Cinema at Sea - Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival

The Okinawa Islands are located on the western side of the Pacific Ocean and have preserved their own traditional culture while incorporating cultural influences from Japan, China, the United States, and Taiwan over the past several centuries. Given its unique international status, Okinawa is an ideal location for showcasing diversity.

This film festival will focus on the theme of "ocean" and will feature works set against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. It will lead audiences to discover fantastic films that have been nurtured by this vast sea, including those about the decline of traditional culture, the customs of tribal cultures, and observations on geopolitics.

At the inaugural edition of the film festival, legendary Iranian director Amir Naderi served as the Jury President. Films from Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia, Panama, Indonesia, New Caledonia, Hong Kong, and the United States were selected for the main competition section, with distinguished guests from over a dozen countries visiting Okinawa.

In the second edition, the festival's timing was moved to late February, accompanied by the introduction of three new sections. The "Pacific Short Film Competition" shines a spotlight on exceptional short films from the Pan-Pacific region. "Islands in Focus" highlights a different Pacific island region each year, aiming to increase international awareness of their unique perspectives and narratives through cinema history and masterpieces. Additionally, the new "Okinawa Panorama" section features a diverse lineup ranging from restored classics to notable new works related to Okinawa.

From the third edition, the festival adopted a "twin-cycle" format. This system alternates biennially between the main festival, "Cinema at Sea Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival" (featuring a competition), and special thematic showcase tailored to each year’s focus.

For the fourth edition, we are scheduled to host the main "Cinema at Sea Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival," complete with its competition section.