Media group proposes Marianas Film Festival

A Chinese media group wishes to replicate the success of the Guam International Film Festival by bringing a similar concept to Saipan.

The Golden Rose Media Group presented to Marianas Visitors Authority board members last Thursday their plans to hold an international film festival on Saipan.

According to Golden Rose Media Group assistant to the president Li Wen Hao, it is also their group that handles the Golden Rose Award competition in Shenzhen, China.

Hao said his company has a $500,000 budget for its proposed Marianas International Film Festival, or MIFF.

In return, the company is asking the MVA to put up just 10 percent of that, $50,000, to get the word out about the MIFF on a global scale through a press conference and a launch ceremony.

The ceremony would include announcing the establishment of the MIFF organizing committee, appointment of its president and chairman of the juries, and is also the time the official website would go online, where interested parties could register for the 2017 selection. The press conference and the launching ceremony is proposed in May 2017, while the first MIFF is planned to be held in December 2017.

Proposed MIFF awards include best picture, best director, best screenplay, best cinematography, best original song, best short film, best animation, best visual effects, best foreign film, best actor, best actress, best new actor, and best new actress. Other awards include the young director, supporting award/golden rose award, and the lifetime achievement award.

Although the MVA board has yet to vote on a decision due to the lack of financial reports from the Chinese company, MVA board members were vocal about inviting key markets to the CNMI as well as making it clear to the Chinese company that commitments must follow to ensure the success of any international film festival.

According to the presentation by Li, the venue could possibly be at the Regal Saipan Megaplex 7, the lone theater complex in the CNMI.

Li said the CNMI is the “perfect place for film festivals.”

“No one can deny that the CNMI is a wonderful place, it has beaches and wonderful hotels,” he said. “Saipan is quite an accessible place in the Asia-Pacific region, so Saipan is a good choice to have an international film festival.”

According to Li, the Chinese company has been communicating with many international names in the entertainment business, such as director Oliver Stoene, Taiwanese director Ang Lee, and multi-talented martial artist Jackie Chan.

“We have been communicating with Jackie Chan and he said it wasn’t going to be a big problem,” said Li.