Coco Talanoa — Entertainment / Page 23

ImagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada is the biggest indigenous film festival in the world, and this year Pasifika films represent hard!  

There will be at least 9 Pasifika made stories from Aotearoa at the festival and it is the international premiere of the CoconetTV documentary ‘Marks of Mana’ - which is the only feature film from Aotearoa on the big screen Programme at the festival.  ‘Marks of Mana’ looks at female Tatau in the Pacific and how these ancient marks are being worn again by women today. Coming soon to the Coconet TV!

Check them out below and look out for when they'll be showing at a Film Festival near you!

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MARKS OF MANA 

Lisa Taouma is a Samoan film and television producer and director currently living in Aotearoa. She has worked extensively in the Pacific for over 25 years and is passionate about telling the many diverse stories of this region.…more

Rihanna closed out New York Fashion Week earlier today with a stunning presentation of her SavageXFenty lingerie collection choreographed and directed by our very own Parris Goebel and also featured some of NZ's own ReQuest Dance crew on the catwalk.

She showcased an inclusive line with flexible lingerie for everyone, concluding with the models holding hands showing solidarity.  Check out the show above which was live streamed on Rihanna's YouTube channel from NYC and some of the feedback from people at the show below ...

Musician and actor KJ Apa shares about his childhood, his love for Samoa and staying connected with family.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson appeared on the Stephen Colbert show to promote his latest movie 'Skyscraper' (out now btw).

The Rock talks about his ethnicity - being half Black & Half Samoan, his Samoan heritage, Samoan culture, drinks some tequila, gives the audience a peek at his Pasifika tattoo and even sings a bit of a popular Samoan song 'Tali Mai' by Pati.

Check it out in the video above.

Manurewa High School students 'Rewa All Stars' Performance at the Hip Hop International New Zealand MegaSchools Street Dance Competition.

Rewa All Stars Placed 2nd out of 14 schools and recieved Most Outstanding Performance Award for their creative routine 'Fresh Outta Rewa' inspired by The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Coco congrats guys!  

Last night Janet Jackson was honoured with an 'Icon' award becoming the first black female artist to receive the award.  She performed a medley of her hits and dancing right alongside her on stage was Samoan professional dancer Isaac Tualaulelei.

At the 0:49 mark he comes into view on the far right side of the stage (black & white checkered shirt) dancing to Janets 'Nasty Girls' 

He tweeted after the performance: 

And in celebration of Janet's new doco mini series coming out yesterday, he tweeted his look from behind the scenes at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards 

Check out more of Isaac's dance & choreography work on his Youtube channel here

Isaac is a proud Samoan Professional Dancer, Instructor and aspiring Choreographer originally from Seattle, WA and currently residing in Los Angeles.…more

LEITIS IN WAITING is the story of Joey Mataele and the Tonga leitis, an intrepid group of indigenous transgender women fighting a rising tide of religious fundamentalism and intolerance in their South Pacific Kingdom.

The film follows devout Catholic Joey as she organises an exuberant beauty pageant presided over by a princess, provides shelter and training for a young contestant rejected by her family, and spars with American-financed evangelicals who threaten to resurrect colonial-era laws which would criminalise the leitis’ lives.

With unexpected humour and extraordinary access to the kingdom’s royals and religious leaders, Joey’s emotional journey illuminates what it means to be different in a society ruled by tradition, and what it takes to be accepted without forsaking that tradition and culture.

This film won the Audience Awards at FIFO International Documentary Festival in Tahiti 2018 and the Commonwealth Film Festival 2018 in London. Joey was recently awarded the Commonwealth heads of Government Award as one of the influential LGBTI leaders in the Commonwealth.…more

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was on the Graham Norton show recently promoting his latest movie 'Rampage'.

He talks about his grandfather High Chief Peter Maivia being the inspiration behind his character Maui in the Moana movie, Samoan tatau and then raps one of his Maui verses!  

Check out Rihanna's performance at the Grammys with DJ Khaled & Bryson Tiller for their hit "Wild Thoughts" and the dance choreography which was thanks to our girl Parris Goebel!!! 

She said on Facebook "Always blessed when I get to work with Rihanna"

& she tweeted this after the performance: