Louis Vuitton Hawaii International FIlm Festival 2008

Len is a young, autistic girl who has lightening fast reflexes and razor-sharp fighting skills. She lives a quiet life with her mom, and finds comfort in M&Ms and martial art films (which she mimics with frightening accuracy). When her mother is diagnosed with cancer, Len stumbles upon a list of people that owe her mother money. She realizes the only way to cover the cancer treatments is to recover mom's money and decides to track down every lowlife on the list. Len's condition, however, makes it difficult for these thugs to take her seriously. Eventually, however, each comes to realize that Len's hidden talent isn't counting spilled toothpicks; no, this girl is a fierce martial artist. Soon, the word on the street is: If Len knocks, you better have her money or you're time is up ... CHOCOLATE is a fearless, fun and a genre-bending action film that will leave you speechless! Not to be missed!

Jiro (Keisuke Koide) is a lonesome college student. He's spending his 20th birthday alone, when suddenly, a beautiful girl (Haruka Ayase) appears and takes a liking to him. The few hours that he spends with her are the most incredible moments of his life and Jiro is lovestruck. But his happiness does not last long since she disappears from his life at the end of this magical night. A year later on his 21st birthday, Jiro runs into her again. She looks the same, but is somewhat different. He soon discovers she is a cyborg from the future, sent back on an important mission that may destroy the world. Kwak Jae-Young (MY SASSY GIRL) does the strong girl protecting meek boy story very well. Think TRAIN MAN, but this time, the girlfriend is a cyborg from the future who looks like Rei from EVANGELION. Throw in influences from Spielberg's oeuvre, from A.I. to the BACK TO THE FUTURE movies; to an otaku, what's not to love about this film? -- Anderson Le

This is the first of a series of films co-produced by Columbia Music Entertainment and the Toei Film Studio of Kyoto. Matsudaira Desunoshin is a ronin who has a crush on Omitsu, a young girl working at an eating-place called "Otafuku." With his detective friend, Heihachi, he frequents the diner but Omitsu remains totally unaware of his feelings; first, because he is shy - despite his wild looks - and second, because of a language barrier. But Desunoshin has an alternate identity... he is a heavy metal guitarist.

Every day, the Police Force receives 185 phone calls. 180 of them are about burglaries, murders, rapes and kidnappings. The remaining 5 begin with: "There is something strange in my house, can you please send someone over to take a look?" For rookie Sergeant Lee, being a cop means running down crooks and upholding the law. Injured in a shoot-out, he finds out to his horror that he is reassigned to the dubious-sounding Miscellaneous Affairs Department (MAD). There, he is paired up with Inspector Wong, a jaded and alcoholic veteran who explains that MAD's role is to answer supernatural calls. Wong explains MAD's rule number one - there are no ghosts. For every seemingly inexplicable phenomenon, there is a corresponding scientific and rational explanation. MAD begins investigating a string of bizarre teenage suicides - impossible suicides -- unless the victims were possessed. As Lee and Wong follow the clues, they realize something sinister is heading their way.

If you thought THE MACHINE GIRL (HIFF Spring Showcase 2008) was totally bonkers, you have to see this! Fans of Japanese splatter and body horror movies will worship the blood-spurting violence, the inconceivable depravity and the sexual weirdness of TOKYO GORE POLICE. Eihi Shiina, internationally known for her starring role in Takashi Miike's AUDITION, plays Ruka, a beautiful and beguiling police officer bent on exterminating a horde of mutants, genetically engineered by a mad scientist known only as "The Key Man." Watch Ruka cut a bloody swath through a freaky crew of monsters and misfits. Factor in a few gimp masks, kogal sailor suits, and a bevy of hot mutant babes, and things are bound to get weird fast. TOKYO GORE POLICE is one of the goriest, craziest and whacked-out films to ever come out of Japan! -- Jason Soeda