The time has come to announce the recipient of GIFF12's Audience Choice award and we are pleased to announce that the award goes to 'Beauty Queen' written and directed by Myra Aquino of Guam and Philippines. Myra Aquino is a writer-director who grew up in Guam and the Philippines. She is a 2020 graduate from the UCLA MFA Directing program and her work has been supported by the Delia Salvi Memorial Award, the UCLA Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship, the Sony Streisand Fellowship, and the Norris Fellowship. Most recently, she was selected to participate in the 2021 Women in Film x Black List Feature Residency for her coming-of-age feature screenplay LAMB, the 2022 Athena Writing Lab for her half-hour comedy PUBLIC HEALTH, and her thesis film BEAUTY QUEEN won the 2020 First Place Gold Circle Award from the Caucus Foundation and Best Short Film from the 2021 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Myra has also received an MD and Masters in Public Health from the University of Miami, and has worked and studied in areas such as the Thai-Burmese border, Kenya, Japan, and Italy. With her eclectic background, Myra is passionate about exploring the impacts of multiculturalism and globalization on Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander, and other underrepresented communities. Sypnosis: 1942, Pampanga, Philippines– When the Philippines is invaded during WWII, Remedios, a beauty queen, runs to the mountains with her brother to join the Hukbalahap resistance. She struggles to find the strength to be who she needs to be for her country– while still unapologetically being herself. ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment

We would also like to send our warmest regards to one of our delegates who traveled from New Zealand to attend GIFF12, Anna Marbrook! Anna has a directing career spanning nearly 30 years and has directed extensively across the Pacific. Her work connects media with social change and activates communities in both process and presentation. She has forged a highly collaborative approach to story and has partnered with key community leaders to develop rich storytelling projects. She created and series directed the 10-part Waka Warriors and co-directed the feature documentary Te Mana o Te Moana, the Pacific Voyagers, winner of a silver world medal at the New York Film and TV awards. She created and series-directed Real Pasifik Season 1 and 2 for TVNZ – both finalists in the New York Film and TV awards. In 2018 Anna created Waka Odyssey with Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr and Kasia Pol and directed the NZ Festival Opening, drawing a live audience of 20,000 and 200,000 online viewers of the live feed. 50,000 visitors participated in the event over its nine-day duration. In March 2019 this event won best Arts or Cultural Event 2018 at the National Events Awards and was nominated for a Wellington City Award. For TV3’s Inside New Zealand she wrote and directed the one-hour documentary A Little Love Story. With Scottie Productions she directed Te Araroa Tales From The Trails, which was a finalist in the NZ Film and TV awards 2018. Anna directed over 150 episodes of serial drama Shortland Street. She co-produced short film Jumbo (Auckland, Melbourne and Clairmont Ferrand festivals) and co-directed short film The Rules of Dogs and Men with her brother Jim Marbrook. In theatre, Anna co-founded Theatre at Large, devising and directing both new work and classics including King Lear starring Ian Mune, Rachel House and Miranda Harcourt; Manawa Taua/Savage Hearts with Cliff Curtis and Rachel House; Cyrano de Bergerac with Cameron Rhodes and Jacob Rajan. ———— Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #SHARP

We would also like to send our warmest regards to one of our delegates who traveled from Saipan to attend GIFF12, Galvin De Leon Guerrero, Ed.D! Galvin Deleon Guerrero has spent over two decades in education, serving and leading students from kindergarten through college, and in various capacities including teacher, vice principal, principal, director, board member, and president. In that time, he has also worked with and mentored students in theatre and film, having produced over 50 stage and film productions. In addition to several amateur films posted on his YouTube channel, Galvin’s professional film credits include “Leaves”, which he wrote, edited, and directed at New York University, and “Shithead Monica” and “Stand-Up Neurotica”. He also has directed and/or produced three films in the “We Drank Our Tears” anthology that are available on Amazon. Galvin has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration, a certificate in Advanced Digital Filmmaking from New York University, and recently earned a doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment

HÅFA ADAI! We are proud to present the 2022 GIFF award honorees: GRAND JURY AWARD WINNER FOR BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE: RAYDIO (Taiwan, Dir: Kaidi Zhan) GRAND JURY AWARD WINNER FOR BEST NARRATIVE SHORT: MARIANNE (France, Dir: Julien Gaspar-Oliveri) GRAND JURY AWARD WINNER FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: LOIMATA, THE SWEETEST TEARS (New Zealand, Dir: Anna Marbrook) GRAND JURY AWARD WINNER FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: I WON'T REMAIN ALONE (Iran, Dir: Yaser Talebi) BEST MADE IN THE MARIANAS AWARD WINNER: STEPS ON THE SHORE (Northern Mariana Islands, Dir: Elijah Joshua Pajarillaga) ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #community #education #entertainment

Meet GIFF 12'S Grand Jury! Mian Mian Lu Juror Mian Mian is a Taiwanese director and writer. She studied filmmaking at the New York Film Academy before receiving her MFA from Taipei National University of the Arts. Her first feature, Mickey on the Road, was released in 2020 and has been shown at the Torino Film Festival, New York Asian American International Film Festival, and São Paulo International Film Festival, among numerous others. ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment

