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SLFS Guest Post: Māsima 2023 and Lauren To’omalatai

Lauren To’omalatai is a Sāmoan screenwriter, director, and film programmer from West Valley City, Utah. She served as Director of the Utah Pacific Island Film Series for four years where she organized free community screenings showcasing films by and about Pacific Islanders throughout Salt Lake County. In 2021 she co-established the Māsima Film Tour with the Salt Lake Film Society to amplify this work and bring it to a wider audience. She is a proud alumni of imagineNATIVE’s Screenwriting: Features Intensive (2021) and Visual Communications “Armed With a Camera” Fellowship (2022-2023) under which she wrote and directed her debut short film “Snack”. You can find her on Instagram, and her website.


“Growing up in West Valley City, I was always surrounded by other Sāmoans and Pacific Islanders in my community. My parents spoke Sāmoan in the home, we ate Sāmoan food, attended a Sāmoan church, and danced in Polynesian groups. I was never the only Pacific Islander in any given place. I could always identify other Pacific Islanders by the way they looked, spoke, or my favorite, that signature boisterous laughter that seemed to follow us around, especially when we gathered together. I consider myself lucky there’s been a constant tether between myself and my heritage. 

During my junior year of high school, I became obsessed with film after watching Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. It was the spark that led me to watch other films, explore film history, and try my hand at screenwriting. This budding interest was supported by a theater in downtown Salt Lake City that showed independent and foreign cinema: the Broadway. I’d always loved to write but there was something specific about screenwriting that spoke to me.

This curiosity led me to pursue a Film Production degree after graduation. I didn’t complete the program, leaving school to get a full-time job to help support my household. I was disappointed I couldn’t finish my studies because during this time I’d become increasingly aware that although I didn’t feel like an outsider in my own community, the world of film and television had yet to catch up to the wealth of stories that Pacific Islanders had— a realization that fueled my desire to continue writing scripts, even if I wasn’t in a position to return to school. 

a photo of a screening from the Utah Pacific Island Film Series

A Utah Pacific Island Film Series community screening of the short documentary Standing Above the Clouds (2020).

A few weeks later, in March 2016, an opportunity presented itself in the form of a free film screening of a Sāmoan film. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to learn the ins and outs of filmmaking in a classroom but I could still attend this screening and hopefully find other Pacific Islanders who were as passionate about film as I was. The Utah Pacific Island Film Series, a program of Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources (PIK2AR), had an afternoon showing of My Fa’a Sāmoa directed by Ursula Ann Siataga.

This short depicted a Sāmoan family living in the Bay Area. It was the first time a piece of media directly reflected my own experiences as a first-generation Sāmoan living in the diaspora. Although set in an entirely different state, it was a powerful moment to see the same ways Sāmoan culture was made malleable and molded around the way other young Sāmoans and their families in the U.S. were living. 

At the screening I met my mentor and friend Susi Feltch-Malohifo’ou, Executive Director of PIK2AR and for the next few years volunteered at screenings and attended Pasifika inclusive Sundance events. In 2019 I became Director until February 2020 when Covid-19 halted all in-person programming. For the next year we tried our best to facilitate online screenings and discussions, but of course, the energy was different and it was this new challenge to rally folks to watch films online at a time when the whole country was growing weary of watching films at home.

During this period, I reconnected with screenwriting and started submitting to screenwriting fellowships, something I’d never done before. To date, I’ve been privileged to participate in back-to-back fellowships that have strengthened my skills as a screenwriter and filmmaker and given me the gift of connecting with other indigenous and Pasifika filmmakers. 

a photo of many people at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival

“Armed With a Camera” Fellowship cohort at the 2022
L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival: (L-to-R) M. Kaleipumehana Cabral, Veialu Aila-Unsworth, Peter Filimaua, Alexis Si’i, Misa Tupou, and Lauren To’omalatai

This past year has been an incredible experience for me under Visual Communications “Armed With a Camera” Fellowship where I was given financial support and mentorship to direct my first short film “Snack”. This cohort was the first in AWC’s 20 year history to be entirely Pacific Islander which serves as a reminder that often in AAPI spaces or initiatives, the PI part of that acronym is minimized or forgotten completely.

Through this fellowship, some intercommunity healing has taken place and I’m hopeful we will continue to make strides in ensuring that when AAPI is used, it actually and actively includes Pacific Islanders in a meaningful way. Snack makes its world premiere at this year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and comes full circle to screen at this year’s Māsima on closing night. 

