Film Schedule
ʻEmalani Theater (Room 320), Hawaiʻi Convention Center
*All schedules are subject to change
DAY 05 | Monday, 10 June 2024
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Special Screening: Navigating Toward Our Futures
-
2 min. | Documentary | Cook Islands
Producer(s): Dr. Teina Rongo
Synopsis: Te Marumaru Atua sets sail from Cook Islands to join the Pacific voyage to Hawai‘i for the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture 2024.
-
40 min. | Documentary | Hawaiʻi
Director: Ty Sanga
Producer(s): Mona Abadir, Ann Botticelli, Heather Giugni, Sonja Swenson Rogers
Synopsis: In 2006, cultural anthropologist Wade Davis sailed with master navigator Nainoa Thompson to learn about the art of wayfinding. Fifteen years later the two explorers contemplate the mysteries of traditional navigation and a future inspired by the language of the navigator.
The screenings will be preceded by a special musical performance by Kawika Kahiapo, and followed by a conversation with waʻa families. Hosted by Lāiana and Ha‘aipo Kanoa-Wong, with:
Mānaiakalani: Archie and Kayla Kalepa
Kūmau: Duane and Micah DeSoto
Kānehūnāmoku: Bonnie and Lehia Kahape‘a-Tanner
3:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Special Screening: For My Father’s Kingdom
-
97 min. | Documentary | Tonga
Director: Vea Mafileʻo
Producer(s): Vea Mafileʻo
Synopsis: For My Father's Kingdom follows Tongan pensioner Saia Mafile’o and his family as they are stretched to breaking point by the commitment and passion to God that has driven Saia’s life. This debut feature documentary offers a rich view of how contemporary secular families deal with the rigors of devout Christian tithing, as well as a unique insight into traditional Tongan culture.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Cheryl Hirasa (PIC), with:
Filmmaker: Vea Mafileʻo
Family members: Emily Mafile'o and Elizabeth Mafile'o
DAY 06 | Tuesday, 11 June 2024
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Feature Film from Papua New Guinea
-
100 min. | Narrative | Papua New Guinea
Director/Producer: Spencer Peter Wangare
Synopsis: In the gritty urban drama "Black Python," a streetwise drug dealer named Badu takes a risky gamble by letting a young hustler named John join his crew, only to realize he may have put John in grave danger.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director/producer, Spencer Peter Wangare.
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM | ‘Uluʻulu Moving Image Archive Screening
-
51 min | Documentary | Hawai‘i
Producer(s): Katrina Souza, Vince Lucero, Chantell Belay, Jessica Kim Campuspos, Ed DeLima
Synopsis: In 1992 students from Kamehameha Schoolʻs Television Studio joined other classmates and traveled to Rarotonga to document the 6th Festival of Pacific Arts. They produced two videos about their experience.
Courtesy of Juniroa Productions
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the producers, Katrina Souza, Vince Lucero, Chantell Belay, Jessica Kim Campuspos, and Ed DeLima.
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Shorts Program
-
5 min. | Experimental | Norfolk Island
Director/Producer: Ivy Carr
Synopsis: At a time of island takeover from colonial powers, where we were and are still not recognised as a whole people. It calls to remember who we are and the story of our people. Invoking a sense of optimism into Norfolk Islanders who for a long time have had no voice.
-
15 min. | Documentary | Hawai‘i
Director: Sancia Shiba Nash
Producer: Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities
Synopsis: a short documentary honoring the life, work and legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui. Kawena dedicated her life to perpetuating ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, na mea Hawaiʻi, ʻike kupuna. This film touches on five of her vital projects: preserving hula kahiko; translating nūpepa, mele and oli at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum; writing the Hawaiian language dictionary; recording oral histories throughout ka pae ʻāina; and collaborating with social workers at the Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s center.
-
11 min. | Narrative | Aotearoa, New Zealand
Director: Kura Kakerangi Turuwhenua and Heriata Erana Rurehe
Producer: Madeleine Hakaraia de Young, Oriwa Hakaraia, Matariki Black and Jessica Lee Berghan
Synopsis: 16-year-old Hiwa returns to her rural home from boarding school to discover her grandfather is terminally ill and unable to continue his life work of land conservation. Her younger brother Pōtiki inherits their grandfather’s affinity for the environment, while Hiwa struggles with the shifting dynamic in her family. When Pōtiki goes missing while in search of a cure for their grandfather, they both realize their role as the next generation of guardians for the land and their family.
