, deepest part of the jungle, in your mind! Ride the beats and see the madness of Tiger Monkey Jungle.
Tokyo Hula
72 min | Directed by Lisette Flanary
Tokyo Hula explores the explosive popularity of the hula dance in Japan from both Native Hawaiian and Japanese perspectives.
Waikiki P.D.
75 min | Directed by Jeff Orig
Waikiki P.D. follows Officer Ha Ming’s inadvertent rise in the ranks from lowly dispatcher to “real” cop in Hawaii’s worst police department. When he stumbles upon a huge network of illegal smuggling, the officers of Waikiki P.D. must take down this group of Russian mobsters.
With the Tide
13 min | Directed by Mitchel Viernes
A young woman spends one final day with the man she loves, and reminisces on the events that brought their lives together.
Xiqu Goes West
12 min | Directed by Scott E. Schimmel
As western cultural expansion wreaks havoc on traditional Chinese arts, four Chinese opera masters travel to Hawaii to train a group of American students in their disappearing craft.
You Were Once Wild
3 min | Directed by Dom Walczuk
Explore the world of reflections within dance.