Fiji Script Development Program & Fiji Producers Accelerator Program
With immense support from the European Union through the ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) facilitated by SPC – The Pacific Community, Film Fiji upskilled 20 local Scriptwriters and 30 Film Producers in 2023 through two training programs – Fiji Script Development Program and Fiji Producers Accelerator Program. The online programs were managed by Media Mentors Australia who were instrumental in bringing the projects to life. The initiatives brought together a passionate and innovative group of local film enthusiasts who were trained on the fundamentals of scriptwriting and producing over a course of 12 months.
Producer Profiles
Producer Spotlight – Caleb Young
Young Productions Fiji is a boutique agency specializing in content marketing and digital marketing, based in the stunning islands of Fiji. With a passion for storytelling and a commitment to excellence, we serve clients across the South Pacific region. Led by Caleb Young, a creative with over 12 years of experience, our content team excels in videography, photography, writing, and editing.
Producer Spotlight – Adi Tulia Nacola
Adi Tulia Nacola is a woodworker, writer and filmmaker from Ra, Fiji. Before embarking one her writing career, Tulia ran her successful woodworking business for fifteen years, focusing on using recycled timbers and sourcing materials from tree planting millers com to bring her unique designs to life.
Producer Spotlight – Fenton Lutunatabua
Fijian filmmaker and climate activist Fenton Lutunatabua participated in Film Fiji’s Fiji Producers Accelerator Program (FPAP) funded by the ACP-EU Grant through SPC, where he gained valuable insights that greatly benefited the development of his short film, Vakaraitaka. Premiering at the Maoriland Film Festival, the world’s largest indigenous film festival, the film is a cinematic poem that explores themes of climate justice, activism, and Pacific identity.
Producer Spotlight – Tumeli Tuqota
Tumeli Tuqota is a Filmmaker who hails from Cakaudrove, Fiji, with maternal links to Ha’apai, Tonga. As an indigenous living in Fiji, he is interested in telling stories about Fijians and Fiji. He has made two animated short films, ‘You, the Choice of My Parents’ and ‘Soli Bula’. These animated films have screened in more than 20 International Film Festivals around the world, including the Maoriland Film Festival in Otaki, New Zealand, the largest Indigenous Film Festival in the world.
Producer Spotlight – Blair Robertson + Lemeki Waqarua
Soon after finishing the Fiji Producers Acceleration course hosted by Film Fiji through the SPC facilitated ACPEU Culture Grant, Blair Robertson assisted another Producer, Avian Sharma, as cameraman and producer in filming Avian’s first short horror film, “Rire”. Lemeki Waqarua, also from the FPAP course, played the role of the monster in the film. Following the editing of that film at Blair’s home studio in Serua, the two started the comedy series, ‘Ratu Na Veli’, currently available on their YouTube site, ‘Newfossil Fiji’.
Scriptwriter Bio – Clarence Dass
I wrote Kania as part of the Film Fiji & Media Mentors Script Development Program last year. Initially, Kania was meant to be a film script, but my script writing mentor, Chris Corbett, suggested I turn it into an animated series, considering my illustration and animation background.
Scriptwriter Bio – Mohammed Farun + Penina Manumanunivalu
Mohammed Farun joined the Film Fiji Script Writers Program in early 2023 as part of the inaugural cohort. During the program, he developed his skills as a screenwriter, learning how to better structure stories and elevate his craft. Beyond the creative growth, the program provided him with valuable networking opportunities and exposure to industry professionals he might not have otherwise met. With the support of program funding, Mohammed was also able to upgrade his filmmaking equipment, enhancing his technical capabilities.