Hawai'i International Film Festival (HIFF) presented by Halekulani is thrilled to announce that it has been approved by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards category.

Recipients of HIFF’s Best Short Film Award and HIFF’s Best Made in Hawai'i Short Film Award are now eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/Live Action Short Film category of the Academy AwardsⓇ.

"HIFF is a must attend'' (Entertainment Weekly), "the premiere American showcase for Asian cinema" (Hollywood Reporter) and "a launching pad for early films by younger directors" (Roger Ebert). Entering its fourth decade, HIFF is the festival of record for emerging works from the Pacific Rim, a destination of award winning films from major film festivals around the world, and an incubator for Hawai‘i-based and Native Hawaiian works that come from the vibrant and local creative industries.

Past honorees include Ann Hui, Quentin Tarantino, Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou, Koji Yakusho and Maggie Cheung, who all received lifetime achievement awards. Other guests include legendary Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, CHUNGKING EXPRESS), Oscar nominees Steven Yeun (MINARI, BURNING, THE WALKING DEAD), Taika Waititi (JOJO RABBIT, THOR: RAGNAROK), comedian and filmmaker Jemaine Clement (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS), renowned Korean director Park Chan-Wook (OLDBOY, THE HANDMAIDEN), Japanese actors Ken Watanabe (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, LAST SAMURAI), Koji Yakusho (PERFECT DAYS), Tadanobu Asano (SHOGUN, ICHI THE KILLER), anime master Satoshi Kon (PAPRIKA, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, PERFECT BLUE), Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm Dave Filoni, and American actress Elisabeth Moss (THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE HANDMAID'S TALE).

HIFF’s mission to enlighten, empower and entertain through the medium of film is paramount to being an integral part of Hawai'i’s arts and culture community. Aside from exhibiting films from around the world, the Festival serves as a creative hub for individuals interested in cinema culture, either as a casual fan or for career development. HIFF’s education initiatives include free school screenings and guest filmmaker visits for youth statewide, plus panels and seminars featuring in-depth discussions with renowned filmmakers and content creators, and workshops with industry professionals.

The 46th Annual Hawai'i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani will be held October 15-25, 2026 in person on O‘ahu, followed by neighbor island screenings on Kaua'i, Maui, Moloka’i, Lana’i and the Hawai'i Island. Screenings, events, Q&As, and talks, will take place in-person in Honolulu in theaters, with select talks and events streaming online across the United States. HIFF will mark the festival's 46th edition with a continued focus on contemporary Asian, Pacific, and North American cinema, films produced in Hawai'i, and outdoor screenings.

We encourage filmmakers to submit works from any genre. We are especially interested in feature films, documentaries, short films, series, Hawai'i-themed films, films by foreign-born filmmakers, and films by indigenous Pacific filmmakers.

Along with HIFF’s robust international shorts programming, Made In Hawai’i and Pacific Islander Showcase content, we also often curate programs of horror shorts, environmental shorts, Indigenous Shorts and Asian American Shorts.