VeaMafile'o
- Director
- Art director
Tongan-Kiwi Vea Mafile'o began her screen career in the art department, drawing on a degree in visual arts. She became an art director for TV and short films, before moving into directing (Fresh and drama The Panthers). She founded production company Malosi Pictures with her partner Jeremiah Tauamiti in 2015 — their documentary For My Father's Kingdom debuted at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival. Mafile'o's first dramatic short Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue was chosen from 17,000 submissions to play at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. In 2026 Mafile'o co-directed Lomu, a biopic about rugby star Jonah Lomu.
Screenography
Awards
2025 New Zealand Screen Awards
Nominated for Best Short Film (with Eldon Booth, Luciane Buchanan and Alex Lovell): for Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue
2024 Sundance Film Festival (United States)
Nominated for Best Short Film: for Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue
2024 Melbourne International Film Festival (Australia)
Nominated for Best Short Film: for Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue
2024 Palm Springs International ShortFest (United States)
Nominated for Best International Short Film (with Eldon Booth, Luciane Buchanan and Alex Lovell): for Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue
2024 Whānau Marama New Zealand International Film Festival
Best Short Film (shared with Eldon Booth, Luciane Buchanan and Alex Lovell): for Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue
2024 Sydney Film Festival (Australia)
Best Indigenous Short Film (shared with Luciane Buchanan): for Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue
2024 Show Me Shorts Film Festival (New Zealand)
Best NZ Film (shared with Eldon Booth and Alex Lovell): for Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue
2024 Māoriland Film Festival
People's Choice Award for Best Short Film (shared with Eldon Booth, Luciane Buchanan and Alex Lovell): for Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue
2022 New Zealand Television Awards
Best Pasifika Programme (shared with Halaifonua Finau, Mario Faumui, Chris Graham and Tom Hern): for The Panthers
Best Drama (shared with Halaifonua Finau, Mario Faumui, Chris Graham and Tom Hern): for The Panthers
Nominated for Best Director - Drama/Comedy Drama (with Tom Hern): for The Panthers, Episode 3
2019 Melbourne International Film Festival (Australia)
Nominated for People's Choice Award for Best Documentary (with Jeremiah Tauamiti): for For My Father's Kingdom
2015 Pasifika Film Fest (Australia)
Breakthrough Award: for 'Aho'eitu
“...I love documentary, especially cinéma vérité where you can sit and be immersed in another world. I also like the emotion you can make from picture and sound — for me I use a lot of sounds to evoke feelings.”