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.
He has also made a live action short comedy, ‘Jone Wise’ sponsored by a local Kava company, ‘Lami Kava’, and is in post-production on his current live action short film set in 1800s Fiji, ‘Daunitukutuku’. Both ‘Soli Bula’ and ‘Daunitukutuku’ film budgets were successfully crowdfunded via Kickstarter for a combined total of $13,000 USD. He has directed with Laisiasa Dave Lavaki a feature length documentary about politics in Fiji called ‘Elections in Paradise’. This film was commissioned by the University of London for their ‘Living Democracy’ Exhibition that was held in the School of African Studies, London, in January 2024.
Tumeli was a participant in the Fiji Producers Accelerator Program, which was run by Film Fiji through the SPC-facilitated ACPEU Culture Grant and implemented by Media Mentors Australia. Since its completion, Tumeli has played a pivotal role in founding the first ever Fiji Film Collective, utilizing the valuable contacts and connections made during the program to build a strong network of support for local filmmakers, and garner support for the industry with the help of Film Fiji.