HIFF’s New American Perspectives celebrates immigrant voices through film
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Hawaii International Film Festival is celebrating immigrant filmmakers and the personal experiences shaping their stories.
Liz Boylan with the Vilcek Foundation and filmmaker Liz Sargent joined Hawaii News Now Sunrise to talk about New American Perspectives and her film, “Take Me Home.”
The Vilcek Foundation was established in 2000 with the mission to recognize and celebrate immigrant contributions in the arts and sciences, Boylan says.
It has partnered with HIFF since 2007 to present the New American Perspectives program as a platform for immigrant filmmakers.
“In the past two decades, we’ve brought 95 different filmmakers to the festival from 33 countries around the world, presenting 88 feature films, including Liz Sargent’s ‘Take Me Home,” Boylan said.
This year’s program features five immigrant filmmakers and their work, including:
- Ian Cusick and his film “Los Vampires”
- Writer and director Liz Sargent and her film “Take Me Home”
- Actor Alex Tarrant and the film “Sgt. Haane,” directed by Tearepa Kahi
- Writer and director Michelle Zhou and her film “Big Little Things”
- Featured filmmaker Ke Huy Quan for a book talk on his memoir “Never Say Die” and a special presentation of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”
‘Take Me Home’
Sargent, a Korean American adoptee whose filmmaking explores adoption, disability and family, discussed her film “Take Me Home.”
Her sister Anna is the main character in the film, and she filmed at her parents’ home she says.
“My sister stars playing a version of herself and she’s the true lead of the film and she’s incredible. I’m so proud of her,” Sargent said.
Sargent, a writer and director with a background in choreography, said the film is fiction, but it’s about the teetering house of disability and the transitional moment “that we’ll all face in our lives, where the caregiving roles reverse. And Anna has to figure out what her future holds.”
“I feel like it would resonate with so many audiences, not just because of the cultural aspect and the adoption aspect, but the disability and the caregiving aspect of it. So many people are in these roles of caregiving with these additional challenges of health care and costs,” Sargent said.
“Take Me Home” screens Sunday afternoon at Kahala Theatre.
In addition to screenings and post-screening Q&As with all five filmmakers, Ian, Liz, Alex and Michelle will participate in a panel discussion Monday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. at the offices of Honolulu Civil Beat, Boylan said.
The panel is free and open to the public with RSVP.
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