Meet GIFF12's Grand Jury! Randy Finch Juror Randy Finch is a producer and educator who splits his time between Asia and the US. In his award-winning producing career, Mr. Finch has worked behind the scenes on films that premiered in competition at festivals such as Cannes (“Miles from Home”) and won honors at Deauville (“Federal Hill”), Berlin, and Sundance. Mr. Finch has also worked on numerous award-winning theatrical productions at internationally-recognized venues including Lincoln Center (“Goose and TomTom”), The Kennedy Center (“3 Hotels”), the Westwood Playhouse (“Hurlyburly”), and at The Ambassadors in London’s West End – where he was part of the team behind the legendary Royal Shakespeare Company production of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”. In recent years, Mr. Finch’s research and teaching (at Taipei’s National University of the Arts and The Beijing Film Academy) has included publication on new platforms and tools and keynoting at numerous events including the HTC Vive Jam in Taiwan, at the symposium on VR and Pedagogy at the University of New Haven, and at UXPA in Nanjing. Mr. Finch is also a long time board member of The Echo Theater Company in LA, which recently, and once again, has been nominated for its world premiere of new work (2020-2021, “Poor Clare”). ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment"

Meet GIFF12's Grand Jury! Mareva Leu, Ph.D Juror Mareva LEU (PhD) is the general delegate of the FIFO Association (AFIFO) and festival director of FIFO in Tahiti since 2016. She is also the president of Littéramā’hi group of indigenous writers and editor-in-chief of their literary journal since 2021. After her studies at Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse (France) and at the Université de la Polynésie française in Tahiti, Mareva led a scientific career until 2015. She carried on research in pharmacology of which the quality and originality has been acknowledged multiple times at international congresses (Nouméa, Tokyo, Paris and Geneva). In 2009, she was the first French Polynesian recipient of the Talents de l’Outre-mer prize, awarded by the French Conseil Économique Social et Environnemental in Paris. In 2016, she succeeded Marie KOPS as festival director of FIFO in Tahiti. As the current FIFO Association general delegate, she wishes to continue her predecessors’ work by promoting Oceania, its challenges and its considerations as the heart of FIFO. She endeavors to promote native filmmakers from her country and encourages them to authentic storytelling. Since 2018, Mareva also participated in the Good Pitch Pasifika development with a first edition of the Good Pitch Local Tahiti planned in the coming years. FIFO 2023 will be the 7th edition of the festival run by Mareva. ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment"

Meet GIFF12's Grand Jury! Gabrielle Kelly Juror Gabrielle Kelly teaches screenwriting for the American Film Institute and a former Associate Arts Professor for New York University, Tisch Asia School of the Arts. Gabrielle’s expertise also is rooted in the Board of Directors for the British Academy of Film and Television and Women in Film and Co-Founder of the International Alliance of Women Cinematographers. She is a Fulbright Scholar Senior Specialist/Media & Communications, screenwriter & producer of features and indie films, with extensive international industry experience including projects with Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros., Dreamworks, Marvel Comics, HBO, CBS Film & Television, Cannes Film Festival and USC School of Cinematic Arts. Gabrielle returns to the GIFF jury for her twelfth consecutive year. ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment

Meet GIFF12's Grand Jury! Tom Brislin, Ph.D Lead Juror Emeritus Professor and retired Associate Dean of the College of Arts, Languages and Letters at the University of Hawai’i, Tom Brislin’s broad career in media production, management, and education began on Guam. He received his Master of Arts and Ph.D in Mass Communication and Film at The Ohio State University. His specialty areas include Indigenous and International Film, Media Ethics, and International and Intercultural Journalism and Mass Communication. He was twice a Fulbright Scholar in Germany, and has led teaching and research projects at major universities in Japan, China, Paris, and Berlin. Brislin has been a juror for the Hawaii and Shanghai International Film Festivals. He is included among the distinguished alumni of the University of Guam, and was awarded a lifetime membership in the University Film and Video Association. Dr. Brislin returns to the GIFF jury for his twelfth consecutive year. ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment"

D2 Highlights: Having fun with Anna Marbrook, our delegate from New Zealand 🤩 ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment

Meet GIFF12's Made in Marianas Jury! Kyle Perron Juror Kyle Perron is the Co-Founder, co-director and editor for the small Guam based film production company Mighty Island. Growing up on the small island, Kyle’s interest in film began with joining his family to every Friday showings at the local multiplex. After spending some time as a freelance editor in the Bay Area, Kyle moved back to Guam to start film projects with Mighty Island. The production company works on a wide genre of projects such as short documentaries, music videos, and corporate commercials. Together with Mighty Island, Kyle continues to tell the stories about the people of Guam and the Marianas. ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment

Meet GIFF12's Made in Marianas Jury! Niel Darren Romero Juror Niel Darren Romero is a 2011 Guam International Film Festival “Best Made in the Marianas” award-winning filmmaker with more than 15 years of creative experience. Whether it is directing, editing, writing, graphic design or performance, he puts 110% into everything he does. He believes that you can educate, entertain and inspire if you listen to your heart and follow your true passion. For the past 6 years, Niel has been captivating audiences with his bold and innovative commercial advertisements while also charming the local film industry with his professional work ethic and leadership. In 2011, Niel co-founded Project: Inspire alongside Erani and Justin to produce, write and direct their first feature film — “iHeartGU.” Now they use their creative talents to “Dream Impossible” and “Create Beyond” for the greater good of Guam. ---------- Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021. #cinemaolek #GIFF12 #SHARP #filmfestivals #filmsubmissions #pasifikafilms #aapifilms #guamfilmfestival #pacificislander #guam #independentfilm #shortfilms #documentaries #studentfilms #featurefilms #animation #community #education #entertainment