Mount Maunganui College student Joseph O'Connor has won Best Film and Best Documentary for his documentary 'Malo Uma' in a film competition showcasing Pasifika culture.

Katikati College students also excelled in the regional competition with Roman Tukimaka winning Best Director Senior, Annie Peni winning Best Actress, Lona Tautua'a winning Best Sound , Melina Pelesikoti winning Best Editing, and the combined effort ultimately winning them the Best School award.

Polaapau Akauola from Rotorua Intermediate won Best Director Junior, and Henele Akauola, also from Rotorua Intermediate won Best Pasifika Language.

Rotorua Boys High student Desmond Mafile'o won Best Actor in the film '3 Skux Kasini comes to NZ'. Desmond also won the People's Choice Award.

Performers at the Pasifika Youth Short Film Competition at Harvest Church, Rotorua. Photo: Raymond Sagapolutele.

The regional winners of the first Pasifika Youth Short Film Competition have been announced for the Bay of Plenty at a red carpet awards ceremony held in Rotorua on Saturday night.

Thirty Pasifika high school students from across the Bay attended workshops including students from Rotorua Boys High, Rotorua Intermediate, Kaitao Intermediate, John Paul College, Rotorua Girls High, Rotorua Lakes High, Katikati College, Mount Maunganui College and Tauranga Boys College.

The workshops were run by Poporazzi Productions, which specialises in telling Pacific stories through film, with the support of premier sponsor The Ministry of Education, and category sponsors Ministry of Pacific Peoples, Centre for Pacific Languages, Niu FM, Rotorua Pacific Islands Charitable Trust, TROW Group, Pacific Growth, Ati Consultancy and Pacific Island Screen Artists.

Each film submission has to be written or directed by a Pasifika student Year 7-13 - as of 2021.

The films were judged by an all-star line of Pasifika from the screen industry - Stacey Leilua, Jeremiah Tauamiti, Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa, and Nicole Whippy.

The winners are:
1 BEST DIRECTOR SENIOR - Roman Tukimaka - AIGA - Katikati College
2. BEST DIRECTOR JUNIOR - Polaapau Akauola - Rotorua Intermediate
3. BEST ACTRESS - Annie Peni - Why Me? - Katikati College
4. BEST ACTOR - Desmond Mafile'o - 3 Skux Kasini comes to NZ - Rotorua Boys High
5. BEST SOUND - Lona Tautua'a - AIGA - Katikati College
6. BEST EDITING - Melina Pelesikoti - Battle of the FOBS pt.2 - Katikati College
7. BEST DOCUMENTARY - Joseph O'Connor - Malo Uma - Mt Maunganui College
8. BEST PASIFIKA LANGUAGE - Henele Akauola - 3 Skux Kasini - Rotorua Intermediate
9. BEST SCHOOL - Katikati College
10. PEOPLE'S CHOICE - Desmond Mafile'o
11. BEST FILM - Joseph O'Connor - Malo Uma - Mt Maunganui College