Film festival enters a new realm

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Edward Burns and Dustin Hoffman star in "Confidence," being shown tonight at HIFF's Spring Film Festival. Burns plays a con man whose latest scam puts him at odds with the mob. The R-rated film is scheduled for wider release April 25.

With only 17 titles, the weeklong Spring Film Festival, opening tonight at the Signature Dole Cannery Theatres, boasts films from the usual Asia and Pacific sources and North America, and for the first time, Europe. This makes for easily managed film-going, according to the organizers.

"The spring festival is more experimental (than the fall)," said Chuck Boller, executive director of the sponsoring Hawai'i International Film Festival organization. "And we don't compete with ourselves; that is to say, anyone attending can see every single film. There's no overlapping."

Because of fewer titles and conflict-free scheduling, those attending can conceivably see everything on the menu. A few films repeat, too, so if you miss the first go-round, you can play catch-up.

It's also a few-frills event. No visiting stars. No director resource in attendance. No fancy parties to rub elbows and ogle.

While still maintaining its mission "to promote and advance cultural understanding among the people of the East and West through film," HIFF this year has gone Eurocentric a skosh — tapping titles from Britain, Iceland, Spain and France, said Boller.

Yes, France, despite boycotts and condemnations of all things Gallic in some quarters.

"It just so happens that some great films this year come from Europe," said Boller. Including a trilogy of French films which, at deadline, had not been redubbed "freedom films."

Independent films from the United States, Canada, Thailand and Australia also are part of the mix.

"The commitment still is to Asia-Pacific and North America," said Boller. "But through these other films, we can expand on our theme mission to promote cultural understanding of peoples from other culture."

With the war in Iraq, Boller said, he would have been happy if he and Anderson Le, who books the films, could have located an Iraqi title. "I've never seen one (film) offered, ever," he said of the network of international films.

There isn't a war feature among the mix either, for good or for worse.

Boller is optimistic that the turmoil in Iraq won't affect attendance. He said the 9/11 attacks didn't wreak havoc on HIFF. "Our attendance keeps going up," he said. "Perhaps people need to escape (from the TV reports or newspaper accounts of unrest) with movies."

Boller said the the Art House indie theaters at Restaurant Row have encouraged interest in big little films, consequently aiding the growth of the HIFF series.

"I really think we enhance each other; unless Don Brown is after something we've booked, there's no competition but a healthy relationship," said Boller. "We go after films before they land a distributor; as far as I know, Don gets his stuff from distributors because of his commercial run."

Boller said a movie-goer who's a novice at indie product likely will become a fan after seeing a great film, citing "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" as the prime example of a catalyst. "You go to the Art House and see it and return to see something else."

HIFF Spring Film Festival

WHEN AND WHERE

Today through Thursday

Dole Signature Theatres

$8 general, $6 for festival 'Ohana members, seniors, students and military

528-3456, ext. 18; www.hiff.org

Box office hours: noon-9 p.m. today through Sunday; 5-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday the films

• Today: "Bend It Like Beckam," 6:30 p.m.; "Confidence," 9 p.m.
• Saturday: "La Trilogie I," noon; "La Trilogie II," 3 p.m.; "The Tracker," 6:30 p.m.; "The Eye," 9 p.m.
• Sunday: "A Decade Under the Influence," noon; "La Trilogie III," 3 p.m.; "Bollywood/Hollywood," 6:30 p.m.; "The Tracker," 9 p.m.
• Monday: "Monday Morning," 6:30 p.m.; "Poolhall Junkies," 9 p.m.
• Tuesday: "The Sea," 6:30 p.m.; "Dirty Deeds," 9 p.m.
• Wednesday: "Love for All Seasons," 6:30 p.m.; "Monday Morning," 9 p.m.
• Thursday: "Champion," 6:30 p.m.; "Mondays in the Sun," 9 p.m.

COMING UP

Hawai'i International Film Festival Fall Festival

• O'ahu: Oct. 30 (a new Thursday opening night) through Nov. 9.
• Neighbor Islands: Nov. 7-9.

SPRING ROLL

Chuck Boller, executive director of the Hawai'i International Film Festival, says if you can see only three movies in the Spring Film Festival, they ought to be:

• "Bend It Like Beckham," showing at 6:30 tonight.
• "Confidence," at 9 tonight.
• "The Tracker," at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday.

Why?

• "Each film appeals to a broad cross-section," he said.
• " 'Beckham' (from Britain) is about the soccer star, a wonderful story and film.
• " 'Confidence' (America) has stars like Dustin Hoffman and Ed Burns and a good buzz.
• " 'The Tracker' (Australia) has racial issues, about Australia in 1922, that audiences can relate to."