20th Anniversary of the Pacific Rim Film Festival
October 17-22, 2008
ADMISSION IS FREE!
Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Pacific Rim Film Festival and proudly marks two decades of offering free screenings of international feature films and documentaries to the Santa Cruz community. From Oct. 17 – Oct. 22, a total of 17 films and shorts will be shown at venues across the county.
Breaking News! Filmmaker Amanda Micheli will be here in person for the screening of her film "La Corona" on Sun. Oct. 19 at 6:00pm at the UCSC Media Theater.
The Pacific Rim Film Festival started in 1988 as one of the host sites for the East-West Center Film Tour. This tour brought films from the Hawaii International Film Festival to mainland audiences, providing an opportunity for new audiences to see feature films from Asia and the South Pacific. The East-West Center Film Tour no longer exists, but locally the Pacific Rim Film Festival carries on the tradition of selecting and screening films that reflect the theme "When Strangers Meet," in the interest of promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding. Following the model of the Hawaii International Film Festival, all screenings and after-film discussions are show ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE and open to the general public, with the exception of the Benefit Screening on Wed. Oct. 22.
This year’s festival opens on Friday, Oct. 17, at the Del Mar Theatre with the darkly hilarious comedy "Getting Home” (China/Hong Kong), followed by "La Corona," a striking documentary about a beauty pageant in a Bogata, Columbia, women’s prison. Far-ranging offerings this year include poignant dramas, fascinating documentaries and clever comedies. The subjects range from a documentary about tea by famed filmmaker Les Blank to a comedic tale of a Japanese soul food diner – in Finland. Springing from a rich variety of cultures, the 17 films will be screened at four sites: the Del Mar Theatre and Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz; the Cabrillo College Watsonville Center; and UCSC's Media Theater. Films this year originate from Thailand, China, South Korea, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the U.S.
Selected screenings will be followed by free discussions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers. including three local directors. Some shows offer extras, from Balinese music and dance to Hawaiian music by filmmaker/musician Eddie Kamae, on hand for the screening of his new documentary “Lahaina: Waves of Change." For more information on visiting filmmakers and after-film discussion, go to the Film Synopses section.
Ow Family Properties Present Pacific Rim Film Festival
PRFF, P.O. Box 8220, Santa Cruz, CA 95061
Sponsored by UCSC, Metro Santa Cruz and Donald Richards
October 17-22, 2008 • Admission is Free