HIFF Hooray!

The first Hawaii Film Festival offered seven films at the old Varsity Theater. The 30th features 214 films from 40 countries, says director Chuck Boller

Wednesday - October 13, 2010
By Chad Pata
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Chuck Boller confers with HIFF manager Josh Nye

time he was here, in 2005, just before he got really sick, he looked out the door of that theater and said, ‘You have made this into an incredible festival. It used to be a mom-and-pop kinda thing, and look at it now.’ And I asked him if he missed the old days when the aunties were in line giving out free mac salad. He said, ‘No, I don’t.’”

Despite losing his speaking voice, today’s era of interconnectivity and social media has given Ebert a voice for a whole new generation through Twitter. Using this method of communication resulted in Forbes magazine naming him the most powerful pundit in the country.

In addition, a group of Scottish computer programmers for CereProc analyzed Ebert’s voice from his multitude of recordings through the years and actually created a computer voice that sounds, while a bit robotic, much like Ebert once did, allowing him to once again speak to groups by typing his remarks into his laptop.

He will use this technology to have a conversation with the public Oct. 17 as well as to communicate during a signing of his new cookbook, The Pot and How to Use It.

It is a perfect book for locals as it analyzes different uses for the rice cooker. The irony isn’t lost on him, coming out with a cookbook despite the fact he can no longer eat and is nourished through an intravenous tube four times a day.

The Ebert favorite Leaves of Grass and the rest of the films will all be shown at six screens in the Dole Cannery cinemas, a consolidation of the festival that Boller believes adds to the atmosphere.

Upstairs from the screenings will be the HIFF Café, where moviegoers can get something more substantial than popcorn and hot dogs with catering from Aloha Salads and suds from sponsor Stella Artois.

Also in the ballrooms panel discussion will be held with attending directors for the public to discuss the film they just saw.

New this year is the Netflix approach to the festival guide, suggesting movies based on other films you may have seen and really narrowing down to categories of films, such as Eat Drink Film about food, and Surf Cinema about, well, surf.

The full guide is available online at hiff.org and comes with a search engine to make navigating more than 200 films much less daunting.

So get out and enjoy the films, no matter your interest, because soon enough the sign-wavers will be back out and it will be another year until you get this feast for the senses again.

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