I was also interested in the possibility of shooting in Northern Queensland in Autralia (offers tax rebates and grants) as I have strong ties to Australia, having lived there on and off for 18 years and working in the industry there. Plus there is a Papua New Guinean community in Cairns, a city in Queensland.
Veialu is a writer, director & television creative producer. Sydney based. Aotearoa New Zealand raised. Papua New Guinea born.
Leaving her ancestral homeland as a child had a profound effect on her spiritually which is why Veialu is passionate about telling thought-provoking, female-driven stories that explore identity, history, and underrepresented females finding their voice in the world.
Veialu's award-winning animated and live-action short films, BLUE WILLOW and BUTTERFLY/BATAPLAI, have screened at numerous festivals including Berlinale, imagineNATIVE, Maōriland, Mill Valley, and more.
On the TV side, she has 15+ years of experience as an award-winning senior creative producer, copywriter, and promo director working with Australia's largest free-to-air commercial TV networks, NINE and TEN. While living in India, she also directed doco-style shorts for the nonprofit organization, MEWSIC.
Veialu was awarded the 2023 ARMED WITH A CAMERA FELLOWSHIP and her screenplay, THE DEFIANT ONE, made The Black List's 2021 CAPE LIST.
Her passion for Indigenous filmmaking has led Veialu to be a co-programmer of the 2024 PACIFIC CINEWAVES short film program at the 40th Annual VC Film Festival and a co-programmer of the preliminary selection round of FestPAC 2024.
Veialu is an alum of Berlinale Talents and Aotearoa New Zealand's national drama school, Toi Whakaari, where she did a master's degree in theatre directing.
When she’s not watching movies, Veialu is making blanket forts for her cat to play in and writing her film blog @hollywood.diversity
NewFilmmakers LA interview, MAY 2024
I respectfully acknowledge all Traditional Indigenous Custodians of the lands, waterways, and skies. I recognize that I live on land originally and still inhabited and cared for by the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, and pay my deepest respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.