Hawaii International Film Festival to premiere Sung Kang's "Drifter"

Aug 27, 2026

Hawaii's film festival lands a hometown premiere while the entertainment world absorbs the death of Dolly Parton.

  • "Drifter," written and directed by "Fast and Furious" star Sung Kang, will headline the Hawaii International Film Festival opening October 21st.
  • The film is built around Hawaii's 1990s underground drifting scene and local car culture.
  • Dolly Parton died peacefully in Nashville on Tuesday; Kesha covered a Parton hit her own mother co-wrote, saying the song's royalties paid for her family's house and her schooling.
  • Low-budget horror film "Obsession" has passed $500 million worldwide, making it the top-grossing original movie of the 2020s and the biggest film festival acquisition ever.
  • "Survivor" revealed its 21-player cast for season 51, premiering on CBS September 23rd.

Outlook: Expect heavy tribute coverage for Parton in the coming weeks, and more studio bidding on festival titles after "Obsession" proved the payoff.

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