The Hawaiʻi International Film Festival is rolling out the red carpet for young filmmakers this weekend on Oʻahu.
HIFF has invited 48 student short films to screen at the inaugural ʻŌpio Fest. 'Ōpio means young in Hawaiian.
ʻŌpio Fest will showcase films representing 33 different schools from Hawaiʻi and Alaska. Nearly 190 films were submitted.
The Conversation sat down with HIFF Education Director Jen May Pastores to talk about highlighting the talents of our next generation.
She said ʻŌpio Fest was born out of a shared vision for bringing the community together to celebrate and support Hawaiʻi's young people and their stories.
"This is our way of creating a dedicated platform for students to have their work shown to a public audience," Pastores said. "Just really great original stories that give us insight into what young people are finding interesting these days."
Attendees can look forward to film screenings, workshops, talks and more. Actors Auliʻi Cravalho and Eric Bauza will also be in attendance.
The first-ever ʻŌpio Fest takes place from April 5 to 7 at the Kahala Mall Consolidated Theatres. Click here to get free tickets. Donations are encouraged.
This story aired on The Conversation on April 4, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
