Experience the Captivating Art of Pacific Storytelling with the Pasifika Film Festival at Riverside Theatres

Riverside Theatres invites audiences to immerse themselves in the vibrant stories and cultures of the Pacific Islands as the Pasifika Film Festival returns from Thursday 31st October to Sunday 3rd November.

A celebration of the art of Pacific storytelling through film, this year’s festival will feature a captivating line-up of feature films, documentaries, and shorts, showcasing the rich heritage and diverse perspectives of Pacific Islander communities.

The 2024 Pasifika Film Festival’s four-day program includes:

• Opening Night: Myths & Maidens (31st October): Directed by award-winning filmmaker Lisa Taouma, this documentary explores the impact of the colonial gaze on “native beauty” through the ages.
• Elections in Paradise (1st November): This series of three short films by Fijian director, Tumeli Tuqota looks at the politics of general elections in Fiji.
• The Forgotten Pacific (2nd November): Guided by the wisdom of Pacific climate leader Suluafi Brianna Fruean, this documentary travels to five Pacific islands to discover how communities are weaving indigenous knowledge into the modern-day fight to save their islands from climate change.
• Oceania Films (2nd November): Short films from all over Oceania, telling stories about climate, culture, language and legend.
• Pacific Australia Shorts (2nd November): Pacific-Australian creatives of Samoan, Tongan, Papua New Guinean and Tokelauan heritage tell stories of identity, growing up in urban cities, and connecting with culture.
• Aotearoa Shorts (3rd November): A collection of films from Pacific creatives in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Sailau (3rd November): Three Papuan sailors embark on their world-first attempt to circumnavigate the island of New Guinea, all in a traditional Papuan sailing canoe.

Established in 2013, the festival has grown from a small, community-based event running out of a repurposed factory in Marrickville, to an international, multi-city event inspiring the next generation of Pasifika writers, directors, and actors. In 2024, the Pasifika Film Festival will be hosted in three locations across Oceania: Canberra, Sydney, and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.