International Film Penomenon Film Raro Comes to Fruition

International Film Penomenon Film Raro Comes to Fruition

Film Raro is an international phenomenon taking place in the idyllic south pacific location of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands during May 2013.

Over 2000 filmmakers from around the globe entered the Film Raro Pacific Paradise Film Challenge to contend for six opportunities to journey to the island paradise to make short films.

Teams from Los Angeles, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii have been selected to participate bringing a range of experience from film student to Hollywood block buster producer.

All international teams will work with local Cook Island cast and crew in the world’s most unique filmmaking course with the aim to capacity build Cook Islanders to eventually tell their own digital stories to preserve their own language, heritage and culture. It’s also one of the world’s most innovative initiatives to promote, the holiday destination of the Cook Islands to international travellers.

“It’s a real and practical exercise in making films,” says Stan Wolfgramm, Film Raro project creator. “I’m of Cook Island heritage and wanted to create something to help socially and economically the people of the Cook Islands. This is the first year of our event that will run annually with plans to grow it to become one of the world’s iconic international film industry events. Films can bring many benefits to many sectors of society promoting messages to the world for many, many years.” Films to be made range from a documentary on one of the Cook Islands most renowned love songs, to a fable with no dialogue, to a film on domestic violence, to an adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s odyssey The off Shore Pirate and more.

Film Raro is all about to come to fruition on May the 13th as all crews touch down in Rarotonga to begin filming. They’ll have two weeks to shoot, edit and finish their Cook Island made films.

“We’re turning the whole island into a studio for a week.” Says Stan Hollywood producers Robert and Webster Stone with credits that include ‘The Conspirator directed by Robert Redford, ‘Gone in 60 seconds’ staring Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie and ‘The Negotiator’ staring Samuel L Jackson have flown into the Cook Islands for a reconnaissance trip before they return for shooting in May say “We are so impressed with the Film Raro concept, the amount of professional work done by the Film Raro team and the beauty of Rarotonga and its people that we’re excited and dedicated to bringing all our energies to making the best film we can for all involved and the global audience that this film will reach.”

At the end of the two weeks of production comes the Film Raro International Film Festival on May 25th 2013 where the entire island is invited to bring their families, a blanket and a picnic to view an outdoor screening of the finished films.

Stan says “Were inviting the island to come and see them selves on the big screen, hear themselves, laugh and celebrate in locally made Cook Island films. As we say at Film Raro – ‘live the dream’ or as one local put it – “It’s the hottest thing on the rock, oh and the planet.”

ENDS

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