Series Acquisition
PIC is not currently considering films for Pacific Heartbeat 2019, season eight. However, if you have a film you'd like us to consider for 2020, season nine, please continue to read through this section and follow the instructions on the How to Apply page.
Pacific Heartbeat is a nationally distributed public television series produced by PIC in partnership with PBS Hawaiʻi and is presented and distributed by Boston-based American Public Television. It is an unprecedented collection of critically acclaimed documentaries centered on the Pacific Islander experience. From revealing exposes to rousing musical performances, the series features a diverse array of programs intended to draw viewers into the heart and soul of Pacific Island culture.
Please review the following to make sure your film matches our programming needs as well as instructions on how to apply.
What PIC is Looking For
When selecting a film for Pacific Heartbeat, PIC considers a range of factors:
- Compelling storytelling
- Quality of filmmaking
- Timeliness of the story
- National audience appeal
- Accurate and authentic representation of the Pacific Islander experience
- Subject matter that sheds light and encourages thoughtful dialogue on the Pacific Islander experience
PIC does not accept fiction films, instructional films, or docudramas. For the purposes of this series, PIC defines Pacific Islanders as the descendants of the indigenous peoples of Hawai‘i, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Marianas, and other Pacific Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.
For examples of films that have been broadcast as part of the Pacific Heartbeat series, go to www.pacificheartbeat.org.
Eligibility Requirements
Pacific Heartbeat accepts the following:
- Films that are completed or at fine cut stage
- Nonfiction films about the Pacific Islander experience. For the purposes of this application Pacific Islanders are defined as the descendants of the indigenous peoples of Hawaiʻi, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Marianas, and other Pacific Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.
- Films at any length, however if your film is longer than a standard broadcast hour and is accepted, you will be required to edit it to the correct length
- Films that have been completed in the last three years
- Films that have been cleared for U.S. television broadcast
- Films that meet public television and FCC broadcast standards, which can be found at: www.pbs.org/producing/red-book
- Films that adhere to public television editorial and funding standards, which can be found at: www.pbs.org/producing/red-book
- Films produced by producers that do not have an open project with PIC