In 2021 I was a participant in the imagineNATIVE Screenwriting Intensive where I spent the following months writing my first feature film. This would also be the inaugural year of Māsima that saw the incredible staff from the Salt Lake Film Society help us orchestrate a virtual tour complete with panel discussions and partnering with local Pacific Islander owned businesses.

I chose the name Māsima, which means “salt” in a few Pasifika dialects, referencing Salt Lake City where it was created and the salt of the ocean that connects our Pacific Islands and stories. In 2022 Māsima’s program was a larger hybrid experience of both in-person and online screenings and thanks to the generosity of Bill Imada and his team at IW Group we took an abbreviated version of Māsima to Los Angeles. 

A photo of important people from opening night of Māsima 2022 at SLFS

Opening Night of the 2022 Māsima Pacific Islands Film Tour

Filmmaking is a collaborative effort. This goes for not only what happens on-set and on the production side of things, but also what happens when your film leaves you and is shared with others. There is a lot of trust and respect when a film is shared with an audience that we would all do well to remember and I’m extremely appreciative of each and every filmmaker who has allowed us to showcase their work in all iterations of Māsima. Salt Lake County has a large population of Pacific Islanders and it’s a dream fulfilled to share Pasifika stories with the local community for a third year at Broadway. 

There is an expression in Sāmoan, Teu le Vā, which means “nurture the space” and that space is essentially the relationships that we all have in our lives. This relationship could be one that you have with another person, multiple people, or the environment around you. This is a personal favorite saying of mine that I strive to live by because the relationships that we have with our family, friends, coworkers, ourselves, and the world around us, are crucial to the ways we see, experience, create, and share art. To be an artist is to be in community and we must prioritize these relationships so trust and creativity can take root and flourish. 

A still from a film showing two Pacific Islander women

Still image from Snack, starring Luseane Pasa and Vida
Tuitamaalelagi Hafoka

The relationship that I’ve had the honor of cultivating with the incredible team at the Salt Lake Film Society is one that I value greatly and I’m grateful to be working closely with an organization that doesn’t just purport to care about diverse stories but, has made an active effort to bring those stories and storytellers to the forefront. I hope Pasifika and non-Pasifika audiences alike will attend one of our screenings down at the Broadway to see the variety of humanity and creativity that the Pacific Islander community has. 

If you can’t make it to the Broadway in May during Māsima’s run or any of the available screenings online, here’s a curated list of Pasifika films that I believe have made waves of positive change and self-expression in the ever-expanding ocean that is Pasifika cinema.”

Here is a curated list from Lauren of Pacific Island films, available on SLFS Letterboxd and below.

Loimata: The Sweetest Tears (2022) directed by Anna Marbrook 

Waru (2017) directed by Ainsley Gardiner, Casey Kaa, Renae Maihi, Awanui Simich-Pene

For My Father’s Kingdom (2021) directed by Vea Mafileʻo 

Tanna (2015) directed by Martin Butler and Bentley Dean

Whale Rider (2002) directed by Niki Caro

The Dark Horse (2014) directed by James Napier Robertson

The Dead Lands (2014) directed by Toa Fraser

Cousins (2021) directed by Briar Grace-Smith and Ainsley Gardiner

Three Wise Cousins (2016) directed by Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa

Boy (2010) directed by Taika Waititi

Out of State (2017) directed by Ciara Lacy

Patu! (1983) directed by Merata Mita

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) directed by Taika Waititi

The Orator (2011) directed by Tusi Tamasese

One Thousand Ropes (2016) directed by Tusi Tamasese

Once Were Warriors (1994) directed by Lee Tamahori

Next Goal Wins (2014) directed by Mike Brett, Steve Jamison

Waikiki (2020) directed by Christopher Kahunahana

James & Isey (2021) directed by Florian Habicht

Leitis in Waiting (2018) directed by Joe Wilson, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer

Every Day in Kaimuki (2022) directed by Alika Tengan

The Land Has Eyes (2004) directed by Vilsoni Hereniko

No. 2 (2007) directed by Toa Fraser

The Legend of Baron To’a (2020) directed by Kiel McNaughton

Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen (2018) directed by Hepi Mita

Kumu Hina (2014) directed by Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer 

Island Soldier (2017) directed by Nathan FItch

Ever the Land (2015) directed by Sarah Grohnert

Mele Murals (2015) directed by Tadashi Nakamura and Keoni Lee

Māsima: Pacific Islands Film Tour

May 18 - May 24

Māsima: Pacific Islands Film Tour kicks off on Thursday, May 18th, with an exciting lineup that highlights acclaimed filmmakers and emerging voices from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

These films, touching on incredible stories of connection, traditions, resistance and much more, are curated and presented by Salt Lake Film Society, Utah Pacific Islands Knowledge 2 Action Resource and Utah Pacific Islands Film Series.

