Beckie Stocchetti is one of themembers of the jury for the FIFO 2022. Director of the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF), she has also produced documentaries and worked in impact film campaigns.
How do you view your role as a member of the jury for the FIFO?
I am very honoured to be on the jury. This is my first visit to Tahiti, and I am very excited to see how the FIFO works as a festival and what it presents. It is important and good to take any opportunity to talk, promote and share Pacific films.
How do you judge a documentary? Do you have any instructions from the FIFO?
The jury members haven’t spoken together yet, so I don’t know if there is anything particular to expect. Some festivals indeed have specific criteria. For me, it’s a combination of the technical aspects and the story itself. The sound, cinematography, execution, direction, character development, content, emotions, different ways of thinking and how the film can change the viewers’ perception through the way the story is told, authenticity… It all counts.
What are your goals as director of HIFF?
The first objective of the HIFF festival, dating from 1991, is to share films between the East and West: between Asia and America. That was the initial objective. When I took over this position in 2017, we started to develop the screening of Pacific films, made in Hawaii. There were already these kinds of films but not as many. We introduced cash awards. We focused onthe talent that exists in the Pacific Islands and specifically in Hawaii.
Your goal was to develop the Hawaiian audiovisual industry, made by Hawaiians?
Exactly and to show that the Hawaiian industry was improving. We wanted the festival to highlight these films because the rest of the world wasn’t really paying attention to them even though there was content andpotential.
What will be the differences between HIFF and the FIFO?
I think it will be very different. French Polynesia supports film differently to the US. In Hawaii, everything is independent, and film must find its own funding. We don’t have any grants from the US government. One of the goals of HIFF is also to rally as many people as possible to experience Hawaiian culture. HIFF is very focused on tourism, and it covers a larger and denser geographical area. The FIFO is more focused on Oceanic identity and the Pacific Islands.
What role do you see for documentaries in the Pacific?
Documentary has always played an important role, but films are much more accessible, especially documentaries that show the real situation and history. It gives people around the world a perspective of life in other countries, an opportunity to share their culture. I don’t know if it’s becoming more important, but it is important.
Has there been a progression behind the camera with more Pacific directors and producers?
Yes, and that’s a good thing! No disrespect to the directors who came from Europe to film and make documentaries. The first films were made by outsiders who came to tell the story of the indigenous population. Now people can tell their own story and that’s vital.
What have you done in the audiovisual industry?
I worked as a producer, on the impact film campaign, at the documentary production company Kartemquin Films. My role was to broadcast programmes promoting diversity in filmmaking. I also had to manage impact campaigns around films to change laws and the perceptions of society. I also worked for the city of Chicago to assist in the making of films shot in the city.
What do you like about the audiovisual industry?
I love everything about it! And I hate it too (laughter)! It’s a tough business. I love doing work that changes the way people interact with the world, promoting ideas, supporting people who work in the industry to help them break through, and developing cinema that better reflects diversity in general.
Can a documentary change society?
Yes, and it works! Some are more successful than others but it’s impossible not to change your vision when you have insight to people and their daily lives through a film.
Written by Lucie Rabreaud
French