FestPAC 2024: PIC Named Film and New Media Program Lead
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN COMMUNICATIONS NAMED FILM AND NEW MEDIA PROGRAM LEAD FOR 13th FESTIVAL OF PACIFIC ARTS & CULTURE
The Festival’s Film and New Media program lead calls for international film submissions as part of FestPAC’s Hōʻikeʻike Performing Arts vertical
HONOLULU, HI (May 13, 2024) – Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is announcing plans to design a series of film screenings and panel discussions as part of the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC), the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific Islanders. PIC Executive Director Cheryl Hirasa will serve as the festival’s program lead, in partnership with Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF), for film and new media programming aimed at uplifting filmmakers and connecting storytellers across Oceania. The dynamic program will include film screenings and a peer-group convening as part of FestPAC’s Hōʻikeʻike Performing Arts program.
“FestPAC is an incredible opportunity to gather and exchange ideas around the intersection of filmmaking, Pacific and Indigenous storytelling,” said Cheryl Hirasa, Executive Director of Pacific Islanders in Communications. “We’re a proud partner of FestPAC and in collaboration with HIFF will provide space to showcase and encourage dialogue with our talented community of filmmakers and creatives in the industry from Hawai‘i and across the Pacific.”
Hosted in Hawai‘i for the first time, FestPAC will convene from June 6-16th, 2024 around the central theme of “Ho‘oulu Lāhui: Regenerating Oceania”, honoring existing traditions to perpetuate with an eye toward the future. The screenings and symposium will bolster FestPAC’s resonant program while providing the opportunity to engage in crucial conversations, addressing themes such as talent development, filmmaking as a business model, sustainability, legacy and new modes of storytelling, and more.
As part of the film screening component, non-delegate representatives of participating Pacific nations are encouraged to submit their films for consideration in the program via the non-delegate Intent to Participate Form, with a limit of two films per person. Submissions are welcome between May 14, 2024 and May 20, 2024. Selected films will be announced by May 31, 2024 and screened at the ‘Emalani Theater located inside the Hawai‘i Convention Center during the festival circuit.
“As the program lead, PIC will guide our Hōʻikeʻike Performing Arts program to be a vibrant fusion of new media and film, highlighting the evolving nature of the Pacific Islander experience,” said Dr. Aaron J. Salā, festival director of the 13th FestPAC. “It is our hope that this element of FestPAC provides an immersive and cross-cultural activation for all festival attendees, fostering a sense of shared humanity through the universal language of art.”
Through the convergence of diverse voices and perspectives, PIC aims to forge meaningful dialogue and new insights among attendees that create cultural exchanges while addressing greater challenges and opportunities through the filmmaking industry at large.
For more information on PIC and to attend FestPAC’s Hōʻikeʻike Performing Arts program, visit www.festpachawaii.org.
About Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC):
Established in 1991, Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is the only national public media organization that supports media content and its makers to work together to promote a deeper understanding of Pacific Islander history, culture and contemporary issues that define our communities. As part of the National Multicultural Alliance, PIC addresses the need for media content that reflects America’s growing ethnic and cultural diversity by funding independently produced films and by providing over 200 hours of innovative content by and about Pacific Islanders to American public television including its flagship series Pacific Heartbeat. PIC defines “Pacific Islander” as one whose ancestors were the indigenous people of Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia and Australia. For more information about Pacific Islanders in Communications, visit www.piccom.org and follow us on social media: facebook.com/piccom | Instagram: @picpacific | TikTok: @picpacific
About Hawai‘i International Film Festival presented by Halekulani (HIFF):
Established in 1981, the Hawai‘i International Film Festival is the largest non-profit film organization in Hawai’i. Dedicated to the advancement of cultural exchange and media in the Pacific Rim, HIFF’s annual Fall Festival is a world-renowned showcase for Asian, Hawaii-made, and Pacific creative talent. HIFF’s Industry and Education programs provide career development, network building, content creation and investment, and skills training across creative fields. These programs reflect HIFF’s commitment to supporting and elevating innovative creative content and creators from the Asia Pacific Rim and as the leader in establishing a pipeline of creative industry talent in Hawai‘i. HIFF’s Festival is Academy Award®-qualifying in both its Best International Short Film and Best Made-In-Hawaii Short Film award categories. For more information, visit www.HIFF.org and follow us on social media: X:@HIFF | facebook.com/HIFFHAWAII | Instagram: @HIFFHawaii
About Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC):
FestPAC is the largest celebration of indigenous Pacific Islanders, bringing together artists, cultural practitioners, scholars, officials, and the general public from across the Pacific Islands and beyond. Hawaiʻi will host the 13th FestPAC from June 6-16, 2024. The 10-day festival will feature more than 50 programs and events, including conferences and symposia, live performances, cultural workshops, hands-on demonstrations, films, storytelling and more. For more information, please visit www.festpachawaii.org.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Pacific Islanders In Communications
Pōlani Mo‘okini
comms@undermyumbrella.com
FestPAC
Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations
Dawn Hirai | (808) 722-9445
dawn@strykerweiner.com
Angela Behm | (808) 341-3045
angela@strykerweiner.com
Categories: Conference, Events, Film Festival, Screening