Island Soldier (HIFF 2017) (SAAFF 2018) - Documentary Review

The Documentary: Island Soldier

The Director: Nathan Fitch

The Story: The untold story of Micronesian citizens fighting America's wars. Through the personal odyssey of the Nenas, one family experiences the consequences of military service, as they represent a pristine Pacific island on the brink of economic collapse.

2017 Hawaii International Film Festival Recap

While I wasn't able to attend the 2017 Hawaii International Film Festival, I was able to check out a few of the films and what I saw was pretty darn good. The festival took place at several different venues and featured a very diverse schedule filled with feature films, short films, documentaries, and special events all of which were in some way connected to regions around the Pacific Rim.

Zan (HIFF 2017) - Documenatry Review

The Documentary: Zan

The Director: Rick Grehan

The Story: This film follows imageMILL’s Yu Kisami as he brings us on a journey of discovery, aided by NGO NACJS. We meet the people who are working tirelessly to protect this beautiful part of the world, a natural heritage for Japan.

Mon Mon Mon Monsters (報告老師! 怪怪怪怪物!) (HIFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Mon Mon Mon Monsters (報告老師! 怪怪怪怪物!)

The Director: Giddens Ko

The Cast: James Lai, Meng Tao, Yu-Kai Deng, Kent Tsai, Eugenie Liu

The Story: A man-eating monster hunts down a group of high school bullies who have captured and are torturing her little sister.

Lady Bird (HIFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Lady Bird

The Director: Greta Gerwig

The Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lois Smith, Odeya Rush

The Story: The adventures of a young woman living in Northern California for a year.

Bad Genius (ฉลาดเกมส์โกง) (HIFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Bad Genius (ฉลาดเกมส์โกง)

The Director: Nattawut Poonpiriya

The Cast: Thaneth Warakulnukroh, Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Chanon Santinatornkul, Teeradon Supapunpinyo, Eisaya Hosuwan

The Story: Inspired by actual events, a group of high school students hatch a plan to profit off of their brains by selling the answers to standardized exams.

Blue (HIFF 2017) - Documentary Review

The Documentary: Blue

The Director: Karina Holden

The Story: Blue is a provocative journey into the ocean realm, witnessing this critical moment in time when the marine world is on a precipice.

TwoOhSix Picks - 2017 Hawaii International Film Festival

Aloha! I am very excited to once again be providing press coverage for the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) which features a very unique perspective on film making while focusing on movies that come from all over the world with a heavy influence from the Asia/Pacific regions. After perusing this year's festival schedule, I have hand picked a selection of the films that I personally would not want to miss along with a few I have already seen and would highly recommend.

The Villainess (악녀) - Movie Review

The Movie: The Villainess (악녀)

The Director: Jung Byung-gil

The Cast: Kim Ok-bin, Sung, Joon, Shin Ha-kyun, Bang Sung-jun, Kim Seo-hyung

The Story: A woman assassin leaves a trail of bodies behind her as she seeks revenge.

A Taxi Driver (택시 운전사) (HIFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: A Taxi Driver (택시 운전사)

The Director: Jang Hoon

The Cast: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yoo Hae-jin, Ryu Jun-yeol, Park Hyeok-gwon

The Story: A taxi driver from Seoul, incidentally gets involved in a German journalist's reporting of the events of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, also called the Gwangju Uprising, in 1980.