Hawai’i International Film Festival Audience Award Winners

Audience Award winners were announced Tuesday for the 34^th edition of the Hawai’i International Film Festival.

The winners are a result of audience votes on favorite narrative feature, documentary feature, and short film on ballots handed out at each screening.

“What We Do in the Shadows,” directed by Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clements, won the audience award for Best Narrative Feature. Taking the audience on a first-hand viewing into the living quarters of vampires, the documentary style film unearths a secret, supernatural society where friendship and camaraderie are just as important as feasting upon the flesh of mortals.

The film “Rise of the Wahine”, directed by Dean Kaneshiro won the audience award for Best Documentary Feature. Set in the 1970’s, “Rise of the Wahine” is centered on a small band of minority pioneers from Hawai’i who battle through racial and gender barriers, both locally and nationally, socially and legally, that wouldn’t allow girls to play sports.

“Rise of the Wahine” will play during encore screenings of the Hawai’i International Film Festival at the Palace Theater in Downtown Hilo on Nov. 16 at 4:30 p.m.

“Lava,” the audience award winner for Best Short Film, is Pixar’s latest musical love story, which pays homage to the beautiful tropical islands and ocean volcanoes. Directed by James Ford Murphy, the film follows the million-year love affair between two volcanoes. The film features voice acting and music by local talents Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig.

“Lava” will also be shown during the encore screenings of HIFF movies. The seven minute short film will be shown at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Palace Theater following the viewing of “The Vancouver Asahi.”

The HIFF was established in 1981 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of cultural exchange and media awareness in the Pacific Rim. It has since become a premier international film event that has won the praise of governments, filmmakers, scholars, educators, programmers and film industry leaders across the globe.

Tickets for the encore showings of “Rise of the Wahine” and “Lava,” among other HIFF movies, will play Nov. 12 through Nov. 16 and can be purchased at the Palace Theater box office.