About us :
Hawaii International Film Awards is looking for independent projects from all genres, particularly low or no-budget ones, as well as from all countries, especially from those traditionally underrepresented in the global film industry. The submitted projects are judged by a random team of invited experts from academia and film industry from the region. From the pool of official selection, which has a very competitive acceptance rate, PWFF chose the nominees and award winners of the edition.

Awards & Prizes

CATEGORIES:

Best Short Film
Best Feature Film
Best Short Director
Best Feature Film Director
Best Short Screenplay (up to 45 pages)
Best Feature Screenplay (45+ pages)
Best Animation
Best Experimental Film
Best Music Video
Best Feature Documentary
Best Short Documentary
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Cinematography
Best Student Film
Best LGBTQ+ Film
Best Drama
Best Comedy
Best Action, Sci-Fi or Fantasy
Best Thriller
Best Horror
Best Director Debut
Best Documentary Director
Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Original Score
Best Sound Design
Best Original Soundtrack
Best Poster

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms

– In order to submit a film, you must own the rights or have permission from the owner.
– Any Foreign film that is not in English must have English subtitles.
– All fees are non-refundable.
– Not all the submissions are selected for the official competition. Our Judges are free to make their own choices and no answers will be given about not selected films.
–The festival can consider any film to be disqualified if the festival considers the content inappropriate. If you have any question regarding this decision you might contact us at our email address.
– Filmmakers can submit the film in multiple categories in order to become a multi-award film. Still, the decision about the selection is strictly determined by our judges’ team and no selection is guaranteed.
– Submitting your movie, you authorize the festival to use, distribute and share the film poster, trailer, synopsis and movie stills in our social media.
– Films can be available online and still be entered in the competition for our festival.
– Multiple submissions and multiple category submissions are accepted.
– Films must have been completed within the past 5 years.
– Shorts must be less than 50 minutes.
-We do not require premiere status.
107 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Dr. Teresa Mular

    Wonderful festival. Honored to have my film selected by their jurors . Unable to comment on networking because it’s an online festival.

    July 2026
    Helpful
  • MASOOD ALI

    "I was thrilled to see 'The Quran' receive an award at the
    Hawaii International Film Awards!
    I must commend the festival for its sincere and genuine approach to recognizing outstanding films. The exceptional judging panel's unbiased selection truly reflects the festival's commitment to excellence. May Almighty bless this festival and its future endeavors. Kudos to the team for maintaining such high standards!

    Masood Ali Hollywood 2 Bollywood Pictures"

    July 2026
    Helpful
  • Alain DUFAU

    Hello,
    We are very honored that our film *Cruished Time* has been selected as a semifinalist for the June edition of the Hawaii International Film Awards. We are eagerly awaiting the final results on july 10.
    Nadia et Alain

    July 2026
    Helpful
  • Rasmus Kaessmann

    Great experience with Hawaii International Film Awards! Winning Best Cinematography for our doc "I'm just here." means a lot – the festival has a great international lineup and celebrates visual storytelling in a genuine way. The organization was professional and communicative throughout. Would definitely recommend submitting here. Mahalo for the recognition! 🙏

    April 2026
    Helpful
  • Darren Burch

    A truly wonderful festival.
    My deep appreciation for recognizing the experimental nature of our film -

    April 2026
    Helpful