Also on the program are six pre-recorded interviews featuring Māsima 2023 filmmakers, in exciting conversations ranging from art that pushes boundaries and decolonial foodways, to animation, Pasifika culture and celebrating diversity.  All conversations moderated by The Island Wave Podcast co-host and producer, Kamaile Tripp-Harris.

Māsima 2023 is part of our annual Cultural Tours, a decade long celebration of history, culture, diversity and heritage of Utah communities.

PANELS

Available Free May 19 - May 24

Māsima 2023 Panel Conversations: Guided by our amazing moderator, Kamaile Tripp-Harris, our Māsima 2023 panel conversations are a true celebration of Pacific Islanders diversity as well as educational experiences that help create awareness and cultural connections within Pasifika filmmakers all around the world.

These FREE pre-recorded panels will be available online at SLFSathome.org. Available thru May 24.

 

Pasifika Women Filmmakers Boldly Breaking the Norm 

PANEL AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY NOW HERE

Panelists: Gabriella Brayne, Ruby Harris, Jessica Magro, Alice Lolohea.

Moderator: Kamaile Tripp-Harris

Join this group of ground-breaking Pasifika women filmmakers as they discuss what inspires them, how they use their work to promote stories sovereignty and celebrate community, and how they tear down barriers while staying true to their own voices. One of our favorite panel conversations of all times that surely will leave you wanting to follow up on these amazing artists journeys.


Heritage, Community and Land Sovereignty

PANEL AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY NOW HERE

Panelists: Lani Cupchoy, Justin Gerona, Glenda Tuaine, Nancy Thompson, Iara Lee 

Moderator: Kamaile Tripp-Harris

From freedom, to land rights to cultural connections and thought-provoking artists, we couldn’t have asked for a more diverse and inclusive conversation. This panel is as much one of a kind as it is a convergence of passion for storytelling in true Māsima Film Tour style.


A Filmmaker’s Journey to Challenge Hawaii’s Colonial Narrative

PANEL AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY NOW HERE

Panelist: Anthony Banua-Simon

Moderator: Kamaile Tripp-Harris

An emotional insight into Anthony Banua-Simon’s journey to establish the connections between colonialism, unethical business and entertainment industry, while threading the story of how Hawai’i has been sold as paradise, while being stolen away from those for whom is their Native and rightful home. An educational, exciting and moving panel discussion, recorded exclusively for Māsima 2023.


Uplifting Storytellers Through Collective Power

PANEL AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY NOW HERE

Panelists: Veialu Aila-Unsworth, Pumehana Cabral, Peter Filimaua, Alexis Si’i, Lauren To’omalatai, Misa Tupou.

Moderator: Kamaile Tripp-Harris

United by Visual Communications, Armed With a Camera Fellowship, this group of emerging Pacific Islanders filmmakers found new ways to uplift their work in the power of collective creation. You can feel the community, support and intimacy through the screen and we guarantee you will leave the conversation lightened and grateful you did not miss it.


There’s No Vanity in Believing in Yourself

PANEL AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY NOW HERE

Panelist: Joshua Leomiti

Moderator: Kamaile Tripp-Harris

“Am I wanting something that isn’t mine or is this mine and I have to fight for it?” This and many other inspiring questions await as we listen to Joshua Leomiti reflect on the challenges of believing in yourself while navigating a complex industry that pushes uniqueness into boxes. In the words of our Production team: “We were smiling through the entire conversation” and we assure you, so will you.

FILM SCHEDULE

Films in theater start Thursday May 18.  Some films will be available virtually starting Friday May 19.

Thurs May 18

7 PM

Opening Night Red Carpet Event

Cane Fire
1 hr 30 min
+
Post-screening panel (45 min)

 

Fri May 19

7 PM

The Voyagers Legacy
10 min

+

We Are Still Here

1 hr 22 min

 

Sat May 20

7 PM

TAPA: The Cloth that Binds Us
10 min

+

Taonga: An Artist Activist
15 min

+

Call Edith
9 min

+

The Alexander Ball 
31 min

 

Sun May 21

7 PM

Testimony
10 min

+

Māui Adventures: Capturing the Sun
1 min 28 sec

+

WANTOKS: Dance of Resilience in Melanesia
20 min

+

Aloha Soul Food
12 min

 

Mon May 22

7 PM

Loimata: The Sweetest Tears

1 hr 34 min

+

Post-screening panel (30 min)

This film contains graphic
depictions of sexual
violence and contains
potentially distressing
material.

