It's that time of year again - The Hawaii International Film Festival.
It kicks off tonight with the Korean film, "The Divine Weapon."

Literally dozens of films will be showcased between now and october 19th in action, drama, documentary and short films. On hand for a press conference to launch the festival, Bruce Davis of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences - the oscar people.


From the Motion Picture Academy, Bruce Davis says, "We have programs like an academy awards program for college filmmakers from around the country and around the world. and we do lots of helping."

A notable feature of this year's festival - a number of the top films will be brought, along with the filmmakers, to new york for public screenings. The Vilcek foundation is sponsoring the trip. The Vilcek foundation was created by Czech immigrants.


"And both built successful careers in new york and the foundation is simply their way of giving back. We make a lot of grants in the arts and in the sciences and we also bestow prizes on individual artists who've made a big contribution," says Rick Kinsel of the Vilcek Foundation.

Over the 28 years of its existence, The Hawaii International Film Festival has built a solid reputation in the industry. Along with the presentation of top studio and independent films, the festival also features seminars for and by filmmakers. And those attract film heavyweights.

"They're always looking for aspects of a festival that are a little unusual and frankly that seem thoughtfully designed a presented so we kind of endorsed the concept rather than the particular content," says Davis.


For many, the attraction of the festival lies in the cultural exchange that takes place.


"I think there's a significant attention to indigenous cultures which, at least for Maori and New Zealand, that's something that we appreciate," says Cliff Curtis of New Zealand...who is also an actor and producer.