-
16 min. | Documentary | Guam
Director: Sean Lizama
Producer: Myracle Mugol
Synopsis: Guam’s last Master Blacksmith tells stories from his past and shares the importance of his craft to daily life in the past. Historical experts provide testimony on the role the craft and products had played in Guam.
DAY 07 | Wednesday, 12 June 2024
1:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Shorts Program
-
7 min. | Animation | Fiji
Director/Producer: Tumeli Tuqota Jr
Synopsis: In an alternate reality Fiji where tradition and culture was never eroded by colonialism, a new Drua (ship) is about to be put to sea and will demand a steep toll for the final stage of its launch.
-
10 min. | Animation | Fiji
Writer/Director/Producer: ‘Atu Emberson-Bain, with Siale Bain-Vete & Melino Bain-Vete
Synopsis: An animated preview of the internationally acclaimed children’s book Cries from the Moana. This richly illustrated chapter book offers a glimpse of the fascinating and little-known world of the deep ocean and seabed; a pulsating source of life, beauty, energy and biodiversity crucial to human survival and well-being, yet increasingly under threat from the irreversible effects of mineral extraction on the ocean floor.
-
16 min. | Documentary | Cook Islands
Director: Dr. Teina Rongo
Synopsis: A documentary highlighting a collaborative effort between Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau, Te Ipukarea Society - TIS, and the Cook Islands Voyaging Society.
Follow their journey aboard the traditional vaka Marumaru Atua - Cook Islands Voyaging Society, where they spread ocean awareness throughout the Pā ‘Enua islands. Along the way, they engage with local fishers to discuss the state of our Cook Islands fisheries.
This documentary sheds light on the alarming decline of these fisheries using insights gathered during the voyage.
-
94 min. | Documentary | Aotearoa
Director(s): Toby Mills, Aileen O'Sullivan
Producer(s): Aileen O'Sullivan, Toby Mills
Synopsis: For Māori, the canoe underpins our culture. We once built waka/canoes from giant trees and sailed the vast Pacific by the stars. These arts were lost to us for 600 years. Then the stars re-aligned and three men from far flung islands met by chance to revive our place as the greatest navigators on the planet, a Hawaiian, a Micronesian and Hek Busby, “The Chief” from Aotearoa/New Zealand.
3:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Features Program
-
57 min. | Documentary | Aotearoa
Director: Nina Nawalowalo
Producer: Katherine Wyeth
Synopsis: A heart-breaking story detailing Faʻamoana John Luafutu’s time as a state ward. Using his voice for the voiceless, Luafutu vitally brings this story to light. A must-watch for all New Zealanders.
-
79 min. | Documentary Hawai‘i
Director/Producer: Ciara Lacy
Producer: Beau Bassett
Synopsis: Shipped thousands of miles away from the tropical islands of Hawaii to a private prison in the Arizona desert, two Native Hawaiians discover their Native traditions from a fellow inmate serving a life sentence. Eager to prove themselves forever changed for the better, they return home to the struggle of life post-incarceration, asking the question: can you really go home again?
DAY 08 | Thursday, 13 June 2024
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Music & Poetry in Film
-
3 min. | Music Video | Guam
Microchild feat. Jonah Hånom
Director: Cara Flores
Producer: Aaron Santos, Siobhon McManus, Tony Azios, Kyana Tuncap
Synopsis: PROTECTORS ANTHEM is a uniting call to our sacred obligations as protectors across the Marianas and Micronesia as well as a reminder of the rich legacies that we carry. As our homelands face further destruction from rapid militarization and industrialization, we root in the beauty of our islands and people and are carried by the love and courage of the land and water protectors who came before us. Fanohge – we rise!
-
17 min. | Documentary | Hawai‘i
Director: Sancia Miala Shiba Nash and Drew K. Broderick
Producer: Ho‘oulu ‘Āina
Synopsis: This short film honors the life and legacy of ʻĪmaikalani Kalāhele, a Kanaka Maoli musician, poet, artist, and activist from Nuʻuanu, Oʻahu. For nearly half a century Uncle ʻĪmai has stood as a pillar within various communities in Hawaiʻi, steadfast in his dedication to Native Hawaiian creative expressions and the movement for sovereignty and self-determination. Hoʻoulu Hou was made in collaboration with Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, a place of refuge in the back of Kalihi valley committed to propagating the health of ʻāina and lāhui.
