Tongan Winter Olympian, Bruno Banani will make an appearance at the Pasifika Film Fest [2] opening in Sydney on November 2, after the film titled "Being Bruno Banani", makes its Australian premiere at Event Cinema Parramatta.

The film, written and directed by Susann Wentzlaff, is about the remarkable journey of Bruno, the first Tongan luger to qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, in an amazingly short amount of time after he started training.

The Pasifika Film Fest (PFF) will also showcase various Pacific films told by talented creatives from across Oceania. Festival founder and director Ms Kalo Fainu said it allows the community to celebrate the diverse cultures of Oceania.

“The festival exists as a platform for storytellers of Pacific and Maori heritage to share their films on the big screen and have the opportunity to have their art seen by large audiences,” she said.

Judges from around the Pacific, include Sisi'uno Helu, founder of the Nuku'alofa Film Fest.

A Pasifika Pitch Fest will event will help find new talent where candidates with engaging island stories are invited to put forward their short film ideas to gain support for their work.

The festival will run at Event Cinemas in Parramatta and Campbelltown from November 2-6, then Brisbane from November 10-13 in Garden City and Loganholme Event Cinemas.  PFF will show in New Zealand in the New Year.

Among many films showing include POI E: The Story of Our Song, the third New Zealand documentary to reach the $1m milestone at thebox office.; Belief: The Possession of Janet Moses, a film about ‘The Wainuiomata exorcism”, a true story of how both love and fear could drive a New Zealand family to kill  one of their own; and Mercenary, a film about a young Wallisan man who is sought for his Pacific Island genetics to play rugby in France but soon discovers the price he pays for success. This film will be complemented by an ex-NRL professional athlete, Sione Faumuina who will share his story of his own shortcomings and issues around rugby league when dealing with Polynesians, the subject of his soon to be released book, The Second Phase.

FILM SCHEDULE (SYDNEY)

02/11 - Being Bruno Banani (Opening night)

03/11 - Poi E, Te Mana o te Moana

04/11 - Little Coconuts (short films), Vanuatu Women’s Water Music, Belief

05/11 - Tales of Oceania (short films), Sons of Halawa, Little Coconuts (shorts), Being Bruno Banani

06/11 - Talanoa shirts (short films), Mercenary, Yumi Go Kale

FILM SCHEDULE (BRISBANE)

10/11 - Being Bruno Banani (Opening night), Sons of Halawa

11/11 - Belief, In Football We Trust

12/11 - Talanoa Shorts (short films), Poi E, Being Bruno Banani

13/11 - Little Coconuts, Mercenary, Tales of Oceania, Poi E