'ULU‘ULU — TIP DAVIS: PRESERVING HAWAI‘I IN MOTION

HIFF continues its partnership with ‘Ulu‘ulu: The Henry Ku‘ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai‘i at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu with a special screening and panel celebrating the work of pioneering documentary filmmaker Tip Davis. During the 1960s and 1970s, Davis captured invaluable images and voices from a transformative period in Hawai‘i, documenting cultural practices, community gatherings, and the growing movement of the Hawaiian Renaissance. Drawn from archival collections, this program offers a rare opportunity to experience Tip Davis’s work on the big screen and celebrate the importance of preserving Hawai‘i’s audiovisual history. Selections include the legendary CRATER FESTIVAL (1972); MEALI‘I KALAMA, QUILTER (1974), an intimate portrait of the celebrated Hawaiian quilter; HŌKŪLE‘A, STAR OF GLADNESS (1975), documenting the voyaging canoe that became a powerful symbol of cultural renewal; and KOHALA UNUPAʻA: LAND OF THE DETERMINED PEOPLE, featuring beloved kūpuna William “Bill” Sproat, longtime keeper of the Kohala Ditch, who shares stories of the area. A panel discussion will further explore Davis’s remarkable legacy.