2nd Annual Guam International Film Festival

The 2nd Annual Guam International Film Festival Presented by DFS Galleria will take place from Thursday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012 at the Micronesia Mall Stadium Theatres and Zen Ultra Lounge in Tumon Bay.

With over 3000 attendees at last year’s event, Guam International Film Festival (GIFF) is focusing their efforts in engaging, educating and entertaining Guam’s diverse communities by showcasing culturally relevant films. “One thing I’m most excited about for this year’s event is bringing together people of different cultures and all walks of life.” says GIFF Executive Director, Don Muna. GIFF has had over 160 international films submitted from 27 different countries in 2012. Including films from Guam, the Marshal Islands, and the Pacific Asia region.

The mission of the Guam International Film Festival is to engage, educate, entertain and promote Guam’s diverse communities to the world. “I  believe GIFF has the potential to be one of the island’s most anticipated international events that promote Guam as a premier travel destination in the Pacific Asia region.” says Francis Guerrero, Senior Manager of Promotions and Community Affairs at DFS Galleria.

The four day festival will feature special events including film screenings from guest filmmakers from the Philippines, Japan and Guam, filmmaking workshops conducted by industry professionals, events and an award ceremony.

Festival guests scheduled to attend are acclaimed Japanese director Kazuhiro Soda (Winner of the Best Documentary award at the 35th Hong Kong International Film Festival), award-winning Filipino director Benito Bautista (Winner of the NETPAC Best Picture Award), GIFF Jurors Tom Brislin, Ph.D. (Fulbright Scholar and Chair, Academy of Creative Media, University of Hawaii at Manoa) and Gabrielle Kelly (Fulbright Scholar and NYU Tisch Asia Associate Arts Professor, Board Member for the British Academy of Film and Television).

“GIFF is well on its way to becoming one of the notable film festivals in Pacific Asia; as we’ve seen an increase of high-profile entries from more countries and submissions from both internationally acclaimed filmmakers and emerging local filmmakers”, says Kel Muna, GIFF Program Director.

“We have also expanded our programming with a film exchange from Japan’s ‘Short Shorts Film Festival’, which is an Academy-Award qualifying film festival. Plus, we’re still showcasing films from University of Hawaii’s Academy for Creative Media.

"We believe wholeheartedly in the Guam International Film Festival. It celebrates talent from around the world, including right here in the Marianas. For an entire weekend, Guam and our visitors are able to feast on international films - short and long - that show the diversity, creativity, and passion of so many filmmakers." Jennifer Camacho, Director of Business Development at Cars Plus.

The Guam International Film Festival would like to acknowledge our sponsors that continue to support and recognize the impact of social responsibility through the arts: DFS Galleria, Cars Plus, United Airlines, Docomo Pacific, Peroni, Patron X.O. Cafe, Guam Visitors Bureau, Sorenson Media Group, Tango Theatres, Pacific Tyre, Guam Preservation Trust, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Warner Archive Collection and PBS Guam.

The 2012 Guam International Film Festival official selections are:

123 (Narrative Short, Philippines)

A DREAM DEFERRED (Documentary Short, USA)

AINIKIEN JIDJID ILO BOÑ (THE SOUND OF CRICKETS AT NIGHT) (Narrative Feature,Marshall Islands)

ASH (Narrative Short, Singapore)

BACK TO THE SQUARE (Documentary Feature, Sweden)

BIBA! ONE ISLAND, 879 VOTES! (Documentary Feature, CNMI)

BLOOD TIES (Narrative Short, Japan)

BOUNDARY (Narrative Feature, Philippines)

BREADFRUIT AND OPEN SPACES (Documentary Short, USA, Guam)

BREATHE (Narrative Short, USA)

CABBAGEMINCER (Narrative Short, Russia)

CAVING IN (Music Video, USA)

CHRONICLES OF TRE (Narrative Short, Guam)

CONNECTION (Animation Short, USA)

DAVE (Documentary Feature, USA)

DOOR (Animation Short, USA)

DOUBLE OR NOTHING (Narrative Short, USA)

DROP (Animation Short, USA)

E'HO'OMAU!: PELE SEARCHES FOR A HOME (Animation Short, USA)

EL NIDO VACIO (Narrative Short, Spain, Venezuela)

MAGELLAN DOESN’T LIVE HERE (Documentary Short, USA, Guam)

MANILA KINGPIN: THE ASIONG SALONGA STORY (Narrative Feature, Philippines)

MATA (Narrative Short, USA)

MRS. JUDO (Documentary Feature, USA, Japan)

NARCOCORRIDO (Narrative Short, USA)

NOT ONE OF US (Narrative Short, USA)

PEACE (Documentary Feature, Japan)

PRIVATE SUN (Narrative Short, Palestine)

REDLEGS (Narrative Feature, USA)

REFRESH (Narrative Short, Japan)

ROMANCE (Narrative Short, Japan)

SHADOW BILLIONAIRE (Documentary Feature, CNMI, USA)

SHOUTING SECRETS (Narrative Feature, Switzerland, USA)

STUDENT WRESTLER (Documentary Short, Japan)

SUPERHERO (Narrative Short, USA)

SUPERSTAR (Narrative Short, Japan)

THE ADVENTURES OF ORANGES (Narrative Short, USA)

FLAT (Narrative Short, USA)

FOREVER IN HIATUS (Narrative Short, Vietnam)

GOTTHARD SCHUH: A SENSUAL VISION OF THE WORLD (Documentary Feature, Sweden, Italy)

GUAM (Narrative Feature, USA)

IMMIGRANTS AND CIGARETTES (Narrative Short, Australia)

JESUS HOSPITAL (Narrative Feature, Korea)

KA PUA (Documentary Short, USA)

KATYA (Narrative Short, Japan, USA)

LIST (Narrative Short, Japan)

LOST WHITE (Narrative Short, Japan)

THE CHAMPIONS (Narrative Short, USA)

THE LIGHT (Animation Short, Japan)

THE TRAIN (Narrative Short, Canada)

TRADITIONAL FISHING ON GUAM  (Documentary Short, Guam)

ULIAN (Narrative Short, Philippines)

VICIOUS CIRCLE (Narrative Short, Greece)

WE ARE PAGAT (Documentary Short, Guam)

WISH (Narrative Short, USA)

WITH GREAT POWER: THE STAN LEE STORY (Documentary Feature, USA)

The 2nd Annual Guam International Film Festival is presented by DFS Galleria and is also sponsored by Cars Plus, United Airlines, Docomo Pacific, Peroni, Patron X.O. Cafe, Guam Visitors Bureau, Sorenson Media Group, Tango Theatres, Pacific Tyre, Guam Preservation Trust, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Warner Archive Collection and PBS Guam.

If you’d like to volunteer for GIFF, or to see a complete list of films and events, purchase tickets and for more information, please visit guamfilmfestival.org.