The My Pacific Story Short Film Competition 2025 showcased selected entries and announced the four winning submissions in celebration of World Press Freedom on May 3, 2025. The competition was hosted by The Pacific Media Institute in the Marshall Islands in partnership with the Republic of China (Taiwan), Microwave Films, University of the South Pacific Marshall Islands Campus, Six9Too Productions, the Marshall Islands Journal and Corrieography. Four submissions were announced this week based on: how the narrative, language, editing, setting and characters convey a Pacific Story. Also, technical quality, storytelling, and creativity.

The winning films from the Pacific Media Institute MY PACIFIC STORY Film Competition:

Grand Prize $1500: Hungere Nao, Dr Greg Coates (Solomon Islands)

Second Prize $1000: The Sand Bank, Caleb Young (Fiji)

Third Prize: $750: For the Truth, Mhmd Farun (Fiji)

World Press Freedom Day Award $1000: Kendall Romany (RMI)

Special Award $100: Yokwe: More Than a Word, Aaliyah Slinger, youngest filmmaker (RMI)

Jack Niedenthal posted these still shots from the entries that were viewed in the special screening:

This trailer is an example of the one entries, produced in Arkansas and submitted by Xander Pictures.

The winning entry is a short film depicts the hard but beautiful subsistence life in the Solomon Islands. The 8 minute film is in Solomon Pijin language with English subtitles.

The competition was judged by:

Alex Muñoz is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of FYI Films, an organization that empowers incarcerated youth through digital storytelling.

Don Muña is an award-winning Chamoru filmmaker from Guam. He co-founded the Guam International Film Festival, helps develop the local film industry, and is Executive Producer at PBS Guam.

Kel Muna, founder and program director of the Guam International Film Festival, developed the course curriculum for filmmaking at the University of Guam. Kel has over thirty years of experience in radio, television and film production.

Suzanne Chutaro, from the Marshall Islands, was the co-producer and co-director for five award winning Microwave Films. She is also a former journalist for The Marshall Islands Journal.