Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's ensemble drama Babel and the US premiere of Lee Sang-il'sfeel-good Japanese picture Hula Girls booked the 26th Hawaii International Film Festival (LVHIFF),which straddles several Hawaiian islands from Oct 19-Nov 5.

Bong Joon-ho's South Korean horror blockbuster The Host is named the centerpiece gala, while KenWatanabe will collect the Achievement in Acting Award and filmmaker Kevin Smithwill receive the Maverick Award.

The festival features an international line-up of 254 pictures.Special events include Vietnamese and Filipino sidebars and a focus on comedy.For more details visit the official website at www.hiff.org.