History
PIC was established in Honolulu in 1991 as a national non-profit media arts corporation. PIC is a member of the National Minority Consortia (NMC), which collectively addresses the need for programming that reflects America's growing ethnic and cultural diversity. Other NMC members serve the Asian American, Latino, black, and Native American populations. Over the past years, NMC members have provided hundreds of hours of culturally-diverse programs to PBS. Primary funding for PIC and the NMC is provided through an annual grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Mission
The mission of Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and talent that results in a deeper understanding of Pacific Island history, culture, and contemporary challenges. In keeping with the mission, PIC helps Pacific Islander stories reach national audiences through funding support for productions, training and education, broadcast services, and community outreach.
In the past 15 years, PIC has:
- Awarded more than $2 million toward television productions.
- Assisted more than 14 Pacific Islander producers in broadcasting their shows on national public television.
- Provided training to more than 120 emerging media makers.
Award-winning programs made possible through PIC include:
ONE VOICE
- Audience Award, 2010 San Diego Asian Film Festival
- Audience Award for Best Documentary, 2010 Hawaii International Film Festival
Time and Tide
- Best Documentary, 2006 The Big Muddy Film Festival
- Best Documentary, 2006 Hawaii International Film Festival
- Special Jury Award, 2006 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
Nā Kamalei
- Audience Award for Best Documentary, 2006 Hawaii International Film Festival
- Comcast Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, 2007 San Francisco International Film Festival
- Special Jury Prize, VC Filmfest 2007: The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
Goals
- To support the development of national public broadcast programming that enhances public recognition of and appreciation for Pacific Islander history, culture, and society.
- To support the development of indigenous Pacific Islanders as creators of broadcast and new media programming.
- To support opportunities to promote film, video, and new media product and programming for public broadcast, exhibits, and screenings of PIC-sponsored projects.
- To cultivate new audiences for Pacific Islander media content through promotions, exhibitions, and community outreach.
