MVA: Filmfest turns spotlight on Marianas

This week’s Marianas International Film Festival is a welcome spotlight on the Marianas.

According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, which is a sponsor of the festival, industry representatives of high caliber from across the globe will be joining the event.

“The film festival organizers are delivering on their promise to turn the spotlight on the Marianas with the hosting of the Marianas International Film Festival,” said MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion. “The MVA brings in hundreds of media representatives to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota each year for various coverage, and many of them are amazed at how beautiful our islands are. The film festival will magnify that global exposure and put the Marianas on the map for some top industry movers and shakers.”

The festival is from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8. It will have its opening ceremony and banquet today, Dec. 6, at the Aqua Resort Club and will also include a Young Director Supporting Programme and Film Industry Forum.

The public is invited to join the free screening of films at the Regal Saipan Megaplex 7 on Thursday, Dec. 7, from 10am to 10pm.

Tickets are free and available upon entry, subject to seat availability. Several submissions have been made for the local film category, for which special awards will be given. Films to be screened include Oral Documentary: Chew, We Drank Our Tears, The Final Redemption, Sunshine That Can Move Mountains, Country Far Away, Relocate, Doctor’s Mind, This Beautiful Fantastic, Taxi Driver, Canola, Old Bicycle, The Prison, Merry Christmas Mr. Mo, 3904 Feet, and Six Years, Six Days.

On Friday, Dec. 8, the red carpet show and awards ceremony will be held at the Imperial Pacific Resort Hotel in Garapan, followed by dinner at Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, and an after-party back at Imperial Pacific.

A host of high profile Hollywood, Hong Kong, Korea, China and Taiwan film industry players are expected to arrive. These movie industry bigwigs have been named jury members to the MIFF. Named MIFF jury president is Hong Kong director and writer Alex Law K.Y. His most notable works include Painted Faces, An Autumn’s Tale, and Echoes Of The Rainbow that have won him the Golden Horse awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, among others.

The MIFF is hosted by Saipan Film Society, LCC and is sponsored by Imperial Pacific International Ltd. and Shenzhen Golden Rose Pictures Corp.,on in partnership with MVA and IT&E.

For more information, visit www.marianasiff.com. (PR)