HONOLULU (HI Now) - Queer stories have the power to preserve history, spark connection and help communities see themselves on screen. That spirit takes center stage as the 37th Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival returns July 10th - 12th at Hawaii Theatre Center with the theme “Where Stories Take Root.” Inspired by kīpuka, a place where life remains and new growth begins after lava flow, this year’s festival celebrates the way LGBTQIA+ stories carry identity, culture and community forward.
Presented by the Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation, HRFF37 brings together local, national and international films, shorts, filmmaker conversations, live performance and community gatherings. Audiences can expect stories about family, gender, culture, love, memory and belonging from Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, Asia and beyond.
A major highlight is the Lei Queer Short Film Showcase and Scholarship Program, which supports the next generation of queer filmmakers while spotlighting short-form storytelling rooted in Pasifika archives, Indigenous stories, creative identity and cultural memory. Closing night features “All the Things I Leave You (Patawid),” a moving story set at a family-run restaurant in Ilocos where food, family and memory reveal a decades-old love story.
Individual screening tickets are $18, regular VIP passes are $75, and VIP passes for students and kūpuna are $55. The festival also includes a free Red Carpet Opening Event at Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park next to Hawaii Theatre Center. To purchase VIP passes or tickets, visit www.hrff.org, and follow along on Instagram at @honolulupride and @hawaiilgbtlegacy.
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