Auli’i Cravalho to Participate in Special Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti Panel Discussion

Auli’i Cravalho will discussing her PEAK performance levels next month…

The Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK) has announced their PEAK Conversations panel, sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios, with the 23-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress/singer among the panelists.

Auliʻi CravalhoTaking place in Los Angeles on May 1, the first celebration of Pasifika women in Hollywood will feature and highlight the achievements of the Moana and Mean GirlsRuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Colby, and Great Scott Productions founder Naomi Scott with moderation by Moana 2 and Thai Cave Rescue screenwriter Dana Ledoux Miller.

The talanoa (or discussion) will focus on issues specific to Pasifika women and their journeys in the entertainment industry.

“May is AAPI Heritage Month yet you’ll find Pasifika (or Pacific Islander) people are rarely prioritized and often erased in celebrations despite us being named in them. Most AAPI organizations have no Pasifika staff or even board members so it’s why PEAK exists. We’re the only Pasifika-led organization doing this work who will advocate for us the way we do. We’re all about uplifting our most marginalized voices so for this event, it made perfect sense to highlight our women who are the backbone of our communities, yet they experience the most disparity when it comes to opportunities and pay,” said Kristian Fanene Schmidt, Co-Founder and Executive Director of PEAK.

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) reports that on average, for every dollar white non-Hispanic men make, Fijian women earn $0.73, Chamorro women earn $0.66, Samoan women earn $0.63, Native Hawaiian women earn $0.62, and Tongan women earn $0.59.

“I’ve been working a really long time to try to get into positions where I can help other Pasifika writers and creators tell stories and get into rooms. It feels like I finally have that opportunity and have more influence in what gets out there. So I hope to use this moment to show people what we’re capable of and how we can really do anything,” says Ledoux Miller, who is also a Co-Founder of PEAK.

PEAK’s mission is to redefine and expand Pasifika entertainment so that our creatives can thrive, evolve, and drive innovative storytelling that honors the richness and diversity across Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

First Trailer Released for Manolo Cardona’s Spanish-Language Sci-Fi Thriller “Pacific”

Manolo Cardona is headed to a haunted paradise…

The first trailer has been released for Pacific, the ensemble Spanish language sci-fi thriller starring the 45-year-old Colombian actor.

Manolo Cardona,The film, a Colombian-Argentinan co-production, is currently in post and was made with a budget of around $10M. FilmSharks has launched pre-sales and will debut footage and promotional materials at the forthcoming Cannes market.

Argentinian filmmaker Gonzalo GutierrezG.G.’ directed the film, which follows a group of young travelers stranded on an island in the Pacific where they struggle to escape an evil presence that has been kept hidden from humans for centuries. Gutierrez has had an extensive VFX career, working on projects like Gonzalo Tobal’s 2018 Venice title The Accused and the Colombian drama sci-fi drama Cumbia Ninja.

The cast of Pacific is rounded out by Maria Gabriela de Faria (The Exorcism of God), Ricardo Abarca (Miss Bala), Christopher Von Uckermann (How to Break Up with Your Douchebag), Claudio Cataño (Thousand Fangs) and Maria Nela Sinisterra (Corazon de Leon).

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra recorded the music for the film’s score. The Orchestra has a long cinematic history, with company musicians working extensively on scores such as the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit series. John Neill of Peter Jackson’s post-production house Park Road Studio served as recording producer and score mixer. The film’s main theme was also recorded at Park Road with Kiwi singer-composer Caii-Michelle Baker on vocals in collaboration with Argentinian music composer Pablo Borghi.

Pacific was produced by Mauricio Brunetti’s Patagonia Films alongside Guido Rud’s FilmSharks.

Pacific was partially funded by the Colombian film entity Proimagenes and the Argentine film institute INCAA. Production took place on location in the Colombian capital of Bogota and the coastal region of Choco, with post-production now based in Buenos Aires.

“I strongly believe that Pacific is very likely to be a ‘before’ and ‘after’ in the latín American genre cinema,” says Gutierrez.

Cardona’s previous credits include Who Killed Sara?, Narcos and The Snitch Cartel.