The Filipino Film Festival begins Friday at the Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy of Arts with six award-winning films by independent filmmakers. Festival-opener "100" by Chris Martinez is sold out. "Boses," which screens 7:30 p.m. Saturday, is a tale of rebirth and the power of friendship.

A mute, battered child is able to get back his voice from an abused and desensitized existence with the help of a reclusive musician, who gives him violin lessons and regains his own humanity. "Boses" (The Voice) directed by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil premiered at the 2008 Hawaii International Film Festival. "Ongkeko-Marfil's second feature is a sensitively handled plea for the rights of children and tackles unpleasant truths with great integrity, writes Variety film critic Richard Kiupers.

In Tagalog with English subtitles. Tickets: $7, non-members; $6, students, military and seniors; $5 for academy members. Alonzo's Filipino Cuisine will be for purchase 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The festival continues through April 18. www.honoluluacademy.org.

�SECRET LIVES OF SEAHORSES� REVEALED IN EXHIBIT

Seahorses have been celebrated in art, literature and mythology for centuries and it's easy to see why. With a head like a horse, a snout like an aardvark, a belly pouch like a kangaroo, a prehensile tail like a monkey and the ability to change colors like a chameleon, seahorses are anything but ordinary.

"The Secret Lives of Seahorses" features seahorses, sea dragons, pipehorses and pipefish at a new exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

"Seahorses are wonderful ambassadors for ocean conservation because they live in the most endangered habitats in the world � coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangrove forests," said Ava Ferguson, senior exhibit developer. "When you save a seahorse, you also save some of Earth's most precious marine habitats."

The seahorse family: fishes that have fused jaws and bony plates in place of the scales come in many shapes and sizes, and are all masters of disguise, a skill that enables them to avoid predators.

"The Secret Lives of Seahorses" opens tomorrow in four galleries at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. $30; $28 for seniors and students; $18 for children 12 and under. 866-963-9645, www.montereybayaquarium.org.