Hawaii International Film Festival Spring Showcase 2008

The beautifully drawn anime, SKY CRAWLERS, is a futuristic tale where countries settle their differences with one another through battles in the air rather than participating in full-scale war. The pilots are called "Kildren," and have been genetically altered to never age. Top-notch Japanese fighter pilot Yuichi Kannami has just been assigned to a new air base. He has only vague memories of his past, and knows only how to fly and fight. However, when he meets Suito Kusanagi, the beautiful girl in command at the base, a disturbing new awareness of the meaninglessness of his life starts creeping into his timeless soul. - TIFF

When their mother decides to search for her estranged husband, seven year-old Jin and younger sister Bin are left in the care of Big Aunt. Jin and Bin cling to the promise of their mother's return, but as time goes on, no news is heard, the two sisters must find ways to cope with being shuffled from one relative to another, adapt to their new environment, and deal with feelings of abandonment. Drawing critical acclaim in the festival circuit, TREELESS MOUNTAIN is a heartbreaking tale told through the eyes of a little girl forced to grow up too soon.