Louis Vuitton Hawaii International FIlm Festival 2008

There will be a seminar after this film is shown: THE EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY ON MODERN CHINA. Documentary and fiction are sometimes uneasy bedfellows, but having made both back-to-back in many of his film projects (most recently, STILL LIFE and DONG), filmmaker Jia Zhangke finally marries the two media in 24 CITY. In his chronicle of the changing fortunes of a defunct but once glorious aeronautic factory and its workers through talking heads and wordless images exclusively, the documentary strain prevails to simple, yet emotionally reverberating effect. 24 CITY balances the human cost of change with a self-renewing future as witnessed by the re-development project on the demolished factory site. It's pure clarity and pristine cinematography will appeal to a more serious and aesthetically inclined audience. --Maggie Lee

5 YEN COIN – Hisashi, a Japanese gambling addict, decides to escape to Hawaii to start anew. However, can he start fresh with a new girlfriend and his re-emerging gambling addiction? Director: Yayoi Ikezaki, USA, 2008, 12 min. BETTER CITY, BETTER LIFE – A compilation of 3 "short" shorts that were shot on location in Shanghai this past June by ACM and SHU students. Director(s): 'Bamboo Pole': Ark Mu, 'With Me': Robert Omura, 'Birthday Gift': Zhou Wei, China/USA, 2008, 13 min. BLOOD COLONY - When Kalia rebels against her father by sneaking out for a night-surf outing with a guy she just met, she realizes she should've heeded her father's advice as she exposes herself to a bloodlust encounter. Director: Jacob Holcomb, USA, 2008, 20 min. FRESH LENSES – A documentary chronicling the SMART Xchange between SHU and ACM students, from initial student film showcases at both Shanghai and Hawaii Film Fests, and the eventual collaboration on a film project in Hawaii. Director: Crystal Chen, USA, 2008, 11 min. THE HOLLOW – A short nightmare inspired by the imagery of T.S. Eliot's classic poem "The Hollow Men." Director: Dana Ledoux Miller, USA, 2008, 3 min. IT HAPPENED ONE AFTERNOON – The first of the SMART Xchange film projects, comes a sweet story of a smitten Chinese exchange student as he eagerly attempts to ask out the snack counter girl before the semester ends. Director: Russell Blanchard, USA, 2008, 8 min. JUST LIKE THAT – A self-exploration of the filmmaker's cultural and ethnic identity and how it is affected by living in the U.S. during a post-9/11 world. Director: Nasser Marghalani, USA, 2007, 10 min. RAIN – May, a young girl attending her mother's funeral, copes with her death by asking her reluctant relatives' questions, and eventually, finds the truth in her own, personal way. Director: Thomas Tai Takemoto-Chock, USA, 2008, 15 min. RED DIRT – 10-year old Kaipo has a secret - he's homeless. He hides this secret from his new friends Noa and Manu, until one day, they find out the truth. Director: Monet Sadural, USA, 2008, 8 min. YAMANOTE LINE – Tommy, a "local boy" from Hawaii, and Mike, a Texan, separately ride the busiest subway route in Tokyo, the Yamanote Line, in search of someone. Director: Ark Mu, USA, 2008, 15 min.

A compilation of 3 "short" shorts that were shot on location in Shanghai this past June by ACM and SHU students.

The narrative of CHERRIES revolves around the eponymous main character, a mentally handicapped woman married to a lame farmer in Yunnan in the early 1980s. Cherry longs to have a child, and when she stumbles upon an abandoned baby girl one night her dream seems to have come true. Her husband, however, is not so enthralled and quickly finds himself locked out of Cherry's affections. This beautifully shot film effectively draws viewers into a haunting, emotionally complex story from a side of Chinese life most of us only ever glimpse through a passing bus window. -- Dan Edwards

The film explores the life and ideals of a new generation of Chinese, focusing on the beliefs, work and family of a number of China's successful independent Hip Hop artists. The group, spread across China, believe in Old School values; self-expression, freedom and truth to one-self. The film further investigates the dynamic between the inflexible political environment and a modernizing ancient culture, the issues that are affecting Chinese youth such as Chinese-ness, geography, freedom, family, information, consumerism, wealth and individuality.

The name of the film is taken from reformist politician Deng Xiaoping's principle that it doesn't matter if a cat is black or white -- as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat. The ends justifying the means mentality paints a picture of modern-day China tainted by a money-hungry rat race. GOOD CATS follow the irresponsible life of the main protagonist; a chauffeur for the head of a real-estate agency, while showing the changes that rapid urbanization has brought to Sichuan. In the director's vision, human existence is dominated by impalpable paradoxes, and day-to-day life is permeated with surreal events playing out on the border between reality, absurdity and hallucination.

Dr. Chang You Li is respected and renowned for his research and treatment of skin diseases, but during the She Huo festival he is also known for his elaborate Xin Zi floats. Although he has a large family, Dr. Li prefers to live a life of quiet and solitude, but when he is asked to create and display 21 Xin Zi floats, he enlists the help of his large family. Dr. Li's insistence on creating floats identical to his design put a strain on his family already overwhelmed by the huge task. By watching the family create elaborate floats and costumes, we are not only given a better understanding of Chinese history and culture, but a reason for Dr. Li's insistence on perfection.

Prince Lhamoklodan learns of his father’s mysterious death and returns home to find his uncle has taken the throne--and the widowed queen. The dead emperor's son wants revenge, but how can he exact it without devastating his mother? In the struggle to face his destiny and fight his demons, a new king is born. Set in ancient Tibet, THE PRINCE OF THE HIMALAYAS is a visually ravishing historical epic with stunning scenery, rich color, and lush costuming. Setting Shakespeare's Hamlet in a completely new context is richly suggestive of the play's enduring relevance for the modern world. As the proto-typical tale of oedipal anxiety, or of the terrifying possibilities of taking action in the social world, this film re-invents and refreshes a story we thought we knew.

Set against the social turmoil of China’s Cultural Revolution, SAILFISH is the story of 12-year-old champion swimmer Yue Haiyang. His father, a kindhearted intellectual, always encouraged the young boy's dream of becoming China's greatest swimmer. However, his dreams are abruptly shattered when his father is killed, his house is confiscated and he and his mother are forced into the countryside for reeducation. Six years later, with the help of his childhood friend, Gao Ming, and the love of his life, Bai Ling, he is able to rejoin the swimming team. Does he still have what it takes to win? In a quest to fulfill a lifelong dream, friendship and loyalty are tested as the three friends wade through the waters of personal struggle and political unrest.