The premier cinematic event of the Pacific, the 44th Annual Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF) Fall Festival will feature an exciting slate of screenings to showcase feature and short film premieres from around the world with a special focus on Asia, the Pacific, and made-in-Hawaiʻi productions.

HIFF is a desired destination for local and visiting industry professionals, emerging artists, and film enthusiasts. Enjoy screenings of all the best festival films at Kahilu along with filmmaker Q&As for select programs.

STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

(2024, USA, 82 minutes)

Director: Jalena Keane-Lee

Producers: Amber Espinosa-Jones, Jalena Keane-Lee, Erin Lau

STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS follows the largest political movement in modern Hawaiian history, and the indigenous women leaders who have successfully sustained it since 2010. At the center of the global movement are Pua Case and her two daughters Hāwane Rios and Kapulei Flores. They are joined by Mehana Kihoi and Leina’ala Sleightholm who have changed their families’ lives by joining the movement. All three families have put their bodies on the line, faced arrest standing off with police, and testified as key petitioners suing the State of Hawaiʻi to prevent the building of the world's largest telescope on their sacred mountain. Through the lens of mothers and daughters, our film explores intergenerational healing and the social and emotional labor of retaining ancient ceremonies in a rapidly modernizing world. With the fate of the telescope still to be decided, the film shows that victory is in the perseverance of a movement and the intergenerational healing found in this sisterhood.

Mahalo to our Film sponsors for the 2024/25 Season: Marsha & Tom Kerley, Mimi & Brian Kerley, Lex & Ebby Pinson, and John C. Ryan