As part of the 125th Anniversary celebrations, the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) and HUOA are presenting a Film Spotlight on Okinawa at the upcoming film festival with THREE films set in Okinawa. All three films will be making their international premiere at HIFF!

The 45th HIFF runs from October 15-26 (Honolulu), October 27-30 (West Oahu), November 1-2 (Kauai), November 7-9 (Big Island, Waimea), November 8-9 (Maui), November 13-16 (Big Island, Hilo), and November 14-16 (Molokai). Tickets will go on sale on Monday, September 22nd at hiff.org.

ARMY ON THE TREE Directed by Kazuhiro Taira. 10/18 and 10/23
Director Kazuhiro Taira (MIRACLE CITY KOZA, HIFF42, and also co-director of STEP OUT) opens up Inoue’s intimate play with a half-hour prologue, visceral combat scenes, and immersive camerawork shot entirely on location in Okinawa. The result is a powerful meditation on survival, shifting loyalties, and the human cost of war—capturing the gradual physical and emotional transformation of two men suspended between life, death, and the haunting memory of battle.

STEP OUT Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi and Kazuhiro Taira. 10/19 and 10/20
In Okinawa, teenager Teruya Yō lives with his cheerful single mother Akane and younger sister Mai. After falling for a dance student named Lisa, Yō discovers a passion for dancing, supported by his mother’s encouragement.
When a music producer uncle reveals his father has died, Yō confronts buried emotions and auditions for a chance to leave. Does he decide to pursue his dancing dreams in the Big Smoke of Tokyo, or will he decide to stay to be with family and friends in his island home? The latest film from Kazuhiro Taira (MIRACLE CITY KOZA, HIFF 2022).

HERO’S ISLAND Directed by Keishi Otomo. 10/18 and 10/29
Based on the bestselling novel, this epic film follows three friends in 1952 Okinawa who steal from U.S. bases until their leader vanishes, driving them to become a detective, teacher, and yakuza while chasing his legacy.
From the director of RUROUNI KENSHIN.

Note: HIFF offers discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are $12 per person (vs. $17). If a group wants to attend, the HIFF Box Office team can prepare an invoice and send all the tickets to one email.