About the Festival
Cinema at Sea - Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival is a new film festival launching in Okinawa, Japan taking place in late November 2023. Inspired by the culture of the Pacific regions, the festival will present the cinematic voices of the Pan-Pacific region and create an international networking opportunity.
Spirit and main themes of the festival
Located on the beautiful island of Okinawa in southwest Japan, the festival will focus on bringing cinema of the Pan-Pacific region to East Asian audiences and build a bridge to the international film market.
Cinema at Sea sets out to awaken the spirit from the ocean, to gather the voices of the islands to become a message to the contemporary world. From marginal geographical situations to unique indigenous identities; from severe climate change to the hope of peace under the changing world.
The festival program will consist of Pacific Film Competition (feature and short), Director in Focus, Pacific Islands Spotlight, Japan Islands Showcase and VR screenings.
To make use of the beautiful beaches, the festival will also be screening part of the program at Beachside Screenings.
Competition - 2023
CALL FOR ENTRIES (10 July - 31 August 2023)
Please check the submission regulation in Filmfreeway:
https://filmfreeway.com/Cinema-at-Sea
Pan-Pacific Region Countries:
Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Colombia, People's Republic of China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue,North Korea, Palau, Panamá, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United States of America, Vanuatu, Vietnam
Overseas territories such as New Caledonia are also eligible.
Festival Director’s Note
Huang Yin-Yu 黄インイク
Executive Director
We originally started the festival’s idea and concept in 2018 and after holding a few events since 2019, Cinema at Sea International Film Festival will finally launch its first official edition in November 2023! Located in the beautiful and famous Okinawa islands in southwest Japan, the festival will focus on bringing the Pan-Pacific region to the East Asian audience and the international market.
The origin of Okinawa Islands is the Ryukyu Kingdom, which was the official name until the late 19th century. After experiencing colonisation, the battle of World War II, the US Army Administration, Okinawa has become a very multicultural place, where different cultures and people have come together and created a beautiful place full of leisure and has become a famous tourism destination in East Asia.
Cinema at Sea is channeling the Okinawan spirit to gather voices of the Pacific islands and bring messages from marginal geographical places and unique indigenous cultures, that inform us about the severity of climate change, geopolitical conflict and disappearing worlds, but still are filled with hope of peace in a changing world.
The 1st official edition will be in late November 2023, and we sincerely welcome you to join us. MENSORE (“Welcome” in Okinawan)!