Our cousins from…

Firstborn (Tonga, Australia)
Director Veisinia Moalapau'u Fulivai
A deeply personal Tongan drama that follows Alana – 8 months pregnant and a full-time carer – as she faces a wedding, a birth and her nana’s deteriorating condition almost all at once. We shift between the perspectives of life as a newcomer into the world, and one who is just leaving it.

The Arrangements (FSM, Hawai'i)
Director Sonny Ganaden
Three Micronesian boys in Hawai'i have a day to prepare for a funeral and find their friend’s hidden treasure.

Echoes Of The Dawn (Aotearoa NZ, Sāmoa)
Director Pele Nili
Inspired by true events, the film follows modern-day teenager Tom as he’s suddenly transported back in time to experience the Dawn Raids. Blending historical drama with elements of supernatural encounter, the film confronts themes of racism, identity and cultural survival.

Squata Locks (Sāmoa, Australia)
Director Jeremiah Puni
Tali, a production design student who secretly lives out of her car, has an unexpected encounter with a recently divorced security guard, Mana, which challenges both their roles and their ability to empathise with each other.

T for Taupou (Aotearoa NZ, Sāmoa)
Director Sofia Misa
In the backstage room of a Pacific performance competition, a group unravels into conflict when the taupou's outfit goes missing.

Marahoro (Rapanui)
Director Sofía Rodríguez Pizero
A 15-year-old Rapa-Nui young boy finds in an ancient holler the strength to confront his father’s harshness and pursue his calling from the voices of the sea.