Pacific Blog

Inky Pinky Ponky Film - Get To Know Amanaki Prescott-Faletau

Amanaki Prescott-Faletau plays the main character Lisa in the upcoming CoconetTV original 'Inky Pinky Ponky' film.

Amanaki is an actor, writer, dancer, choreographer, producer and director of Tongan descent, living in New Zealand. As a playwright, she became the first fakaleitī to have her work published in New Zealand with Inky Pinky Ponky.

We caught up with Amanaki ahead of the upcoming release of 'Inky Pinky Ponky' here on the CoconetTV.

-

What inspired you to write this story?

At the time we weren’t getting any work. Fresh out of drama school and still trying to find our feet in our industry. So we thought let’s make our own work. It’s what was taught to us at school.

How much is based on your own experiences?

A lot of the events that play out in this film are loosely based on true events of my own and my MVPFAFF sisters and their experiences.…more


Humans of the Islands

Humans Of The Islands - Clarence Dass

Clarence Dass is a cartoonist and author based in Fiji, on social media as @nerdwala. Active in Fiji media since 2002, Dass has worked as a music journalist, radio presenter and television producer.

-

I'm a self-taught cartoonist from Fiji. I used to be a musician in a punk band, a radio DJ, a TV host and then a TV producer, a film maker and now I edit videos for The University of the South Pacific. Though I love music and films, I really enjoy making comics, but my passion throughout is story telling.

Where did your passion for story-telling come from? and how did you start off?

I've always been drawing. Even as a kid, I'd make comic books out of A4 paper, folding them and stapling them together. I even had my own characters. So I guess my passion started from comic books and 80s Saturday morning cartoons. The Ninja Turtles were probably my first big craze and old Hana Babera heroes like Space Ghost and Mightor.…more


Sports

Fa'alogo Tana Umaga excited to get to work as the new head coach of Moana Pasifika

By Thomas Airey 

Fa’alogo Tana Umaga has already seen the benefits of Moana Pasifika for rugby players representing their national teams and is excited to continue that work as the new head coach.

The first All Blacks captain of Pacific Island descent was announced as Aaron Mauger’s replacement on Sunday night, having signed a three-year contract.

Fa’alogo, who was born in Lower Hutt, Wellington to Samoan immigrant parents, said his bold but realistic goal for that tenure is improving the bottom-placed side in 2023’s Super Rugby Pacific to a perennial quarterfinalist that can challenge for the top four.

With a coaching background stretching back to 2008, Fa’alogo served as head coach of the Blues from 2016 to 2018 before stepping back into an assistant role in charge of defence for three years, the same role he has filled with Manu Samoa since 2021.

He returned to the Blues this year in a player and coaching development role after a break to set up a natural health supplements business with wife Rochelle.…more


Sports

Sports Talk with NFL legend Seiuli Jesse Sapolu & Rugby legend La'auli Sir Michael Jones

NFL legends and founders of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame were back down under with their Goodwill Mission for the first time since Covid closed borders in 2020.

They've partnered with rugby legends in both the Pacific and New Zealand with the aim of uplifting Pasifika communities and bringing young people into opportunities and education using rugby and football to reach kids and people in our community.

Prior to travelling to New Zealand they visited both American Samoa and Samoa donating Microsoft Surface Pro computers and running football camps with youth there.

We caught up with 4x Superbowl Champion, former NFL player and founder of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame - Seiuli Manase Jesse Sapolu, CEO of Coaching Charities - Kevin Kaplan (he helps run the charity foundations of NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes, Tua Tagovailoa and Juju Smith-Schuster) along with All Blacks legend La'auli Sir Michael Jones who they've partnered with here in NZ.…more


Pacific Blog

Inky Pinky Ponky Film - Get to know JP Foliaki

John-Paul Foliaki (JP) plays the male lead Mose in the upcoming CoconetTV original 'Inky Pinky Ponky' film.

