Tag: watch

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues its slide into unwitting self-parody, there is a filmmaker who has embraced the idea of genre burlesque and is running with it to fantastic effect. That person is Osgood Perkins – director of last year’s much-hyped super stylish thriller-horror Longlegs – and a little understanding of the man’s personal […]

By Ben Wheeler It’s always refreshing to see something different and original make its way on to the big screen amongst the latest Hollywood and Bollywood big-budget franchise instalments. It was therefore with great joy that amongst the listings for February I spied Sanjane Koneshamoorthy’s Arranged Love arriving in cinemas across the Fiji Islands. This […]

Thousands attended the fourth Pacific Human Rights Film Festival in Suva to watch Pacific-based films and engage in discussions on the theme of ‘Oceans and Land’.

By Ben Wheeler If anyone deserves the moniker of Fijian Traveller right now, it is Tumeli ‘Meli’ Tuqota Jr. In recent years, his work as Fiji’s premier film producer and director has seen him voyage from the Maoriland Film Festival in New Zealand to the Rochefort Film Festival in France. He has also had spells […]

By Ben Wheeler Zendaya is, to quote Jacobim Mugatu, so hot right now. She’s in the MCU and she’s in the Duniverse. She’s prolific beyond her acting career, and yet very selective about the jobs she takes. She is currently, across the internet, accused of “being in everything” – a sure sign of success – […]

By Ben Wheeler Buyer beware! This is not an addendum to the already bloated Marvel Cinematic Universe! I repeat: Not! A! Marvel! It is instead a sporadically shockingly violent, surreal and contemplative blend of road movie and war movie from indie studio A24, and their most expensive film to date. As a cinematic experience that […]

Nina Nawalowalo returns home By Samantha Magick When director Nina Nawalowalo shared her film, A Boy Called Piano at the Samabula Juvenile Centre late last year, she was struck by the scenes that resonated with its young audience. The movie centres on the journey of Fa’amoana John Luafutu and his son Matthias. Fa’amoana moved to […]

By Ben Wheeler Recently the debate around how to release new movies – in theatres or home streaming – has raged. Doug Liman all but walked on his awesome remake of 80s classic Roadhouse when Amazon announced it would not receive a theatrical release some weeks back. He threatened to boycott the premiere, but then […]

By Prerna Priyanka Fijian storyteller and climate activist, Fenton Lutunatabua, is gearing up for the premiere of his debut film ‘Vakaraitaka’ at the Maoriland Film Festival in March. The festival, now in its 11th year, is New Zealand’s premier international Indigenous Film Festival, and provides a platform for diverse voices and perspectives. ‘Vakaraitaka’ is a […]

By Ben Wheeler Take one Swedish pop band – the finest you can find – add a hint of the Italian language, a Greek setting, a universal tale of love lost, and a quest for identity. Bring to the boil with an Irish Australian director and sprinkle liberally with Fijian talent – you can find […]

By Ben Wheeler For many, the name Martin Scorsese is synonymous with American cinema. His films Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, and Goodfellas are considered by many to be among the greatest Hollywood has ever produced. Others like After Hours and The King of Comedy have a distinctly cult following and have inspired art as varied […]

Rarotonga-based filmmaker and playwright, Glenda Tuaine’s short film, Taonga: An Artist Activist, will be screened for the first time in Fiji today at the third Pacific Human Rights Film Festival. The 15-minute short film is about Mike Tavioni, a renowned Cook Islands master carver, vaka builder, painter, poet and activist. Tuaine’s first encounter with Mike […]

By Elizabeth Kolivuso Fiji’s ‘Vude Queen’ will become the dancing queen as the star of iconic hit musical, Mamma Mia, when it is staged in Fiji next year. Laisa Vulakoro will star in Mamma Mia in February, which is being presented alongside the second Fiji Fringe Festival as part of Arts Season 2024.  The Fiji […]

Some of Fiji’s best resorts in Pacific Harbour will feature in the upcoming final episodes of ABC’s “The Bachelorette”, an American reality television dating game show. “It’s an honor to be included in ‘The Bachelorette’s’ final episodes to share the natural beauty and romance of our destination,” says Brent Hill, CEO of Tourism Fiji. “There […]

Review: Ben Wheeler Around a century ago in Hollywood, a Golden Age of filmmaking began that lasted almost four decades. Francis Ford Coppola, director of some of the greatest films of the “New Hollywood” period that followed, believes we may be on the cusp of a New Golden Age after the huge box office and […]

Last weekend saw the release of two of the biggest films of 2023: Oppenheimer and Barbie, known collectively as “Barbenheimer”.  As hundreds of thousands of cinemagoers around the world got together to watch both blockbusting releases, we sent our new film reviewer Ben Wheeler out to see what all the fuss was about… Oppenheimer (dir. […]

Local filmmakers finally getting screentime By Ben Wheeler “Every culture has the right and responsibility to present its own culture to its own people,” writes New Zealand filmmaker Barry Barclay.  “That responsibility is so fundamental it cannot be left in the hands of outsiders, nor usurped by them.” These words seem more relevant in Fiji […]

Part Two: Reflections of the Fiji Fringe with Sharleen Ali By Ben Wheeler Sharleen Ali is dynamic. She bristles with a creative energy that seems to produce so many thoughts a minute that if there was a way to convert them to electricity, her ideas could power a small village. It is this potency that […]

What more can be done and what can we do better? These were the questions posed by Akshay Singh, during his Ted talk in Nadi last February.  Originally from New Delhi, India, Singh has played a key role in advancing sustainable tourism throughout the Pacific – in the Cook Islands, PNG and Fiji.  “My greatest […]

Film Fiji will soon host two new exciting programs for local aspiring script writers and film producers, with support from the European Union (EU) through the ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) facilitated by Pacific-Community-SPC. The Fiji Script Development Program (FSDP) and The Fiji Producers Accelerator Program (FPAP) aim to jump-start a thriving base of script writers and […]

Get ready to experience the magic of watching dancers in flight, as Moana Loa brings aerial acrobatics to the Fiji Fringe Festival. Moana Loa was established in October 2015 and is home to some of the best emerging gymnasts and aerialists in the country. Co-founder Ateca Ravuvu says the dance company will be performing an […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti “The nature of the fringe festival allows artists to be unbound by the expectation of a funding second party, affording them the liberty to create and present work that is a more honest reflection of their practice.” – Navi Fong VOU, known for their fiery performances, is bringing the heat from the […]

We’re all about fun and excitement and that is the spirit we bring to all of our dance performances, says Amit Chand, Director of Masti Arts and Dance Group. Masti (which means ‘fun’ in Hindi) is a dedicated group of creative young dancers who have performed 4000 shows across Fiji, as well as international gigs, […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti “Magic is an art form that can touch every sense; it can be created without language barriers, and I hope that when people see a magic show, they get to really know me and where I come from and become part of the magic of life.” Fiji can expect to see an […]