This film contains graphic
depictions of sexual
violence and contains
potentially distressing
material.

 

Tues May 23 

7 PM

Cane Fire

1 hr 30 min

+

8:30 PM

The Deceiver

23 min 04 sec

+

Post screening Q&A (15 min) 

Wed May 24

7 PM

Armed With a Camera Shorts Program
42 min
+
Post screening panel (30 min)

 

FILMS AND SHORTS

Listed alphabetical by title.  

THE ALEXANDER BALL

SATURDAY, MAY 20 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF SHORTS PROGRAM 1 ON SATURDAY MAY 20

31 min | 2022 | Australia | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Jessica Magro

An observational documentary celebrating Sāmoan-Māori-Australian trans woman of color, Ella Ganza, and the Meanjin ballroom scene, as she and her ballroom family prepare for one of the biggest pride events of the year: The Alexander Ball.

ALOHA SOUL FOOD

SUNDAY, MAY 21 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF SHORTS PROGRAM 2 ON SUNDAY MAY 21

12 min | 2022 | USA | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Lani Cupchoy

Merging personal memoir and photojournalism, Aloha Soul Food nostalgically explores decolonial foodways through the family life stories of six Pacific Island women. Set in Los Angeles, California, the documentary embodies an intergenerational love story to working class women deeply rooted in Hawaii while skillfully examining a century of how they navigated through the Chinese exclusion Acts, the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, 1960s school cafeterias, the United Public Workers Strike in 1979, and the Women’s Army Core. The film shows how generations can reclaim identity and historical spaces through recipes while reminding us of the deep ties that bind our families and communities together.

ARMED WITH A CAMERA SHORTS PROGRAM

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF ARMED WITH A CAMERA SHORTS PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY MAY 24 WITH A PANEL FOLLOWING THE SCREENING

A collection of short films directed by the first all-Pacific Islander cohort from Visual Communications, Armed With a Camera Fellowship, seeking to support artists who are committed to empowering communities and challenging perspectives through their creative works.

ARMED WITH A CAMERA SHORTS 2023

Snack
Dir. Lauren To’omalatai

Butterfly/Bataplai
Dir. Veialu Aila-Unsworth

Tala’s Bedtime Story
Dir. Peter Filimaua

Ka Aumeume/Navigating
Home
Dir. Pumehana Cabral

My Brother
Dir. Misa Tupou

More Bounce
Dir. Alexis Si’i

Snack_Poster
POSTER MY BROTHER
Screen Shot 2023-03-20 at 12.45.00 PM
MORE BOUNCE
TBS Poster
Ka Aumeume_Still 3_Kuio
Ka ā'ume'ume: Navigating Home
Butterfly Bataplai Promotional Still 1
Butterfly/Bataplai

CALL EDITH

SATURDAY, MAY 20 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF SHORTS PROGRAM 1 ON SATURDAY MAY 20

9 min | 2021 | New Zealand | Not Rated | English, Hawaiian | Feature Documentary

Directed by Ruby Harris and Gabriella Brayne

A short documentary about Edith Amituanai, a Sāmoan photographer who photographs and works with rangatahi in Waitākere, Tāmaki Makaurau. ‘Call Edith’ is an honest kōrero around the politics of documentary photography, cherishing those crack-up moments and knowing your intentions when creating art in a community.

CANE FIRE

THURSDAY, MAY 18 & TUESDAY, MAY 23 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS THE OPENING NIGHT FILM ON THURSDAY MAY 18, AND WITH THE DECEIVER ON TUESDAY MAY 23

90 min | 2020 | USA | Not Rated | English, Hawaiian | Feature Documentary

Directed by Anthony Banua-Simon

Cane Fire examines the past and present of the Hawaiian island of Kauai, interweaving four generations of family history, numerous Hollywood productions, and troves of found footage to create a kaleidoscopic portrait of the economic and cultural forces that have cast Indigenous and working-class residents as “extras” in their own story.

THE DECEIVER

TUESDAY, MAY 23 | 8:30 PM

WILL SCREEN AFTER CANE FIRE WITH A PANEL AFTER THE SHORT

23 min | 2023 | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Hinano Tekurio Tanielu & Manu Tanielu

When “don’t judge a book by its cover” proves real, a woman stranded in a small town pays the ultimate price for her misjudgment.