JP is a proud NZ born Tongan from South Auckland. He is an Artist in every sense of the word - he loves all things creative but music and acting have been keeping him busy as of late. He's been fortunate enough to be a lead in the smash hit Tongan feature film, 'Red, White and Brass' and has got a few more projects in the works, so keep an eye out for that. He's living out his dream and hopefully inspires others to do the same.

We caught up with JP ahead of the upcoming release of 'Inky Pinky Ponky' here on the CoconetTV.

My name is John-Paul Foliaki (JP) and I am a proud NZ born Tongan from South Auckland. I am an Artist so I love all things creative but music and acting has been keeping me busy as of late.…more


Entertainment

Frankie Adams - The lost flowers of Alice Hart

Prime Video have released the official trailer for the Amazon Original series, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart starring our very own Frankie Adams alongside Sigourney Weaver, Leah Purcell and more ...

Based on Australian Holly Ringland’s best-selling debut novel, the seven-part series tells the emotionally compelling story of Alice Hart.

Samoan actress Frankie Adams plays Candy Blue - Alice’s aunt, who is also a flamboyant character with lots of swagger and her own troubles to deal with.

Three of the seven episodes will be released on the 4th of August, with one episode rolling out weekly until the series finale in September. 

Watch our Q&A with Frankie here as we go behind the scenes with her on her leading roles in the CoconetTV original series 'Teine Sa - The Ancient Ones'


Coco News

Pacific media can be leading the digital content revolution.

Auckland came alive today with some active talanoa from all our Pacific media sectors, with the first cross sector Pacific media fono in 10 years.

Recognising the stalwarts of the past and looking to the digital opportunities of the future framed much of the talanoa, which brought together Pacific Media Network, RNZ Pacific, Tikilounge Productions, Sunpix, amidst a range of broadcasters from across the sectors.

How do we build on the PIJF journalism fund and how we build capacity and sustainability for all the young Pasifika media people coming through were key issues, alongside exploring the finding pathways for content that are now available via NZ on Air.

Much was made of the importance of story sovereignty and being able to serve our big diverse Pasifika audiences in a variety of ways.…more


Coco News

Sacred symbols cement the New Zealand Deputy Prime Ministers Samoan identity

“It’s the only tatau I have ever wanted - I’ve never had any other tattoos because I’ve wanted the malu first. I’ve waited my whole life for this, and for the right time for this.” - New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni.

They are over 60% of the Pacific population in Aotearoa, it’s the second most commonly spoken language in Auckland and Samoan's have one of the fastest growing youth populations in the country.

Now our Samoan leader at the highest level of government, has committed to a personal and public dedication of her fa'asamoa, her cultural identity.

Carmel Sepuloni now wears Samoa on her skin, as well as in her heart.…more


Sports

The importance of Wellbeing in Rugby League x The inaugural NZRL Wellbeing hui

By Destiny and Penina Momoiseā

In the NRL, every club has at least one Welfare and Education Manager who looks after the wellbeing of the players in their charge and in New Zealand, the NRL funds not only the One NZ Warriors wellbeing officers at a club level but also the New Zealand Rugby League wellbeing team at a national level (Elite Pathways).

Suicides of young men in the rugby league community have underlined the urgency to normalise conversations around mental health and the NRL have recognised that it can be a challenging experience to leave home at a young age, or simply to face the responsibilities of playing the sport they love at a high level.…more


Sports

Ariel Meets: The Usos - Rare sit down with Jey & Jimmy

The Ones, Jey and Jimmy Uso joined the one and only Ariel Helwani for a rare and fascinating sit down ahead of The Bloodline Civil War last weekend with Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa at the O2 Arena in London for Money in the Bank.

Jey and Jimmy spoke about their historic run, The Bloodline, headlining Wrestlemania, their father (Rikishi) and a whole lot more ... 

Then watch highlights from the match over the weekend below - 

685 to the UK - The Uso's getting love from fans in London ... 

Never forget the time the Usos and Roman Reigns broke character at the beginning of their feud here