-
1 min. | Music Video | Norfolk Island
Director/Producer: Natalie Grube
Synopsis: Rama is the Norf’k word for collecting sea creatures at night, with particular attention to rock fishing and picking ‘hihi’ (periwinkles). This is a time honoured practice that utilises the moon phases, tides and traditional knowledge. Kath King wrote this song as a way to preserve this cultural practice, and we envisioned a music video clip that encompassed the magic of ‘gwen rama’ using local children and performers. For our Tahitian foremothers, the word ‘Rama’ meant ‘fire-torch’, and we wanted to reference this connection to our ancestors in this music clip. Filmed at 3am on a full moon at ‘sink saf’ (low tide) our beautiful Bumboras beach truly came to life.
-
22 min. | Documentary | Guam
Director: Kyle Perron
Producer: Nia Serneo
Synopsis: Tradewinds is a documentary that covers the life of Chamoru Jazz Musician, Patrick Palomo. Together with a new generation of aspiring local jazz artists, Shannon McManus, Jonathan Glaser, and Andrew Gumataotao they form the band Tradewinds. The documentary not only explores their relationship and impact on each other's lives but strives to beg the definition of indigenous art.
-
20 min. | Drama | Hawai‘i
Director: ‘Āina Paikai
Producer: Kaliko Mai‘i
Synopsis: Against the backdrop of the 1970s native rights movement, George Helm, a young Hawaiian activist and musician must gain the support of kūpuna (community elders) from the island of Maui to aid in the fight of protecting the precious neighboring island of Kahoʻolawe from military bombing.
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Shorts Program
-
56 min. | Documentary | Samoa, Fiji, Aotearoa, Papua New Guinea
Director/Producer: Lisa Taouma
Synopsis: Across the Moana the art of tatau is legendary - but the marks for women contain stories and meanings that are often little known, especially for new generations.
These age old symbols of the Moko Kauae, the Fijian Veiqia, the Papuan Tep Tok and the Samoan Malu were made to celebrate the significance of the female role, but many were also created by female tatau artists.
'Marks of Mana' explores the female history of tatau in our cultures, and the meaning behind these patterns linked like a necklace around the Moana.
-
8 min. | Drama | Hawai‘i
Director: Angelique Kalani Axelrode
Producer: Angelique Kalani Axelrode, Brigitte Leilani Axelode, ʻIolani Brosio
Synopsis: Two sisters, Gigi and Angi, sit silently in the car on the way to surf, refusing to speak to each other. Their tiff continues as they get ready to paddle out. As tension builds, the narrative shifts to a dance inspired by the story of Hi‘iakaikapoliopele and her older sister, Pele. When the tumultuous journey of Pele and Hi‘iaka comes to a close and the two reconcile, Gigi and Angi reconnect to each other and enjoy their morning surf.
-
5 min. | Documentary | American Samoa
Director/Producer: Gabby Alafagamalufilufi Faʻaiʻuaso
Synopsis: This short documentary features siapo Maker, Regina "Reggie" Meredith-Fitiao from the village of Leone on Tutuila, American Sāmoa. She shares her love and dedication to preserve the art of Sāmoan siapo (barkcloth) for generations to come, and attributes all the Sāmoan women before her, including her mentor and Master of Siapo making, Aunty Mary J. Prtichard, as well as the support from Tufuga ta Tatau and Siapo maker Suʻa Uilisone Fitiao.
-
10 min. | Poetry | Norfolk Island
Director: Sue Pearson, Pauline Reynolds
Producer: Sue Pearson
Synopsis: Hina’s Granddaughters is an immersive experience of poetry, song and sound accompanied by moving image. This collaboration between Pearson (creative director, photographer, image and screenmaker) and Reynolds (poet, songwriter and narrator) is borne from the epistemologies of their tupuna wahine who founded a new people and culture on Hitiaurevareva (Pitcairn) in 1790. This culture later travelled to Norfolk Island in 1856 with the descendants of those founding women. This project celebrates the artists’ connection to the wider Te Moana Nui a Hiwa while highlighting the value of reigniting and understanding ancestral practices.
-
9 min. | Animation | Rotuma
Director/Producer: Vilsoni Hereniko
Synopsis: When a prince is cursed to become an eel and has to win the love of a beautiful woman to become human again, he gifts her with his body in the form of a coconut palm tree in a seductive display. Set on Rotuma in Fiji, this classic tale of unconditional love is given new meaning and relevance today as it explores issues of conservation, tradition versus freedom, and prejudice against black skin among Polynesians.
