Tongan-New Zealand Filmmaker Vea Mafile'o Invited to Join The Academy

Award-winning Tongan-New Zealand filmmaker and producer Vea Mafile'o has been invited to join the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organisation behind the Academy Awards (Oscars).

Vea is one of just 529 film professionals from around the world invited to join the Academy's membership in 2026, recognising her outstanding contribution to international cinema and documentary storytelling.

Academy membership is by invitation only and is extended to artists and executives who have demonstrated exceptional achievement within the global film industry. Members are responsible for helping shape the future of cinema, including voting for the Academy Awards.

"This invitation is an incredible honour," said Mafile'o.

"It represents not only my journey as a filmmaker, but the many communities, collaborators and storytellers who have trusted me with their stories. Pacific voices deserve to be seen, heard and valued on the world stage, and I hope this recognition creates even more opportunities for our stories to reach global audiences."

Over the past decade, Mafile'o has established herself as one of Aotearoa New Zealand's leading documentary filmmakers, creating powerful films that centre Pacific voices and Indigenous storytelling. Her acclaimed body of work includes For My Father's Kingdom, I Am Not Your Dusky Maiden, Lea Tupu'anga / Mother Tongue, The Panthers, and most recently LOMU, the feature documentary celebrating the life and legacy of rugby icon Jonah Lomu. 

She is currently leading the grassroots Pacific activation of LOMU, taking the film directly to communities across New Zealand and Tonga through screenings, conversations and cultural events that honour Jonah's legacy and bring his story home.

Alongside her filmmaking, she co-founded Taro Patch Creative, a South Auckland creative hub dedicated to nurturing emerging Māori and Pasifika storytellers through mentoring, training and community-led creative programmes.

Her Academy invitation marks a significant milestone not only for her own career, but also for Pacific representation within one of the world's most influential film institutions.

The Academy’s 2026 invitation list also includes acclaimed Samoan filmmaker Tusi Tamasese (The Orator, One Thousand Ropes) and New Zealand actor, writer and musician Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows, Avatar: The Way of Water), highlighting another significant year for storytellers from Aotearoa and the Pacific on the world stage.

Mafile’o joins a distinguished group of New Zealand Academy members that includes filmmakers such as Chelsey Winstanly, Pietra Brettkelly, Taika Waititi, Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Andrew Adamson, Niki Caro, Temuera Morrison, Lucy Lawless, Tearepa Kahi, and many of the country’s internationally recognised craftspeople across visual effects, editing, sound and production.

With more than 10,000 voting members worldwide, Academy membership is considered one of the highest honours in the global screen industry and something many filmmakers never receive in their careers.

Media enquiries

Rachel AdamsTaro Patch Creative

rachel@taropatch.co.nz

0212432631