Feature film | Drama | European Premiere | 2025 | Australia | 124 min | English | Directed by Miki Magasiva
This screening will take place at Collosseum
Synopsis
In the wake of the Christchurch earthquake, sassy Samoan mother Mareta mentors her newly formed children's choir to The Big Sing final.
Tinā is an inspiring drama, a light-hearted rhythmic tear-jerker, and the story of Samoan teacher Mareta Percival. Struggling after the death of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquakes, Mareta reluctantly takes on the role of substitute teacher at an elite, wealthy private school and is surprised to find children crying out for guidance, inspiration, and love. Using the symphony of her culture to empower her students, she forms a choir, bringing them together while unexpectedly rediscovering her passion again for being a teacher and mother…
Director’s Bio
Miki Magasiva (Director and Producer) Born in Lefagaoali’i, Samoa, Magasiva resides in New Zealand. Directing his first project in 2003, a set of award-winning ads, he continues to direct spots for major brands worldwide. In 2005, Magasivawas selected as a Breakthrough Young Director, representing Australasia at the AFEST film section, culminating in his first short film, Rites of Courage. He completed his second short film, Uso, the following year, when he was nominated for Best Script at the NZ Television Film Awards and won the Digital Dream Award at the Hawai’i International Film Festival. His short film Sina & Tuna, included in the Teine Sa (2021) television anthology, won Best Narrative Feature at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. That same year, his work with The Panthers, New Zealand's first-ever drama series to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), earned him Best Director: Drama/ Comedy at the NZ Television Awards. He collaborated with Indigenous filmmakers from New Zealand and Australia with the We Are Still Here (2022) feature film, opened the Sydney International Film Festival, screened at TIFF and won Best Dramatic Feature at imagineNATIVE.