Could a Tongan short film gain an Academy Award nomination?

A Tongan short film created by two women has captured international attention and could make history at next year’s Oscars.

Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue tells a personal story while putting Pacific voices on the global stage, and it’s now under consideration for Best Live Action Short Film. The last New Zealand short film to have been nominated in the category was Taika Waititi’s Two Cars, One Night, 20 years ago.

Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue was created by Luciane Buchanan (Chief of War, Night Agent) in her writing debut, and Vea Mafile’o (For My Father’s Kingdom, The Panthers, ‘Aho’eitu) as a first-time drama director.

The film tells the story of a Tongan-European speech therapist who pretends to be fluent in Lea faka-Tonga (Tongan language) to land a new job. But she soon discovers her patient lives with aphasia and has lost the ability to speak English.

Buchanan shared in a social media post that the film is “dear to my heart for many reasons”.

“It’s been a long journey, a labour of love and a first for both Vea Mafile’o (first-time drama director) and I (first-time writer). Films are tough to get off the ground, but this little film has made its way around the world, and we’ve been so honoured by its reception.”

Buchanan and Mafile’o join a short list of Oscar contenders with Pacific heritage and an even shorter list of nominees and winners. Jocelyne LaGarde, a Tahitian actress from the 1960s, is reported to be the first indigenous person and first Tahitian nominated for an Academy Award.

Three Māori film-makers are also on the list: Waititi (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) claimed the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Jojo Rabbit in 2019 and Rā Vincent (Te Ātiawa) was nominated in 2012 for Best Production Design with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Hammond Peek (Ngāi Tahu/Te Ātiawa has two wins and two nominations for Best Sound for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Films can become Oscar contenders once they meet the Academy’s strict eligibility rules and criteria and are submitted for consideration.

There are over 10,500 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from all aspects of the film industry, such as actors, writers, cinematographers, costume designers, and executives.

They view these films and vote to determine nominations. Each branch nominates within its speciality. For example, actors nominate actors and directors nominate directors.

Once the nominees are announced, all members vote for the winners, with the results kept secret until the live Oscar ceremony.

From Aotearoa and Sydney to Edinburgh, Hawai’i, and the Sundance International Film Festivals, Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue has received global recognition. See a full list here.

“We’re so grateful for all the support over the years to get to this point,” Buchanan says. “This moment is bigger than us. It’s for all Pasifika to celebrate.”

Buchanan is currently based in New York City and is preparing to host a special screening of Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue in Los Angeles, along with a Q&A session to celebrate the milestone.

Oscar nominations are set to be announced on Thursday, 22 January 2026.