PIFT Pacific Islanders in Film, Television and Online

24/09/2022

Auckland-based Kiwi-Tongan filmmaker Alex Liu is the third recipient of a two-step Guild minimum open script deal with MGM Studios and the Black List, as part of their two-year feature-film script-writing partnership. Liu originally submitted his recent script God Bless You, Mr Kopu to the website The Black List. It is a site connecting writers and filmmakers globally and is “pretty massive in Hollywood circles”. For Liu, who has wanted to write and make films since he was a kid, the deal was “overwhelming”.

Alex Liu got the news the day he turned 30, and says it's "overwhelming" after working towards it for six or seven years.

23/06/2022

03/05/2021

ACTORS DIALOGUE!!
Saturday 8th May 12-1pm (Networking 1-1:30pm)
Fickling Centre, Three Kings

PISA (Pacific Island Screen Artists) members are invited to mix, mingle and share space with Kiwi-Pasifika actors, Stacey Leilua & Faiumu Fasitua Amosa who are hot off the set of new Pacific comedy TV series, NBCs 'YOUNG ROCK'. This critically acclaimed show is based on the life of the one & only The ROCK Dwayne The Rock Johnson ✊🏾

Come and talk to two of our own about one of the hottest shows in the world right now. We'll find out about acting, auditions, life before and after Young Rock and what it's like to act with Dwayne The Rock Johnson!

PISA presents: 'Actor's Dialogue' Fresh from NBC Young Rock PI actors Stacey Leilua & Fasitua Amosa

Light refreshments provided. Register now at www.pisa.org.nz

16/07/2020

Pasifika directors will be looking to make their mark when the Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival gets underway next week. For the first time, a Pacific person is selecting the finalists for the festival's NZ short film competition, and there's a strong showing in other categories.

Pasifika directors will be looking to make their mark when New Zealand's International Film Festival gets underway next week.

06/07/2020

The six-part web series, Brutal Lives – Mo’ui Faingata’a is the first Tongan bilingual drama funded by New Zealand On Air as part of its Pasifika and Asian Storytellers initiative. Created and written by Vela Manusaute and Sandra Kailahi. The full series will be released online on The Coconet TV on 5 August.

12/06/2020

After Australia’s misguided attempts at handing over $17.1 of Australian-made television content to the Pacific region last month with programmes such as Neighbours and Border Control, questions have been asked about a $10 million New Zealand grant made in 2018.

MediaPacific ReportNew ZealandNZ Institute for Pacific ResearchPacific Media WatchResearch NZ’s $10m grant for Pasifika TV channel – MFAT clears the air By Sri Krishnamurthi - June 10, 2020 0 167 SHARE Facebook Twitter tweet Pasifika TV ... the portal. Image: Pasifika screenshot/PMC By Sri Krish...

11/06/2020

Australian Chris Lilley's controversial mockumentary comedies have been removed from Netflix in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. Four of his shows - Jonah From Tonga, Angry Boys, Summer Heights High and We Can Be Heroes - have been taken down from their services in Australia and New Zealand.

The shows have previously caused controversy, with characters in blackface and brownface.

10/06/2020

Tusi will pick NZ’s Best (short films) at this year’s NZIFF.

Leading filmmaker Tusi Tamasese named as Guest Selector for New Zealand's Best Short Film Competition

25/05/2020

The race to adapt the tale of six Tongan boys stranded on a desert island in the 1960s, as retold in Rutger Bregman’s book, is the latest to raise questions about cultural tourism.

The race to adapt the tale of six Polynesian boys stranded on a desert island in the Sixties, as retold in Rutger Bregman’s book, is the latest to raise questions about cultural tourism. But sometimes it's not always clear cut, says arts columnist Fiona Sturges

22/05/2020

Pollywood 2020 is going ahead and now taking submissions until Monday 7 September

21/05/2020

Share the Knowledge: Techno Dolly Training Course
Applications close by Sunday May 31, 2020.
Share the Knowledge: Techno Dolly Course is an exclusive New Zealand Screen Industry specialised training course with a focus on excellence, designed for those who want to develop their technical skills.
This course is an opportunity for committed, hard-working, individuals who want to take their career to the next stage to learn, using examples from Feature Films, TV Shows and Commercials, a brief history on the evolution and functionality of the Techno Dolly and how it can and has been used. We’ll be looking at aspects such as Mechanical Breakdown, Maintenance, Stabilized Remote Head System, track System and Shot Applications.
The introductory five-day course will be held in Auckland, on 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th & 26th June 2020. With only ten places available, we are keen to hear from grips, camera technicians, camera operators, DoP’s, VFX technicians, and independent film makers who have the aptitude, personality, work ethic, intelligence and industry experience to take this next step.
Subsidised Fee: $400+gst for 5 days
For the application form and additional information, go to: www.sharetheknowledge.co.nz
Applications close by Sunday May 31, 2020.

14/05/2020

Twelve emerging screen producers of Māori, Pasifika and Pan-Asian heritage have been selected as the first cohort of a new screen development programme created to address the need for more culturally diverse producers in the NZ screen industry.

Twelve emerging screen producers of Māori, Pasifika and Pan-Asian heritage have been selected as the first cohort of a new screen development programme created to address the need for more culturally diverse producers in the NZ screen industry. ...

16/04/2020

The Pasifika Film Fest showcases Pacific storytelling through film while encouraging Pasifika writers, directors and actors to explore links to their culture. The 2020 Fest will engage the Pacific region through innovative filmmaking and storytelling projects, networking and industry building opportunities.

The Australian Passport Office and its agents are committed to providing a secure, efficient and responsive passport service for Australia.

12/04/2020

Check out the MAP Screen Development Producer's Course. If you are Māori, Pasifika or Asian and want to develop your skills as a producer apply before April 23rd.

Click below to read all the details and apply here: https://forms.gle/BXKW6BvtSwhMj1G46

08/04/2020

Courtney Mayhew is part of a team putting together a short film doco that is a glimpse of this moment in time for DOPs around the world. They have people taking part from countries in South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East but don’t have anyone from any of the Pacific Islands, which they would really like to have. Would need to have your own gear and be able to start asap. If keen, get in touch with Courtney via email: [email protected] for all the details!

21/02/2020

The Legend of Baron To’a opened in NZ cinemas this week. It is the feature film directorial debut of Māori Director Kiel McNaughton and stars a strong Māori & Pasifika cast. Congrats to all involved. Check it out in a cinema near you this weekend.

‘The Legend of Baron To’a’ tells the story of Fritz, a Tongan entrepreneur who returns to his old neighbourhood and inadvertently causes the theft of his lat...