Board members with EuroCinema Hawaii were surprised when the Hawaii International Film Festival ended their five-year partnership with an emailed letter last month, but what raised eyebrows even further was the explanation of what prompted the split.
Robert Lambeth, executive director of HIFF, said the decision was reached after discussions with "key founding members" of the much smaller film festival — including Jefferson Finney, who served as EuroCinema Hawaii president until December, and founding board member Princess Dialta Alliata di Montereale.
The growth of EuroCinema Hawaii, which screened a dozen films during its run last fall, was at the heart of that decision, Lambeth said. EuroCinema wanted to add more films and have HIFF handle local ground transportation for its VIPs, which would become prohibitively expensive, Lambeth said in a telephone interview from Germany, where he was attending the Berlin Film Festival.
"After four months of discussion, the decision was reached when we realized we could not logistically support what the EuroCinema Hawaii film festival was going to need going forward," Lambeth said. (A HIFF press release a day later said essentially the same thing.)
EuroCinema Hawaii board members didn’t know what to make of Lambeth’s statements. They felt the two festivals had a good working relationship.
"I have no idea what Robert is talking about," said Hawaii-based movie producer Chris Lee, a founding board member of EuroCinema Hawaii, in an email that Alliata di Montereale forwarded to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. "There were no negotiations since October — there couldn’t be because Robert kept saying he had to meet with his board," Lee said.
In a separate email to the Star-Advertiser, Alliata di Montereale called Lambeth’s statements false. In a subsequent phone call, she said the split was a total surprise.
"There were no discussions with any key board members for four months, four weeks, four days or even four minutes," she said. "You know, among friends, people talk to each other and explain things to each other. If there is no solution to a problem, they part. But here there was no discussion of any kind."
Finney, the former EuroCinema president with whom Lambeth said he had multiple conversations, told the Star-Advertiser in an email, "I am uncertain as to why the HIFF board terminated their relationship with ECH."
To local cinephiles the parting might sound like inside baseball or the politics of powerful people. But both festivals spend considerable time and money courting public favor — from gala screenings at the Hawaii Theatre to celebrity-filled red-carpet events at the Moana Surfrider.
And over the years EuroCinema Hawaii spent more than $125,000 to sponsor HIFF’s selection of 59 European films, including the 2012 Oscar winner "The Artist" and this year’s multiple Oscar nominee "The Imitation Game" starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
"HIFF’s desire in the beginning was to help this festival get on its feet," Lambeth said in his phone call. "It is now on its feet. It has a great legacy, and we are proud of the legacy. We are proud of the help we have given EuroCinema Hawaii for the last five years, and we are very happy to support them as they get on their own two feet."
But Lambeth also stressed that the partnership with EuroCinema Hawaii was never more than year to year.
"You can’t terminate something that is not active," he said.
This may not be the last word on the split. Lee was also in Berlin and met with Lambeth last week. The producer explained, in an email to the Star-Advertiser, that EuroCinema Hawaii wants "a chance to have an actual negotiation with HIFF to try and continue what has been a very successful relationship."
If anyone can repair the relationship, it’s Lee, a veteran Hollywood dealmaker. Lee was president of Legendary Pictures and before that, president of Tri-Star Pictures and Columbia Pictures.
Lee said he is working with Lambeth on a solution to what he called "an unfortunate series of miscommunications."
"I remain hopeful that our two organizations which have worked so dilligently and successfully together to bring a truly world-class film festival to our island home can move forward again," he said.
Whatever the results, both festivals plan to screen their films this fall. HIFF will celebrate its 35th anniversary in mid-November, about a month after EuroCinema Hawaii hopes to screen films and host its red-carpet celebration.
AND that’s a wrap …
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Mike Gordon is the Star-Advertiser’s film and television writer. Read his Outtakes Online blog at honolulupulse.com. Reach him at 529-4803 or email mgordon@staradvertiser.com.
