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 68 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.
She was awarded the 2025 FABER WRITING A NOVEL SCHOLARSHIP, the 2023 ARMED WITH A CAMERA FELLOWSHIP, and was a mentor for the 2024 Armed With a Camera cohort in Los Angeles. Her screenplay, THE DEFIANT ONE, made The Black List's 2021 CAPE LIST.
With a passion for Indigenous cinema, Veialu was invited to be a festival screener (watching and evaluating films) for the Pacific Cinewaves program at the 2025 and 2024 LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL, an Academy Award®-qualifying film festival for Short Film Awards, and FestPAC 2024 - the Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture.
Veialu is an alum of Berlinale Talents, the International Institute of Modern Letters, 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
Veialu has lived and worked in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, India, and the United States. Her passion for travel has taken her to 34 countries.
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.