‘Lea Tupu’anga / Mother Tongue’ Under Consideration for the Oscars
DEGANZ member Vea Mafile’o‘s incredibly successful short film, Lea Tupu’anga / Mother Tongue, is now under consideration for an Oscar nomination ahead of the 2026 awards.
Writer and actor Luciane Buchanan announced this exciting news via a video tribute on social media, chronicling the short’s journey from idea to execution to now.
Luciane wrote the film as a tribute to her grandmother and was inspired by her experience losing the ability to speak a common language with her. Once Vea was on board as director, the team took it through development before receiving Fresh Shorts funding in 2019. After a Boosted campaign and the long journey through production, the film premiered at Sundance in 2024, being the first Tongan film to play at the prestigious festival. Since then, the film has been travelling the world in various festivals, including Whānau Mārama NZIFF, where it won Best Short Film.
The film has now officially qualified for the Best Live Action Short at the 98th Academy Awards. The last short from Aotearoa nominated in this category was Taika Waititi’s Two Cars, One Night in 2005.
Congratulations to Vea and the team on the exciting news! It has been inspiring to see the film’s stellar festival run and now see it considered for such an internationally acclaimed platform.
Last updated on 3 December 2025
