Hawaii International Film Festival Spring Showcase 2009

The epic manga series 20TH CENTURY BOYS comes to life! Recollections of youth make the burdens of adulthood easier for Kenji, until they come back to haunt him. A plague of bizarre and dangerous events begin, and the source of these occurrences point to a comic book he and his friends created long ago and a mysterious masked man known only as Friend. Vague childhood memories hold the key to the puzzle, and Kenji must reunite with his friends to save the world. An international hit that has thrilled audiences, this mind blowing mystery that spans the decades begins here!!

The year is now 2015, and Friend has become an ally to the world. Kenji's niece, Kanna (who holds the same rebellious spirit as her uncle) continues the fight against Friend. Yukiji watches over Kanna, but is finding it increasingly difficult to keep her safe. Things go from bad to worse however, when Yukiji and the others discover The New Book of Prophecy. In it resides plans that function as the continuation of events depicted in the original Book of Prophecy. As all the major players head toward one final confrontation, only one thing remains truly uncertain: Where is Kenji?

In Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, wealthy farmers own huge plantations and spend their nights with tourists who come bird watching. Meanwhile, at the borders of their lands, the uneasiness of the natives, who were the original inhabitants, is rapidly growing. Enclosed in reserves, working as semi-slaves in sugar beet plantations, many young people commit suicide. A rebellion soon emerges as a group of native Guarani-Kaiowà starts camping outside one of the properties in protest. The two opposing worlds face each other. Although anger simmers, both sides are also fascinated and curious about "the other"- a curiosity that will create a deep bond between a young shaman apprentice and a farmer's daughter.

Armed with pocket-sized video cameras, a tenacious band of Burmese reporters face down death to expose the repressive regime controlling their country. In 2007, after decades of self-imposed silence, Burma became headline news across the globe when peaceful Buddhist monks led a massive rebellion. More than 100,000 people took to the streets protesting a cruel dictatorship that has held the country hostage for more than 40 years. Foreign news crews were banned, the Internet was shut down, and Burma was closed to the outside world. So how did we witness these events? Enter the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), aka the Burma VJs. Compiled from the shaky handheld footage of the DVB, acclaimed filmmaker Anders Ostergaard's BURMA VJ pulls us into the heat of the moment as the VJs themselves become the target of the Burmese government.

The first of a planned four features, part one retells roughly the first six episodes of NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, including Shinji Ikari's reunion with his estranged father, Gendo Ikari, and Shinji's introduction to EVA-01, the giant robot he's destined to pilot. Key characters Misato Katsuragi and Rei Ayanami are introduced, and viewers are given their first taste of the series' famously deep storyline, which mixes science fiction, war, psychology, theology, and existentialism into a single compelling work.

FOOD INC. asks us how much do we really know about the food we buy at our local supermarkets? We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli--the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. FOOD INC. reveals surprising -- and often shocking truths -- about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Hailed as the highest grossing (Hindi) film of all time, India’s blockbuster hit, GHAJINI, finally makes its Hawaii debut. Starring the absolutely ripped Amir Khan (who trained for a year to get those awesome eight-pack abs and bulging biceps) as Sanjay, a man afflicted with short-term memory determined on avenging the death of his girlfriend. If the plot sounds familiar it is because it is taken from Christopher Nolan’s film MEMENTO (HIFF 2000), but director A.R. Murugados manages to add his own spin on this tale to keep audiences who have seen the original still sitting at the edge of their seats.

FILM CANCELLED - We unfortunately had to cancel our 2 screenings of GOMORRAH, as the distribution company won't give the film to us after all. We're looking for a replacement for the two showtimes that GOMORRAH occupied.

Overcome with grief when her beloved cat passes on, Asako, a manga artist, finds that she can no longer concentrate on her latest project. Her assistants try their utmost to cheer her up but are ineffective, until a kitten named Gu-gu comes into their lives. With the help of Gu-gu and her assistants, Asako begins once again to appreciate the simple joys of life and continue her work. GU-GU THE CAT is a heartwarming crowd pleaser especially made for those who understand the inspiration, comfort, strength and love pets give unconditionally.