These age old symbols of the Moko Kauae, the Fijian Veiqia, the Papuan Tep Tok and the Samoan Malu were made to celebrate the significance of the female role, but many were also created by female tatau artists.
'Marks of Mana' explores the female history of tatau in our cultures, and the meaning behind these patterns linked like a necklace around the Moana.
-
7 min. | Animation | Samoan
Director/Producer: Peter Filimau
Synopsis: After having a nightmare about his grandfather, Tala looks to his mother for answers. She recounts a tale about Tala’s grandfather and how he got his name. In this tale, she tells him about his grandfather’s friend, a monkey named Susie, and their journey to Pulotu, a place without light.
-
11 min. | Comedy | Guam
Director: Cara Flores
Producer(s): Alan Certeza, Cara Flores, Eliorah Malifa
Synopsis: Three children find a way to enjoy themselves during a routine family prayer with their grandmother.
-
6 min. | Game Show | Guam
Director: Cara Flores
Producer: Siobhon McManus
Synopsis: Our guests play the game Heads Up–fully in the CHamoru language! A fun twist on charades, players try to guess the words with hilarious clues. In this episode, the category is: Sho Siha (Movies and Television).
-
5 min. | Food, Family | Pohnpei, Guam, Palau
Director: Cara Flores
Producer(s): Aaron Santos, Siobhon McManus
Synopsis: In this episode of Eat with your Ancestors, Myrah, Kody, and William, try different taro dishes from Micronesia with their elders!
DAY 09 | Friday, 14 June 2024
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Environmental Program
-
6 min. | Environmental, Documentary | Cook Islands
Producer(s): Dr.Teina Rongo
Synopsis: Learn about the journey of rediscovery for the youths in Cook Islands who have developed a profound connection with their marine environment through the integration of traditional knowledge into their local school curriculum.
-
14 min. | New Media | Fiji
Producer(s): AM Kanngieser and Merewalesi Nailatikau
Synopsis: Reformatted for a flat screen, the Oceanic Refractions video is a version of an immersive installation amplifying Indigenous Pacific cultures through an epoch of man-made environmental crisis. The full-scale installation blends hyper-detailed soundscape composition with high resolution videography, sensory special effects and movable custom designed seating to invoke an undersea experience. Weaving field recordings of Fijian reefs, Kiribati’s oceans and mangroves, and the shorelines of Duke of York Islands, together with intimate testimonies of Pacific elders. Oceanic Refractions invites audiences to hear the truths and values these Elders and storytellers choose to carry into the future.
-
52 min. | Documentary | French Polynesia
Director(s): Aurelia AUTRET, Yuna LE CORRE
Producer(s): Aurelia AUTRET, Yuna LE CORRE
Synopsis: Aurelia and Yuna set sail for the wild and mysterious islands of the Marquesas. For 70 days, they journey from island to island, meeting passionate Marquesans determined to develop their projects in one of the most remote archipelagos in the Pacific.
Their journey unveils the deep connections between entrepreneurship, the desire to share knowledge, and the love for their land and culture.
-
4 min. | Documentary | Norfolk Island
Director/Producer: Natalie Grube
Synopsis: The Himii Legacy is a three minute ‘tourism awareness’ film that will be played to all incoming air and sea passengers to Norfolk Island. Animation and live action elements combine to tell the story of Norfolk Island, inspiring our visitors to take responsibility for their environmental and cultural footprint - before even stepping foot on our soil. The word ‘himii’ means ‘you and I’ in the Norf’k language. We understand that as Norfolk’s custodians, we also need to be aware of our individual impact, so this film acknowledges that the best possible outcome for our island home and future generations will be through a respectful collaboration with our visitors.
-
12 min. | Environmental, Documentary | Norfolk Island
Director/Producer: Natalie Grube
Synopsis: ‘Just One Turtle’ is a film that explores personal and community responsibility for our precious waterways. When Doris the turtle was rescued from Emily Bay, she was barely alive due to the bacteria that had eaten away at her shell - bacteria that is believed to be from land-based runoff into the lagoon. Fourteen year old Elliana Henderson, an avid surfer and proud Norfolk Islander, embarks on a mission to find out why we are responsible for Doris’ sickness, and what we can do about it.
