xtrasDRIFTER
In a forgotten desert town, Tree, a solitary racetrack janitor with an extraordinary gift for drifting, is given one last chance to compete at the professional level. Haunted by personal tragedy and accustomed to navigating life alone, he soon discovers that raw talent behind the wheel is not enough. Under the guidance of a hardened mentor and surrounded by a tight-knit community of racers, he must learn to trust others and embrace the family he never knew he needed.
- Sung Kang
- Sung Kang
- Sung Kang
- Brian Yang, Ted Chung, Sung Kang
- 2026
- Closed Captioning Available
- United States
- 147 minutes
Co-written, directed, co-produced (along with Brian Yang of HAWAII FIVE-O and LINSANITY), and starring Sung Kang, DRIFTER is both a classic hero’s journey and a heartfelt love letter to car culture. Rooted in the spirit of grassroots drifting—a sport that found an early home in Hawaiʻi in the 1990s through bootleg VHS tapes from Japan before spreading across the U.S. continent—the film captures the authenticity, camaraderie, and passion of the drifting community. Eschewing the eventual Hollywood slopification of the later FAST & FURIOUS films, DRIFTER delivers thrilling practical racing action while celebrating the people who live for the drive.
HIFF 2026 Maverick Award recipient Sung Kang will be in attendance for a special Q&A after the first screening.
About Hawai‘i International Film Festival
As the vanguard forum of international cinematic achievement in the Asia-Pacific region, Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) endeavors to recognize new and emerging talent, promote career development and original collaborations through innovative education programs, and facilitate dynamic cultural exchange through the cinema arts.