Loto Toa Shorts

A diverse collection of Pacific stories exploring identity, culture, family, tradition, spirituality, resilience and belonging.

I am not your Dusky Maiden
Dir. Vea Mafile'o, 2025, New Zealand, 16 mins
A bold and emotionally charged drama that follows a Samoan woman as she navigates a therapy session to confront the trauma of her past.

Mana Whakatipu
Dir. Vavaki Robyn McNaughton, New Zealand, 10 mins
An exploration of the weight of cultural responsibility, the fragility of identity, and the uneasy balance between preserving tikanga (tradition) and allowing it to evolve.

Radini
Dir. Salote Cama, 2025, Fiji, 11 mins
A pastor’s wife prepares to deliver a keynote speech at a women's conference, but beneath the surface of the pulpit, not everything is as perfect as it seems.

Praying Mantis
Dir. Hulita Beverly Drake, Hawaii & United States, 10 mins
The story of a one-night stand that has deadly consequences.

Men of Light
Dir. Simeon Ucegang Fiapule, 2026, New Zealand,14 mins
When the Men of Light start taking families in an Auckland suburb, 13-year-old Ioane uncovers a dark secret no one was meant to find.

Marahoro
Dir. Sofia Rodriguez Pizero, 2024, Rapa Nui, Chile, 16 mins
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.

Squata Locks
Dir. Jeremiah Puni, 2025, Australia, 10 mins
A production design student who secretly lives out of her car has an unexpected encounter with a recently divorced security guard which challenges both of their roles.

Daunitukutuku (The Messenger)
Dir. Tumeli Tuqota, 2025, Fiji,14 mins
In 1800s Fiji, a young woman must step up and battle both man and nature to deliver a message and save her village from an impending invasion.

T for Taupou
Dir. Sofia Misa, New Zealand, 2025, 14 mins
In the backstage room of a Polynesian Performance competition, a group unravels into conflict when the taupou's outfit goes missing.