Can you please introduce yourself, your culture and where you're from?

Aloha kākou, ʻo Maineialoha Kinimaka koʻu inoa. No Anahola, Kauaʻi mai au.
Aloha, my name is Mainei Kinimaka and Iʻm from Anahola on the island of Kauaʻi. 

Surfer turned Filmmaker - what was your journey into filmmaking like?

I had a pretty unique journey into filmmaking, given that Iʻm from Kaua’i, which is a place that not many filmmakers have come from so far. I grew up in a family of waterman and women, and so surfing was the foundation of my childhood, and it was the first pathway that introduced me to photography and visual arts.

The ocean has always been a huge inspiration to me, as has been Kauaʻi and it’s natural environments, but most of all I would say it’s the people of Hawaiʻi that inspire me the most in the stories that I tell. I was lucky enough to be mentored by Jason Momoa from the age of 19, and that was my official pathway into working hands-on in the film industry.…more

Fijian Winger Sunia Turuva talks about his fijian roots, his mother's influence and his move to the Tigers

RNZ, in partnership with the Pan-Asian Screen Collective (PASC) and Pacific Islands Screen Artists (PISA), has announced the eight selected projects that will receive funding from the RNZ PASC PISA Development Fund.

This initiative, launched in early 2025, aims to help skilled Asian and Pacific storytellers realize their screen ideas. The response was overwhelming. A total of 67 submissions arrived from across the country, showcasing stories that reflect the rich creativity and cultural perspectives of Aotearoa’s diverse communities.

After a careful selection process led by industry experts and cultural advisors, eight standout projects—four from each group—have been awarded $20,000 in development funding. The aim is to prepare these projects for the next step: production funding, with RNZ supporting them as a platform.

RNZ Commissioner Tim Burnell emphasizes RNZ’s commitment to better represent Aotearoa’s diverse voices. “This fund helps great ideas move closer to becoming reality,” he said.…more

ZAIRE UGAPO

SAMOAN 

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE

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Please introduce yourself, your culture, and where you're from.

My name is Zaire Ugapo.  I am a full Samoan born and raised in Manurewa,  South Auckland. My Dad is from Saina Faleata, Solosolo and Toamua. My Mum is from Faleasiu, Vaivase, Samauga and Lefagaoali’i. They currently reside in Saina Faleata. 

What was your upbringing like in South Auckland, and how did sport first enter your life?

I grew up in Manurewa, attended Schools in the area and like most Polynesian kids, I spent a lot of time at church with my family.  Fortunately enough,  the schools I attended and my community encouraged sports and physical activity. I started playing club sport when I was 6 years old, I played soccer for Papakura City FC.…more

“A chief is to lead in every aspect, to help his people not just by words but by actually delivering what they have promised and I will try with all my might and with all I have to lead you all.”

The installation of the Turaga na Tui Nayau, Sau ni Vanua o Lau and Tui Lau Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara was a fusion and display of culture and tradition.

Na ‘Meke Taki Ni Yaqona VakaTuraga’

This week has witnessed the revival of traditions and customs that, until now, lived only in the stories shared by our elders. Among the most remarkable was the Meke Taki Ni Yaqona Vakaturaga, a traditional kava ceremony dance that has not been performed in decades. The last known documentation of this dance dates back to 1990, making its reappearance a moment of cultural resurgence. This sacred tradition has been brought back to life, offering a rare glimpse into our ancestral heritage.…more

“As a Samoan, my experiences shape everything that I write. How I see the world through the eyes of a woman, mother and daughter. Challenge the way the world chooses to see me and others who look like me.”

Writer and actor Nora Aati makes a commanding entrance into the world of Pacific storytelling with her bold new short film I Am Not Your Dusky Maiden. Premiering at the 2025 Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival and selected as a finalist for Ngā Whanaunga Aotearoa New Zealand’s Best, the film is already making an impact.

“My name is Nora Aati, and I come from the villages of Safune, Faleasi’u, Falelatai, Manono, and Apia in Sāmoa,” she says. “I was born in Aotearoa and currently reside in Tāmaki Makaurau with my husband and five children.” Though she began as an actress, it was the lack of roles for Pacific women that led her to write her own.…more