-
30 min. | Documentary | Fiji
Director: Maxine Edwards
Producer(s): Pacifika Communications, Dale Hermanson
Synopsis: Drua Projects is about Climate Culture Resient, where the staff and students of University of Fiji went out to the community to collect all very important data on traditional Knowledge. How Traditional Knowledge can be used to mitigate changes, how can we implement that traditional knowledge and use it as a training tool in our university. Why were our forefathers able to recover so quickly after a natural hazard or disaster? Because of the knowledge they had that they were able to read the early warning indication and how they prepared themselves before it actually happened. How can we revive this knowledge and how can we implement those traditional knowledge to mitigate future changes especially in climate.
-
8 min. | Documentary | Solomon Islands
Director(s): Reginia Lepping, Georgianna Lepping, Neil Abuja
Producer(s): David Boseto, Neil Nuia, Edgar Pollard, Daniel Lin
Synopsis: Decades of logging have drastically changed the landscape and lifestyle of those who call the Solomon Islands home. Now, the last untouched forest of the country is at risk of being lost. These Solomon Islanders are the last guardians of these sacred spaces.
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Shorts Program
-
66 min. | Documentary | Rapa Nui
Director: Leonardo Pakarati
Producer: Paula Rosssetti
Synopsis: Before dying, grandmother Noe wants to tell Mika girl the story of the Moai Hoa Haka Nana’ia...foreigners took him away from the island more than 100 years ago and never came back. She tells her in the island things have Mana, a supernatural power from their ancestors that today has weakened. A way to recover the Mana, so to bring back well being to the island, is to bring the spirit of the Moai Hoa Haka Nana’ia back. The Moai is in a museum in England, where they aren’t aware of this. Noe has never seen the Moai and she doesn’t want to die without having done so. However, an illness will stop her from traveling, reason why in her place Mika will travel with her grandfather Bene, to Europe, where they will find out hundreds of pieces from their culture are kept in these rooms.
-
13 min. | Documentary | Hawaii
Director(s): Meleanna Meyer & Tom Coffman
Producer: Meleanna Meyer
Synopsis: Indigenous wisdom in action and practice- from Hawaiians sharing culture openly, freely and lovingly. Maunakea, Sacred mountain, sacred conduct, was created as an offering to the Kia’i, the protectors so that they could have a short film to share with audiences and others about the intentions, interests and practices up on the mountain. We, Hawaiians want to help others understand our care and aloha for beloved mother, earth. Ku’u’Āina Aloha, that she is sentient and gives only abundance from soil, waters and air. We stand for our sovereignty through support and a stance for care of all Hawaiian lands.
-
18 min. | Drama | Hawaii
Director(s): Scott W. Kekama Amona
Producer(s): Justyn Ah Chong, Scott W. Kekama Amona, Nani Rían Kenna Ross, Jana Park
Synopsis: When a Native Hawaiian Police Officer is called in on his day off to evict the protesting Native Hawaiian residents of a homeless settlement deemed “illegal” by the State of Hawaii, he is forced to choose between supporting his family, upholding the law, and doing what is morally right . . . or PONO.
-
11 min. | Documentary | Guam
Director: Cara Flores
Producer(s): Aaron Santos, Siobhon Rumurang
Synopsis: In the summer of 1944, Japanese forces ordered the entire population of Guam to walk from their home villages to concentration camps across the island. The largest of these was Mañenggon. In this segment, Uncle Danny tells his story of suffering, loss, and strength.
-
12 min. | Narrative | Australia, Papua New Guinea
Director: Alana Hicks
Producer: Charles Olsen
Synopsis: When a young Papua New Guinean/Australian man gets involved in a life of crime to provide for his pregnant girlfriend, a proud PNG woman challenges him to reconnect with his heritage.
-
10 min. | Documentary | Hawaii
Director/Producer: Bryson Nihipali
Synopsis: A young Native Hawaiian filmmaker talks story with 3 generations of his 'ohana to gain a better understanding of their expansion from the Hawaiian Islands to the U.S. continent and the path laid down by his kupuna.
-
4 min. | Documentary | American Samoa
Filmmaker: Tulaga Whitcombe
Synopsis: This short film is a heartfelt visual interpretation of a poem written by Tamiano j. Gurr, reflecting his upbringing in American Samoa as a half-caste Pacific Islander. It explores the profound sense of disconnect he felt with his ethnic identities. The narrative captures his experiences of feeling segregated and out of place, labeled as "palagi" by his own Samoan community, and finding a semblance of acceptance only after moving to Hawaii. Through this film, we delve into his realization of the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of Pacific Islanders during his college years in Hawaii. This awakening led to the creation of Pacific Roots, a brand dedicated to elevating island culture and educating youth about their ancestral heritage. Our aim with this film is not only to honor their journey but also to inspire others to explore their roots and strive for more than what is expected of them.
