Huge strides towards featuring Pacific stories beyond the coral reef will be taken this week at the Pacific Island Film Festival (PIFF) of New York City.
With story sovereignty front of mind, Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) will be screening three Pasifika On Air (POA) showpieces, Love and Kastom (Vanuatu), Descendants of Niue (Niue), A Dollar to Dream (Samoa),on opening night of PIFF26 (September 17, 2026).
The PIFF is an annual festival dedicated to telling a richer, more comprehensive story of the Pacific Islands, and PCBL Chief of Content (Acting) Nicole Rex Taofinu’u says it is a perfect platform to highlight the abundance of storytelling talent within the region.
“Not only does it provide exposure for our talented producers and filmmakers, but it also drives interest in the region from around the globe,” Nicole says.
“For the producers of these amazing films, attending this event will open all sorts of doors, while for PCBL it is an opportunity to see what content we should be featuring on our digital platform launching in October.”
A unique content distribution pathway, the new Pasifika+ digital platform will feature curated Pacific content, showcasing the region’s stories, cultures and identities as well as providing sustainability in the media ecosystem.
Executive Director of PIFF Stacey Young is excited about welcoming Nicole, along with PCBL CEO Natasha Meleisea, Descendants of Niue producer Sandra Kailahi, and A Dollar to Dream producer Abba-Rose Vaiaoga-Ioasa to PIFF, who will take part of a Q&A panel on opening night.
“At PIFF, we offer Pacific Indigenous narratives, spotlights on creatives and pou for our whānaunga Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa to be seen, heard and most importantly connected,” Stacey says.
“We are ‘ohana-led, non-profit, and grounded in service, reciprocity and the values of our sea of islands…having these films – and their makers – as part of the festival is an exciting moment for us as we expand our filmmaking community.”
The PIFF26 gets underway on September 17 and concludes on September 20, in New York City.