Men of Light

Men of Light is a thriller-drama short film currently in production, written and directed by social media heavyweight Simeon "Ucegang" Fiapule in his feature debut, and produced by Regan Foa'i, the creator behind The 9to5ers and The School Repeaters.

We've already secured backing from Day One Shorts, and now we're turning to our community. Through our Moana Boosted campaign, every contribution gets us closer to bringing this story to life the way it deserves, with the resources to do it properly and get it over the line.

CREATIVE TEAM:

Regan Foai - Producer / Writer

Simeon 'Ucegang' Fiapule - Director / Writer

Danny Aumua - Executive Producer

CAST:

IOANE - Leon Busby
NU'U - Fonofaaiu Mati
LOSANNA - Laila Ah Lam-Tufue 
ISALE - Malosi Tauamiti
SAM - Tevin Tavita-Falesiu
GEORGE - Journey Graham 

This funding is essential to completing Men of Light to the highest standard possible.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of Day One Shorts, but like any short film, we are working within a tight budget. Everyone on this project has shown up with real belief in what we are making. Our cast and crew have generously offered lower rates to help us get here, and we want to honour that by paying them what their talent and hard work is worth.

Regan and Simeon have both waived their own fees entirely. They are going all in, working for free, because they believe in this film and know the work will speak for itself.

What we still need to lock in is post-production. A composer to score the film and a skilled editor to shape it into the best version of itself. These are the final pieces that will take Men of Light from a good short film to something that truly stands out.

Every contribution goes directly toward making that happen and delivering the quality film our audience deserves.

Men of Light... Is it an urban legend or is it real? 

When the kids in an Auckland suburb start talking about the Men of Light, the neighbourhood is not too concerned. But Ioane sees what others do not, and what follows is a thriller with a twist you will not see coming and will not stop thinking about.

Men of Light is our letter to the Pacific. It gives us a voice to speak on stories and issues that are rarely told from this lens. It is fresh, it is unapologetically us, and this story needs to be told.

Together, we can be part of bringing it to life.

This project is also about more than the film itself. We are working with the next generation of Pacific actors and creators, committed to uplifting and upskilling the next wave of talent coming through. Representation matters. Seeing young Pasifika faces on screen ignites something in other brown creatives, it tells them their stories are worth telling and that there is a place for them in this industry.