The Pan Pacific Film Festival (PPFF) is taking place for the 6th time, this year in Little Tokyo, from July 24 to 26. The first night ended on Thursday with the awarding of many filmmakers and actors for their work during the Stellae Awards, the "most anticipated event of the Pan Pacific Film Festival," according to the website.
The Stellae Awards is known as the "Oscars of Christian Film," and nominations and awards are carefully chosen and recognizes "the highest achievement in faith-based films." The term "stellae", pronounced [stel-uh], is a Latin word which means "star". It comes from a Latin translation of Daniel 12:3.
Awards were given for many different categories, including Best Mission, which was awarded to Who Are the Chinese?, and Founder's Pick, which was given to God's Eye View, or ?? (Shi-Sun) in Korean. God's Eye View will be premiering Saturday night, the last night of the Pan Pacific Film Festival.
Kenneth An, one of the co-founders of Pan Pacific Film Festival.
During the Stellae Awards, Kenneth An, one of the co-founders of PPFF, expressed the heart of PPFF and the two main purposes it strives to achieve: 1) to be a bridge between the East and the West; and 2) missions.
"This is for God, and our primary concern is for God," said Mr. An. "God's heart is in mission, and we took that seriously. We simply obeyed His commandment to make disciples for the past 12 years through media, and now here we are. We've experienced so much of His abundant grace and provision."
The Pan Pacific Film Festival is a faith-based non-profit organization "that aims to use the power of film to teach the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ," according to their mission statement. Held once every year, filmmakers internationally are able to submit their films to PPFF, from which many are nominated to be screened during the festival days, and the best of which are awarded during the Stellae Awards. PPFF also creates DVDs of the nominated films and makes them available for missional purposes all over the world.
This year's PPFF has been put together by 30 staff members, many of which have full time jobs but commit extra time to serve and volunteer in this organization. Interns and volunteers meet every Saturday to plan, organize, and pray together.
"We share the same vision and work together toward one goal, and we've seen such big progress," Mr. An said. "Interns and volunteers are not paid, but they are so crazy for God."
The Pan Pacific Film Festival continues Friday and Saturday, during which attendees can participate in workshops, fashion shows, outdoor performances, movie screenings, and movie premieres.
