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Hawaii International Film Festival

EIN 99-0280373 · Honolulu, HI

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood74 out of 100GovernanceFair55 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO FOSTER INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF FILM. TO ACT AS A CREATIVE PIPELINE FOR HAWAII AND THE PACIFIC, SHOWCASING NEW AND EMERGING TALENT FROM HAWAII, ASIA, AMERICAS, EUROPE, AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS.

Income
$1.2 million
Spending
$1.3 million
Spent on programs
74%
Reserves
3.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 50%
Employees
9
Volunteers
200
Highest pay
$101,500, executive di

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 74 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 10% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 1% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    74% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 20 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 17 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (2)
  1. $556,032 spent. IN 2024, THE HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (HIFF) PRESENTED TWO FILM FESTIVALS, MULTIPLE EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER-BUILDING INDUSTRY INITIATIVES, AND FREE COMMUNITY SCREENINGS AND NETWORKING EVENTS. IN 2024, HIFF SHOWCASED 332 FILMS FROM 55 COUNTRIES. HIFF 2024 HELD 248 SCREENINGS TO AN AUDIENCE OF NEARLY 50,000. IN 2024, 455 UNIQUE FILMMAKERS, ACTORS, INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD PARTICIPATED IN THESE FILM EXHIBITION PROGRAMS VIA.LIVE PANELS, SEMINARS, DISCUSSIONS, EVENTS, AND Q&A'S WITH HIFF AUDIENCES.
  2. $370,681 spent. IN 2024, HIFF PRESENTED EIGHT FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMS SERVING 11,468 PARTICIPANTS IN THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY: -GUEST FILMMAKER PROGRAM (SERVED 1,034 STUDENTS FROM 28 HAWAII SCHOOLS / 30 VISITING FILMMAKERS, -YOUTH EDUCATION SCREENINGS/YES PROGRAM (SERVED 7,390 STUDENTS ACROSS 60 HAWAII SCHOOLS), -STUDENT SHOWCASE (318 PARTICIPANTS), -FUTURE FILMMAKERS WORKSHOPS (81 PARTICIPANTS), -HIFF ACM ACCELERATOR PROGRAM (766 PARTICIPANTS) -HIFF 'OPIO FEST (1,848 PARTICIPANTS) -HIFF STUDENT FILMMAKER COMMITTEE (20 COLLEGE STUDENTS), -HIFF INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (11 HIGH SCHOOL + COLLEGE STUDENTS) IN 2024, HIFF ALSO PRESENTED MUTLIPLE FREE INDUSTRY PROGRAMS INCLUDING PANEL DISCUSSIONS, SEMINARS, FILMMAKER Q&A'S, AND ONLINE EVENTS TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THE PACIFIC ISLAND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: 79 FILMMAKER DISCUSSIONS (TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 6411) 14 LIVE PANELS, SEMINARS, AND MASTERCLASSES (TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 1,996) HIFF ONLINE CREATORS & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (10 PARTICIPANTS) ALL HIFF 2024 EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES AND INDUSTRY PROGRAMS WERE PRESENTED FOR FREE TO PARTICIPANTS STATEWIDE ACROSS 6 ISLANDS. HIFF CONSIDERS THE PROGRAMS A SUCCESS WITH EXTREMELY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AUDIENCE, AND FILMMAKERS. THESE PROGRAMS SERVE TO EXPAND PARTICIPANTS' KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FILMMAKING AND THE CREATIVE MEDIA INDUSTRY, INCRASE APPRECIATION FOR FILM AS AN ART FORM, INSPIRE STUDENTS AND FILMMAKERS IN THEIR MEDIA-RELATED WORK, AND HEIGHTEN CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING. HIFF 2024 ADDITIONALLY HOSTED 51 FREE PROGRAMS AND FILMS MADE AVAILABLE FOR FREE TO AUDIENCES VIA COMMUNITY SCREENINGS, WORKSHOPS, ETC. IN 2024, HIFF PRESENTED EIGHT FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMS SERVING 11,468 PARTICIPANTS IN THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY: -GUEST FILMMAKER PROGRAM (SERVED 1,034 STUDENTS FROM 28 HAWAII SCHOOLS / 30 VISITING FILMMAKERS, -YOUTH EDUCATION SCREENINGS/YES PROGRAM (SERVED 7,390 STUDENTS ACROSS 60 HAWAII SCHOOLS), -STUDENT SHOWCASE (318 PARTICIPANTS), -FUTURE FILMMAKERS WORKSHOPS (81 PARTICIPANTS), -HIFF ACM ACCELERATOR PROGRAM (766 PARTICIPANTS) -HIFF 'OPIO FEST (1,848 PARTICIPANTS) -HIFF STUDENT FILMMAKER COMMITTEE (20 COLLEGE STUDENTS), -HIFF INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (11 HIGH SCHOOL + COLLEGE STUDENTS) IN 2024, HIFF ALSO PRESENTED MUTLIPLE FREE INDUSTRY PROGRAMS INCLUDING PANEL DISCUSSIONS, SEMINARS, FILMMAKER Q&A'S, AND ONLINE EVENTS TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THE PACIFIC ISLAND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: 79 FILMMAKER DISCUSSIONS (TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 6411) 14 LIVE PANELS, SEMINARS, AND MASTERCLASSES (TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 1,996) HIFF ONLINE CREATORS & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (10 PARTICIPANTS) ALL HIFF 2024 EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES AND INDUSTRY PROGRAMS WERE PRESENTED FOR FREE TO PARTICIPANTS STATEWIDE ACROSS 6 ISLANDS. HIFF CONSIDERS THE PROGRAMS A SUCCESS WITH EXTREMELY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AUDIENCE, AND FILMMAKERS. THESE PROGRAMS SERVE TO EXPAND PARTICIPANTS' KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FILMMAKING AND THE CREATIVE MEDIA INDUSTRY, INCRASE APPRECIATION FOR FILM AS AN ART FORM, INSPIRE STUDENTS AND FILMMAKERS IN THEIR MEDIA-RELATED WORK, AND HEIGHTEN CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING. HIFF 2024 ADDITIONALLY HOSTED 51 FREE PROGRAMS AND FILMS MADE AVAILABLE FOR FREE TO AUDIENCES VIA COMMUNITY SCREENINGS, WORKSHOPS, ETC.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1995.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.