Pacific Islanders

What Pacific Islanders does

Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public media organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Its mission is to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and filmmaking talent in order to foster deeper public understanding of Pacific Islander history, culture, and contemporary challenges. PIC is the only national public media organization exclusively dedicated to Pacific Islander content and operates as part of the National Minority Consortia alongside organizations serving Asian American, Black, Latino, and Native American communities.

PIC's core offering is a portfolio of filmmaker funding programs — principally the Media Fund (up to $65,000 per project for production or post-production of single non-fiction documentaries intended for PBS broadcast), the Shorts Fund, PIC Special Projects, and Series Acquisition. Funded and acquired films are distributed through branded series including Pacific Heartbeat (national PBS distribution via American Public Television and PBS Hawaii), Pacific Pulse+, Family Ingredients, and the educational Deep Waters screening series, supplemented by the PIC Exchange community screening program. The catalog spans 105+ documentary programs across Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. PIC also distributes a small set of DVDs through its online shop at $30 per title.

Revenue has historically derived overwhelmingly from federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, supplemented by individual donations, the Hawai'i DBEDT Creative Industries Division partnership for the Hawai'i Film and Creative Content Development Fund (2025), and DVD sales. The organization's leadership is Cheryl Hirasa (Executive Director), succeeding Ruth Bolan. PIC has deployed nearly $25M to filmmakers since inception and reached 90% of U.S. public television stations with its content.

Name

Pacific Islanders

Legal name

Pacific Islanders in Communications

Website

https://piccom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pacific Islanders in Communications is a Honolulu-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds independent Pacific Islander filmmakers via the Media Fund and Shorts Fund, and distributes a 105+ film documentary catalog nationally through the PBS public television ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Media and Documentary Film Support

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Regional Public Broadcasting Networks & Consortia (MPABADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG)

Keywords

• Public media production
• Documentary filmmaking grants
• Pacific Islander storytelling
• Filmmaker funding programs
• Educational film screenings

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding (Corporation for Public Broadcasting): CPB provides the vast majority of PIC's annual operational budget (~90% historically, ~75% as of 2025). This federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting supports filmmaker grants, production funding, and organizational operations. As of 2025, this funding is under threat due to proposed rescission packages.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals processed through PayPal, supporting PIC's mission to fund Pacific Islander storytelling. Also includes AmazonSmile contributions (0.5% of purchases).
3. State Government Funding: Partnership with Hawai'i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) Creative Industries Division for the Hawai'i Film and Creative Content Development Fund, providing seed funding for local filmmakers through PIC's facilitation role.
4. DVD Sales: PIC Shop sells DVDs of funded films including One Voice, Holo Mai Pele, Dances of Life, Skin Stories, Then There Were None, and Black Grace at $30.00 per DVD.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is a national nonprofit public media organization that funds, produces, and distributes Pacific Islander documentary film content. It operates filmmaker grant programs (Media Fund up to $65,000 per project, Shorts Fund, Special Projects, Series Acquisition), produces nationally distributed television series (Pacific Heartbeat, Pacific Pulse+, Family Ingredients, Homegrown), and delivers educational screenings through the Deep Waters classroom program in partnership with schools and universities.

Product overview

Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is a nonprofit media organization offering a portfolio of documentary film series, funding programs for filmmakers, and educational screening initiatives. The core offerings include Pacific Pulse+ (a multi-part documentary series), Pacific Heartbeat (a nationally distributed PBS series), Deep Waters (classroom screening series), Family Ingredients, and PIC Exchange screening events. PIC supports filmmakers through four funding mechanisms: the Media Fund (up to $65,000 for full-length documentaries), Shorts Fund, PIC Special Projects, and Series Acquisition. The organization has produced or distributed over 105 documentary films covering Pacific Island history, culture, music, identity, and social issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pacific Heartbeat: A nationally distributed public television series produced by PIC in partnership with PBS Hawaii, presented and distributed by American Public Television. An unprecedented collection of critically acclaimed documentaries centered on the Pacific Islander experience.
• Pacific Pulse+
• Family Ingredients
• Deep Waters
• PIC Exchange
• Media Fund
• Shorts Fund

