A press conference at the Rum Fire Restaurant & Bar marked the official start of the 31st Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF 31). In his statement to the media, Chuck Boller, Executive Director of HIFF, cited in particular the American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile (AIFP) program, sponsored by the Vilcek Foundation, for its important role in turning a spotlight on the many talented immigrant filmmakers working today in independent cinema. He also announced that HIFF and the Vilcek Foundation will take this year’s AIFP films on a national tour in 2012.  Stay in touch, to learn when the AIFP films will be shown in your area.

Press conference panelist Goh Nakamura, star and screenwriter of Surrogate Valentine, mentioned that her film had been directed by Dave Boyle, who also was at the helm of WHITE ON RICE, a 2009 AIFP entrant. We learned, too, that Mr. Boyle and his team are hosting a workshop on how to shoot, edit, and distribute a feature film for under $30,000. It is gratifying to be able to follow the talented artists from the Vilcek Foundation-sponsored program as they continue to advance in their careers.

Now that HIFF 31 is underway, attendees face the difficult task of deciding which films to watch—there are more than 250 films from 48 countries. You can check out all the AIFP films here:

• Almost Perfect
• Living in seduced circumstances
• My Last Day Without You
• The Price of Sex
• Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul