Kaselehlie!
Kaoha nui!
Iorana!
Mālō le soifua!
Ekamawir omo!
Iakwe!
Alii!
Håfa adai!
Mauri!
Bula!
Mālō e lelei!
Talofa!
Kia ora!
E komo mai!
Kaselehlie!
Kaoha nui!
Iorana!
Mālō le soifua!
Ekamawir omo!
Iakwe!
Alii!
Håfa adai!
Mauri!
Bula!
Mālō e lelei!
Talofa!
Kia ora!
E komo mai!
AMC Global Media’s
“Future of Film: AANHPI Voices”
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PIFF is honored to partner with AMC Global Media to spotlight Pacific Island films from PIFF alumni on AMC+ and Sundance Now throughout 2026. AMC Global Media’s “Future of Film” initiative partners with indie film festivals that feature emerging talent from underrepresented communities. In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, AMC Global Media introduced a new “Future of Film: AANHPI Voices” collection on AMC+ and Sundance Now, available on each service for the next 12 months.
Use code: "PIFF30FREE” to access AMC+ for FREE for 30 days
AMC Global Media’s
“Future of Film: AANHPI Voices”
PIFF is honored to partner with AMC Global Media to spotlight Pacific Island films from PIFF alumni on AMC+ and Sundance Now throughout 2026. AMC Global Media’s “Future of Film” initiative partners with indie film festivals that feature emerging talent from underrepresented communities. In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, AMC Global Media introduced a new “Future of Film: AANHPI Voices” collection on AMC+ and Sundance Now, available on each service for the next 12 months.
Use code: "PIFF30FREE” to access AMC+ for FREE for 30 days
Lei Day
May 2026
PIFFNYC Celebrated AAPI Month at Brooklyn Museum
May celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
PIFFNYC brought the spirit of Hawaiʻi to the Brooklyn Museum's First Saturdays with a special Mini Lei Day celebration.
Guests enjoyed beautiful hula performances by Hālau Hula O Nā Mele ʻĀina O Hawaiʻi, accompanied by live music from Keala Ramos and Andrew Swackhamer.
Visitors also had the opportunity to learn the art of lei hilo, creating their own traditional Hawaiian lei while celebrating culture, community, and connection.
May celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
PIFFNYC brought the spirit of Hawaiʻi to the Brooklyn Museum's First Saturdays with a special Mini Lei Day celebration.
Guests enjoyed beautiful hula performances by Hālau Hula O Nā Mele ʻĀina O Hawaiʻi, accompanied by live music from Keala Ramos and Andrew Swackhamer.
Visitors also had the opportunity to learn the art of lei hilo, creating their own traditional Hawaiian lei while celebrating culture, community, and connection.
2026 Pacific Island Film Festival
September 17 - 20, 2026
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2026 THEME
Honoring our history and securing our future.
Experience 28 Films from across 10 Islands.
Tap into the wave of Indigenous knowledge, wisdom, and storytelling traditions that have connected communities across generations. You and your 'Ohana are warmly invited to experience and be immersed in the storytelling of the Pacific Islands.
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JOIN US
You're Invited to PIFF 2026
Thursday, September 17th
Opening Night: Pasifika On Air Launch
📍Playwrights Horizon
⏱️ 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Global debut of Pasifika On Air, a wave-making new platform dedicated to celebrating and amplifying Pasifika stories, voices, and creativity.
Be part of this landmark event as we unveil the platform, hear from special guests, and celebrate this milestone with the Pasifika community.
Join us for an evening of short films followed by a Q&A with filmmakers and a cocktail hour, offering the chance to continue the conversation and connect with fellow audiences and guests.
Malo aupito (thank you) to PCBL and Pasifika On Air for making this possible.
Films: Love and Kastom, Descendants of Niue, Dollar to Dreams
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Pasifika On Air (POA) is a funding programme for Pacific broadcasters to create and tell their own stories. Funded by Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL), it is the first initiative of its kind, empowering Pasifika broadcasters to share local stories on a global stage.
⏱️ 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Global debut of Pasifika On Air, a wave-making new platform dedicated to celebrating and amplifying Pasifika stories, voices, and creativity.
Be part of this landmark event as we unveil the platform, hear from special guests, and celebrate this milestone with the Pasifika community.
Join us for an evening of short films followed by a Q&A with filmmakers and a cocktail hour, offering the chance to continue the conversation and connect with fellow audiences and guests.
Malo aupito (thank you) to PCBL and Pasifika On Air for making this possible.
Films: Love and Kastom, Descendants of Niue, Dollar to Dreams
—
Pasifika On Air (POA) is a funding programme for Pacific broadcasters to create and tell their own stories. Funded by Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL), it is the first initiative of its kind, empowering Pasifika broadcasters to share local stories on a global stage.
