2008 Hawaii International Film Festival

The 28th Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) took place from October 9 to October 19, 2008. The festival, held annually in Hawaii, showcased a diverse array of international cinema with a strong emphasis on films from the Asia-Pacific region.

Awards and Recognition

The festival presented several accolades to recognize excellence in filmmaking. The Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for Best Feature was awarded to Cape No. 7, directed by Te-Sheng Wei from Taiwan. The Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for Documentary went to Noho Hewa: The Wrongful Occupation of Hawaii, directed by Anne Keala Kelly.

Other notable honors included:

Maverick Award: Ji-woon Kim
Achievement in Acting: Woo-sung Jung
NETPAC Award: Brutus (Philippines), directed by Tara Illenberger
Best Short Film: Coffee and Allah (New Zealand), directed by Sima Urale

Featured Cinema

The 2008 edition featured an extensive lineup of East Asian feature films. The selection included works from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Notable screenings included Johnnie To's Sparrow (Hong Kong), Yojiro Takita's Departures (Japan), and Hong-jin Na's The Chaser (South Korea). The festival also highlighted retrospectives and contemporary works, such as the Tora-san series directed by Yoji Yamada.