LOIMATA: THE SWEETEST TEARS

MONDAY, MAY 22 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN WITH A PANEL AFTER THE FEATURE 

94 min | 2020 | New Zealand, Samoa | Not Rated | Samoan, English | Feature Documentary

Directed by Anna Marbrook

This film follows the extraordinary ocean-going waka captain, Lilo Ema Siope on an emotional healing journey in the last months of her life. A finely-crafted compassionate documentary strongly tied to Ema’s Sāmoan culture. It is an intimate exploration of a family shattered by shame working courageously to liberate themselves from the shackles of the past. A journey of courage, tears, laughter and above all, unconditional love.

This film contains graphic depictions of sexual violence and contains potentially distressing material.

MĀUI ADVENTURES: CAPTURING THE SUN

SUNDAY, MAY 21 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF SHORTS PROGRAM 2 ON SUNDAY MAY 21

1 min 28 sec | 2022 | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Justin Gerona

When the days are too short for life to survive, a Hawaiian boy fights the sun in order to slow it down and save his people.

TAONGA: AN ARTIST ACTIVIST

SATURDAY, MAY 20 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF SHORTS PROGRAM 1 ON SATURDAY MAY 20

15 min | 2023 | Cook Islands | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Glenda Tuaine

Mike’s life story is a journey of art, his connection to artistic expression in all its forms is what wakes him up in the morning and sees him retire to bed late at night. This short documentary seeks to capture Mike’s connection with art and teaching. 

TAPA: THE CLOTH THAT BINDS US

SUNDAY, MAY 21 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF SHORTS PROGRAM 2 ON SUNDAY MAY 21

10 min | 2022 | USA | Not Rated | Short

Directed by Nancy Thompson

Through the ancient practice of making tapa, a barkcloth created in the islands of the South Pacific, a young girl finds her way. Born and raised in diaspora, she uses the skills passed down from her mother and grandmother to stay tethered and grounded to her Pasifika culture while living in a foreign land. The adaptation of the core values of this tapa making process into her daily life allows her to always find her way back home.

TESTIMONY

SATURDAY, MAY 20 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF SHORTS PROGRAM 1 ON SATURDAY MAY 20

10 min | 2023 | New Zealand | Not Rated | Short

Directed by Alice Lolohea

Forty-five years after his parents were wrongfully imprisoned for overstaying, a Tongan New Zealander finally admits the painful truth behind what really happened to his family during the Dawn Raids. 

THE VOYAGER'S LEGACY

FRIDAY, MAY 19 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN WITH WE ARE STILL HERE ON FRIDAY MAY 19

10 min | 2022 | New Zealand | Not Rated | Short

Directed by Bailey Poching

The Dawn Raids of 1974-76 were a time when the New Zealand Police were instructed by the government to enter homes and/or stop people on the street and ask for permits, visas, passports – anything that proved a person’s right to be in the country. This blunt instrument was applied almost exclusively to Pacific Islanders, despite the bulk of overstayers at the time being from Europe or North America. Dr Melani Anae describes these raids as ‘the most blatantly racist attack on Pacific peoples by the New Zealand government in New Zealand’s history.

WANTOKS: DANCE OF RESILIENCE IN MELANESIA

SUNDAY, MAY 21 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF SHORTS PROGRAM 2 ON SUNDAY MAY 21

20 min | 2019 | Papua New Guinea | Not Rated | Short

Directed by Lara Lee

In 2018 the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific, hosted the Melanesian Arts & Cultural Festival, celebrating the country’s 40th anniversary of independence. On neighboring island states, the struggle for freedom continues, as West Papua resists Indonesian occupation and the residents of New Caledonia still live under French rule. In all Melanesian countries, residents face the common challenge of climate change, as rising sea levels threaten to swallow both land and tradition. In this charged context, captivating performers are using their talents to celebrate local culture and draw international attention to their islands’ plight, with the hope of spurring international solidarity and prompting collective action against the perils of a warming world.

WE ARE STILL HERE

FRIDAY, MAY 19 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN WITH THE VOYAGER’S LEGACY ON FRIDAY MAY 19

82 min | 2022 | Australia, New Zealand | Not Rated | Maori, Samoan, English | Feature Narrative

Directed by Beck Cole, Dena Curtis, Tracey Rigney, Danielle MacLean, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Richard Curtis, and Chantelle Burgoyne

Australian-New Zealand anthology film created as a response to the 250th anniversary of the Second voyage of James Cook to Australia in 1772, the project consists of ten linked short films by each of ten Indigenous Australian and Māori filmmakers about the impact of settler colonialism on the region’s indigenous cultures. The films span a range of approaches including historical war drama, futuristic speculative fiction and animation.