Pacific set to be impacted by powerful storytelling

People celebrate at a Filimap Bokis ceremony during the filming of The Bride Price – Vanuatu, supported by the Pacific Regional Media Fund.

Pacific story sovereignty is at the heart and centre of the Aotearoa New Zealand Pacific Regional Media Fund (PRMF), which has supported the evolution of six powerful projects.

In July 2024, NZ On Air in collaboration with Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) announced funding for six selected projects, with aims to create content for audiences across the Pacific and Aotearoa New Zealand.

These projects include the Cadness Street-produced A Dollar to Dream; Kingston Productions’ Children of Niue; Paradise in Peril, by SunPix; Kava Bowl Media’s Rugby Chiefs: Village Legends; Great Southern Television’s The Bride Price – Vanuatu; and The War Below: Restoring Hope in the Solomon Islands, by Nine Islands Media.

The inaugural fund pairs Aotearoa New Zealand-based Pasifika producers with Pacific-based producers and broadcasters, to create and produce content shot in the region and primarily in a Pacific language with English subtitles.

Over the past six months, production crews have been working on their projects, which all encourage story sovereignty in the Pacific, and ensure indigenous voices are heard, beyond the coral reefs.

Chief Executive Officer for PCBL Natasha Meleisea says the fund aligns with PCBL’s objective to foster stronger relationships between Aotearoa and the Pacific region by supporting its media sector.

“These successful projects are a wonderful cross-section of stories from across the Pacific,” Natasha says.

“They are captivating stories of wide interest, told by Pasifika creators in their voice and from their unique perspective.

“The NZ On Air fund has provided an opportunity for Pasifika producers to build on their craft and complement the work of the Pacific broadcasters in the region.”

This fund is the first of its kind for NZ On Air, to collaboratively produce dynamic, digital-first content for a global audience.

Additionally, producers have been encouraged to allocate up to a fifth of their budget to create original music for the project by Pacific artists.

Cameron Harland, CEO for NZ On Air says this empowerment of Pasifika storytellers has been made possible by the one-off $10m additional funding NZ On Air received in Budget ’23.

“We are delighted both with the connections made, and the range and quality of content that will be coming for audiences.”

Projects will be rolled out during 2025. Keep an eye on the Pasifika TV website for more information.