-
8 min. | Documentary | Hawaii
Director/Producer: M. Kaleipumehana Cabral
Synopsis: Six Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) share their voyages in and out of diaspora. Their collective moʻolelo (story) wades through hope, grief, wisdom, and the effects of the illegal occupation of their homeland. They share the pull they have felt to return to Hawaiʻi and ka ʻāʻumeʻume (the struggle) to stay.
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | New Caledonia Program
-
56 min. | Documentary | New Caledonia
Director: Nunë Luepack
Synopsis: Documentary portrait of Nidoish NAISSELINE, great Kanak customary chief of GUAHMA on the island of Maré in New Caledonia. He shares with us his vision from the point of view of his clan status on the contemporary evolution of Kanak society by evoking his professional and political career since the period of May 68 in Paris, until today. The history of the Kanak people has always been transmitted through myths, landscapes but also through the lives of men. This transmission is also that of a vision of the future that our parents' generation gives to the younger generation: the hope of combining belonging to the modern world and the vibrant perpetuation of our ancestral culture. It is through the testimonies of his traveling companions, family members and close customary subjects that we will discover in an intimate way the extraordinary life journey closely linked to the events which marked New Caledonia, a Kanak chief torn between political conviction and customary duties. It is within the chiefdom that Nidoish NAISSELINE testifies and recounts his struggle for the recognition of Kanak cultural identity.
DAY 10 | Saturday, 15 June 2024
Q&A with filmmakers/artists will follow each program.
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Queer Pasifika Stories
-
55 min. | Documentary | US/Hawai‘i
Director(s): Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
Producer(s): Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
Synopsis: On Waikiki Beach stand four giant boulders placed as a tribute to the four legendary mahu – individuals of dual male and female spirit - who brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii long ago. Although the stones have survived for centuries, their story has been hidden and the respected role of mahu erased. The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu feature documentary uses rare archival materials, new historical findings, and vivid animation to trace the trail of post-colonial suppression and bring the unexpurgated story back to life.
-
30 min. | Documentary | Samoa, Aotearoa, Australia
Director/Producer: Jessica Magro
Synopsis: An observational documentary celebrating Samoan-Maori-Australian trans woman of colour, Ella Ganza, and the Meanjin ballroom scene, as she and her ballroom family prepare for one of the biggest pride events of the year: The Alexander Ball.
-
11 min. | Documentary | Tonga
Director(s)/Producer(s): Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
Synopsis: A brave young transgender woman sets off on a journey to become her true self in the conservative Pacific Island Kingdom of Tonga - with a little inspiration from Tina Turner along the way.
3:30 PM – 5:15 PM | Horror Film Program
-
60 min. | Anthology | Multi Pacific Islands
Director(s): Mario Faumui, Mario Gaoa, Miki Magasiva, Matalisa Freshwater
Producer(s): Lisa Taouma
Synopsis: Come into the world of the ancient ones - the spirit women who are the link between this world and the unseen.
The protectors of the Vā, the conduits of female power of the Pacific and the guardians of the fanua ... the Teine Sā are here.
5 stories of the Pacific goddesses who have become famous in different ways across Moana cultures.
From the legendary Telesa of Samoa, the fire gods of the Pacific, ancient shaman guardians from the Solomon Islands, and the pan Polynesian goddess of the moon - these contemporary stories of Pacific women have a spike in their tail.
-
21 min. | Magical Realism | Hawai‘i
Director(s): Tiare Ribeaux
Producer(s): Thomas Sebastian Galasso, Jody Stillwater, Lenape Creative Group
Synopsis: A weaver slowly realizes she is being poisoned by her own drinking water caused by fuel leaking into O'ahu’s watersheds, and experiences a transformation.
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM | Australia New Media Program
-
22 min. | New Media | Australia
Artists: Dre Ngatokorua and Lavene Ngatokorua
Synopsis: This show takes the audience on a journey about Inkatja's life; a young girl on the mission, through Law and Law, to community leader as MoZzi tells the story through music, Traditional art projections, historical imagery and his unique narration. During this show, audience members will be immersed in the artwork of Lavene 'Inkatja' as her paintings inspired by Adnyamathanha culture are brought to life through animations. This experience is paired with music and narration of Dre ‘MoZzi'. This project has multiple benefits, viewers will gain historic knowledge about the Stolen Generation and life at the Umeewarra Mission near Port Augusta in South Australia.