Presented by
Friday, September 18th
Dreams to Screens
📍Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
⏱️ 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Returning for a third year in a row, the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian will host a screening and talk back with New Zealand's first gothic horror, Mārama. Grounded in the colonised history of Aotearoa, New Zealand; Mārama was chosen in 2020 imagineNATIVE Indigenous Screenwriting Intensive program, supported by Netflix then for further development in the 2021 Toronto I.F.F. ‘Writers’ Studio’, the inaugural 2021 ‘Black List New Zealand Project’ and the 2022 Zurich F.F. ‘Academy’. MĀRAMA was an Official Project in the 2023 Berlinale Co-Production Market.A bold reimagining of gothic horror, Mārama follows a young Māori woman confronting the violent legacy of colonialism through ancestral power, spiritual awakening and righteous vengeance. Writer-director Taratoa Stappard crafts a visually stunning and culturally resonant film that has been praised for its atmospheric storytelling, unforgettable lead performance and powerful emotional catharsis.
⏱️ 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Returning for a third year in a row, the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian will host a screening and talk back with New Zealand's first gothic horror, Mārama. Grounded in the colonised history of Aotearoa, New Zealand; Mārama was chosen in 2020 imagineNATIVE Indigenous Screenwriting Intensive program, supported by Netflix then for further development in the 2021 Toronto I.F.F. ‘Writers’ Studio’, the inaugural 2021 ‘Black List New Zealand Project’ and the 2022 Zurich F.F. ‘Academy’. MĀRAMA was an Official Project in the 2023 Berlinale Co-Production Market.A bold reimagining of gothic horror, Mārama follows a young Māori woman confronting the violent legacy of colonialism through ancestral power, spiritual awakening and righteous vengeance. Writer-director Taratoa Stappard crafts a visually stunning and culturally resonant film that has been praised for its atmospheric storytelling, unforgettable lead performance and powerful emotional catharsis.
Presented by
Saturday, September 19th
Pacific Cinema All Day Long
📍Angelika Film Center
⏱️ 2:00pm - 10:00pm
🎟️ Seven curated screenings
Experience a full day of extraordinary Pacific cinema, featuring award-winning documentaries, feature films and short film collections from across Oceania.
Discover powerful stories of identity, culture, resilience and community that celebrate the voices and traditions shaping the Pacific today. Join us at the Angelika Film Center for an unforgettable celebration of Pacific storytelling.
⏱️ 2:00pm - 10:00pm
🎟️ Seven curated screenings
Experience a full day of extraordinary Pacific cinema, featuring award-winning documentaries, feature films and short film collections from across Oceania.
Discover powerful stories of identity, culture, resilience and community that celebrate the voices and traditions shaping the Pacific today. Join us at the Angelika Film Center for an unforgettable celebration of Pacific storytelling.
SUNDAY, September 20th
Community Screening
📍TBA
⏱️ 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Experience a full day of extraordinary Pacific cinema, featuring award-winning documentaries, feature films and short film collections from across Oceania.
Films: Remantahu, Te Ara - The Path
⏱️ 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Experience a full day of extraordinary Pacific cinema, featuring award-winning documentaries, feature films and short film collections from across Oceania.
Films: Remantahu, Te Ara - The Path
Presented by
Closing Night Gala
📍Ascent Lounge, Columbus Circle
⏱️ 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Let us bring Pacific hospitality to you. Celebrating a week long of indigenous story-telling from across the Pacific, Melanesia and Micronesia. The strength of our communities and the voices shaping storytelling into the future.
⏱️ 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Let us bring Pacific hospitality to you. Celebrating a week long of indigenous story-telling from across the Pacific, Melanesia and Micronesia. The strength of our communities and the voices shaping storytelling into the future.
Presented by
2026
Mahalo Piha!
The Pacific Island Film Festival (PIFF) of New York City is an annual festival dedicated to telling a richer, more comprehensive story of the Pacific Islands. PIFF endeavors to be a platform for indigenous Pacific Island voices to be heard and recognized - celebrating, showcasing and cultivating the stories, art, talent and cultural depth of the Pacific Islands with the broader New York community.
Teamwork
Through teamwork, with members from across the globe PIFF's all volunteer team was able to produce an event New York will not forget!
Community
Founded in 2023, PIFF NYC Film Festival has quickly become a must-attend event for filmmakers and Pacific Island leaders.
Excellence
Our programming includes a wide range of genres and themes, from thought-provoking documentaries to heartwarming dramas. We also feature panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and networking events.
2026
Sponsors & Partners
Title Sponsors
Studio Sponsors
Awards Sponsors
