Cold Tea Collective is proud to be a community media partner of the 45th Annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival, taking place this fall in Honolulu and across the Hawaiian Islands.
With a rich program of global cinema, local storytelling, and Indigenous perspectives, HIFF45 offers a cinematic experience unlike any other that invites audiences to see Hawai‘i and the Pacific not as exotic backdrops, but as dynamic, lived-in homelands full of complexity, history, and resilience.
To help spotlight these powerful stories, we spoke with HIFF Artistic Director Anderson Le about this year’s most anticipated films and the deeper themes shaping this year’s programming.
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The 45th annual HIFF centers truth, resilience, and environmental justice
Based in Los Angeles and Honolulu, Anderson Le diligently works in the global promotion of independent and world cinema as Artistic Director for the Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF), now in its 45th year.
“This year’s Hawai‘i International Film Festival highlights stories of resilience and cultural truth,” shares Le.
From local shorts to global premieres, HIFF45 challenges American imperialism and uplifts Native Hawaiian voices, the Māhū experience, and coming-of-age narratives rooted in lived realities, not tourist fantasies.
“Films confront sustainability, climate change, and environmental justice, with urgent reflections on the Lāhainā wildfires and the Mākua Valley struggle against military occupation.”
It’s a powerful cross-section of films that are both politically charged and deeply human, set against the vibrant backdrop of Hawai‘i’s multicultural community.
Eight must-watch films at 45th Annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Here are a few handpicked selections that speak to this year’s powerful themes of restoration, cultural identity, and truth-telling:
Lāhainā Rising (World Premiere, U.S.)
A minute-to-minute account of the August 2023 wildfires that devastated Lāhainā, told by the community members who lived through it. This film doesn’t just document disaster; it confronts systemic injustice and uplifts the voices of those rebuilding from the ashes.
MĀLAMA MĀKUA (World Premiere, Hawai‘i)
This short documentary centers on the decades-long movement to return sacred Mākua Valley to Native stewardship. A powerful call for peace, environmental justice, and ancestral restoration.
Before the Moon Falls (U.S. Premiere)
Filmed over eight years, this intimate portrait of acclaimed Samoan writer Sia Figiel takes an unexpected turn when a tragic incident upends the narrative. A moving exploration of mental health, cultural stigma, and artistic legacy.
NĀ WĀHINE BUDA KIAKAHI: The Legacy of Hawaiian Buddhist Women (World Premiere, Hawai‘i)
A rarely told story of Native Hawaiian women who helped preserve and practice Buddhism in the islands. This film reclaims a spiritual legacy that blends Indigenous and diasporic histories.
A Paradise Lost (Hidden Gem Alert, Hawai‘i)
Told from the perspective of a small yellow bird, this poetic animated short explores extinction, nature, and Native storytelling. Le calls it “inventive and fun, as well as eloquent and meticulously put together.”
“Hawai’i is a very multicultural and multiethnic place… and these [additional] films, which, while not necessarily about Native Hawaiians, are reflective of local culture,” shares Malia Ogawa, Cold Tea Collective editor. With ancestral roots from and family residing on Hawaiian lands in the present day, she recognizes the importance of celebrating the diversity of its people.
“Māori and Hawaiians are connected, as we both trace our roots back to Polynesia,” she shares about her selection, KŌKĀ.
KŌKĀ (US Premiere, New Zealand / Aotearoa)
Part road movie, part spiritual journey, KŌKĀ follows Māori elder Hamo and local delinquent Jo as they form an unlikely bond on a trip across the North Island in a beat-up Ford Falcon. As their stories unfold, so too does a powerful narrative of reconciliation, healing, and intergenerational trauma. Directed by Kath Akuhata-Brown, this debut feature beautifully explores grief, community, and the complex legacy of colonialism through a uniquely Pasifika lens.
REMATHAU: People of the Ocean (World Premiere, Micronesia / U.S.)
This documentary follows Nicole Yamase, the first Micronesian and Indigenous person to dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest point in the ocean. Her groundbreaking dive becomes a vessel for exploring the broader legacy of Micronesian navigation, identity, and resilience. Spanning generations and oceans, REMATHAU is an intimate portrait of one woman’s journey, and a collective call to uplift Pacific Islander stories too often left in the margins.
Editor’s Note: “There is a history of deep discrimination and bias surrounding Micronesians in contemporary Hawai’i. I hope those who watch this film can learn more about this community through a different lens.”
The Price of Paradise (World Premiere, U.S.)
At 55, Lindamae discovers the truth about her birth and identity. Born on Moloka‘i’s Kalaupapa peninsula, where people with Hansen’s Disease were forcibly isolated, she was one of the children taken from their mothers at birth and placed for adoption. Together with her newly found family, Lindamae embarks on a journey to uncover the legacy of separation, stigma, and state-sanctioned erasure. This powerful documentary shines a light on a little-known chapter of Hawaiian history, exploring the generational cost of colonization, cultural displacement, and the search for truth.
Beyond the screen: Panels, collaboration, and community at HIFF
The Hawai‘i International Film Festival is more than just screenings; it’s a launchpad for deeper dialogue, networking, and creative exchange.
The HIFILM Industry Conference (October 24–26) includes panels, workshops, and keynotes. Topics range from narrative sovereignty and co-production across Asia to building equity in global filmmaking.
The conference is designed to deepen audience engagement, support local and international industry growth, and foster dialogue between filmmakers across the Asia-Pacific diaspora and Hawai‘i.
One highlight is the panel on Apple TV+’s Chief of War, which showcases how cultural collaboration with Native Hawaiian advisors can bring Indigenous history to life, while employing Pacific Islander creatives on and off screen.
Representation in action: Building bridges through inclusive storytelling
“It is essential to have partners like Cold Tea Collective to help amplify these stories to broader Asian and diaspora audiences,” says Le.
“By highlighting both international and local narratives, Cold Tea Collective helps ensure that Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and wider Asian voices resonate with communities across North America and beyond.”
At its heart, the Hawai‘i International Film Festival is more than just a film showcase; it’s a space for community, cultural connection, and storytelling that reflects the richness and resilience of the Asia-Pacific.
Representation is not only about who’s visible on screen, it’s also about creating space for inclusion, bridging identities, and collaborating across cultures to tell the stories that have long been missing.
From Native Hawaiian filmmakers to emerging voices across the Asian diaspora, HIFF demonstrates how inclusive storytelling can spark meaningful dialogue, reimagine cultural narratives, and bring historically excluded perspectives into the spotlight.
We’re honored to help extend the reach of these stories because representation, when done right, doesn’t just reflect who we are. It shapes what’s possible.
Learn more about the Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Founded in 1981, HIFF is one of the premier international film festivals in the Pacific, bridging East and West through storytelling. HIFF continues that mission, spotlighting local, Indigenous, and global voices that reimagine what cinema can do.
Whether you’re on the islands or tuning in from afar, HIFF is your chance to engage with films that challenge, inspire, and connect us all.
The festival runs from October 16 to October 26, 2025. View the full program and get tickets at hiff.org.
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