Products and services

• Pacific Pulse+ A five-part documentary series featuring diverse programs intended to draw viewers into the heart and soul of Pacific Island culture, from revealing exposés to rousing musical performances.
• Pacific Heartbeat A nationally distributed public television series produced by PIC in partnership with PBS Hawaii and presented/distributed by American Public Television; an unprecedented collection of critically acclaimed documentaries centered on the Pacific Islander experience.
• Family Ingredients Documentary series featured in Pacific Heartbeat exploring Pacific Islander food culture and family culinary traditions.
• Homegrown: A Part Of / Apart From Documentary series featured in Pacific Heartbeat showcasing Pacific Islander perspectives.
• Deep Waters A screening series for the classroom that partners with education institutions to screen films highlighting Pacific Islander stories relating to current curriculum, sparking thought and encouraging conversation.
• PIC Exchange Screening event program featuring PIC-funded films with panel discussions, connecting filmmakers with audiences.
• Media Fund PIC's longest-standing funding initiative providing up to $65,000 for single non-fiction documentary projects of half-hour or hour length about the indigenous Pacific Islander experience, for production and post-production phases. Must be intended for national public television broadcast.
• Shorts Fund Funding program for completion of fiction and non-fiction short content featuring untold stories and fresh perspectives on the Pacific Islander experience.
• PIC Special Projects Ongoing proposal acceptance for documentary projects for public television broadcast that fall outside Media Fund parameters. Highly competitive with limited funding capacity.
• Series Acquisition Submission process for filmmakers to have their work considered for inclusion in Pacific Heartbeat series distribution through PBS.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $25M in filmmaker funding deployed since 1991
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hawai'i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) Creative Industries DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2025PIC serves as facilitator of the Hawai'i Film and Creative Content Development Fund, a new state initiative to cultivate Hawai'i's creative and film sector. PIC leads the selection process for small, mid-sized, and microbudget film and media projects through seed funding from CID's Hawai'i Film and Creative Industries Development Fund. The fund was established by the Hawai'i state legislature as an investment to support original works for global export.
• PBS HawaiicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey regional production and broadcast partner. PBS Hawaii produces and presents PIC content including the Pacific Heartbeat series. Has produced hundreds of programs about Hawai'i and its native people through Juniroa Productions. PIC Executive Director Ruth Bolan previously produced for PBS Hawaii.
• American Public Television (APT)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoston-based national distributor of PIC content. Presents Pacific Heartbeat and other PIC-funded programs to public television stations across the country.
• National Minority ConsortiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIC is part of the National Minority Consortia, a collective of organizations addressing the need for national programming reflective of America's growing ethnic and cultural diversity. Other Consortia members serve Asian American, Black, Latino, and Native American communities. PIC is one of several organizations established with CPB funding to ensure underrepresented communities could tell their own stories.
• Independent Television Service (ITVS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-production and international distribution partner for PIC films including Nā Kamalei: The Men of Hula (aired on Independent Lens) and American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i (aired on P.O.V.).
• University of Hawai'i SystemminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEducational partnership through Deep Waters screening series. Partners include UH Mānoa (Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies), UH West Oʻahu ('Ulu'ulu Archive), and UH Hilo. Co-sponsored the 2013 Deep Waters Pacific Film Series.
• ʻUluʻulu: Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai'iminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with UH West Oʻahu library's 'Ulu'ulu Archive for Deep Waters educational screenings including Kū Kanaka event.
• ʻŌiwi TVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative Hawaiian language and culture-focused television station and production partner. Co-founded by Keoni Lee, who co-produced Mele Murals. ʻŌiwi TV is the first and only Hawaiian language and culture-focused TV station, having produced 3 PBS national programs.
• Guam Community CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEducational partner for Deep Waters screening series, hosting screenings of The Insular Empire documentary.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vision Maker Media: Publicly funded nonprofit that supports and distributes Native American media content through public broadcasting. Closely mirrors PIC's mission of funding Indigenous-affiliated filmmakers and disseminating content through PBS infrastructure.
• Center for Asian American Media (CAAM): National nonprofit that funds and distributes Asian American media through public television. Sits alongside PIC in the National Minority Consortia and was established with CPB funding to address underrepresentation — making it the closest functional peer in structure and mission.
• Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB): Produces and funds Latino-directed documentary content for public television via PBS and American Public Television. Co-member of the National Minority Consortia with PIC, mirroring the same federal funding model and distribution dependencies.
• Independent Television Service (ITVS): Funds, produces, and distributes independent documentaries for public television, including PIC-co-produced titles like Nā Kamalei and American Aloha. Operates as a peer-level intermediary between independent filmmakers and PBS distribution.
• Black Public Media (BPM): Supports independent Black media makers and distributes content through public television. Another National Minority Consortia member with the same CPB funding model, exhibition independence, and minority-representation mission as PIC.

Broad incumbents

• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): National public broadcaster that serves as the platform through which 90% of U.S. public television stations carry PIC content. Strategic distribution partner rather than a direct competitor, but PBS's coverage and programming decisions shape PIC's audience reach.
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): Federal steward of public media funding and PIC's primary historical funder. Not a peer in mission but a defining strategic counterparty — PIC's fortunes have been tied to CPB's appropriations since 1991.
• American Public Television (APT): Boston-based distributor that presents Pacific Heartbeat and other PIC content to U.S. public television stations. Not a minority-media specialist but a structural distribution counterpart embedded in PIC's go-to-market path.

Emerging players

• Sundance Institute: Major nonprofit that funds and develops independent filmmakers, including diverse voices, through grants, labs, and the Sundance Film Festival. Comparable in filmmaker-development function but operates at a much larger scale and with broader genre scope than PIC.

Others

• Pacific Heartbeat: PIC's own flagship national public television series. Included as an adjacent reference for understanding the branded distribution product that competes for PBS slots alongside other minority consortia series.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/picpacific
• YouTubeyoutube.com/piccom1
• Facebookfacebook.com/piccom
• Instagraminstagram.com/picpacific
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-islanders-in-communications

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Islanders