WE ARE MANA
Mana Film Productions (est. 2024)
is a pasifika-led screen production company shaped by Māori and Polynesian values, screen-industry ambition and a commitment to stories that move audiences.
We are a Gold Coast, QLD (Australia) based company that exists to create work that is emotionally resonant, commercially aware and culturally intelligent.
We work across original projects and production services, bringing together creative development, practical production experience, authentic storytelling and a deep respect for people, place and story.
Our work spans across Australia, and internationally yet our roots and heritage stem back to the tropical islands of Samoa and the beautiful country of New Zealand.
WE ARE STORYTELLERS
Mana Film Productions: is built on the legacy of our ancestors.
Our wayfinders, navigators, storytellers and record keepers who crossed oceans to build futures for generations to come.That same spirit guides our work today.
Through film, television, documentary and digital media, we carry stories that hold identity, memory, humour, grief, resilience and truth.
Our work is a way to preserve presence, honour culture and ensure our voices and our stories are seen, heard and remembered.
MEET THE FOUNDER
Shonee Samia is a Māori and Samoan producer, actor, stunt performer, motion capture artist and founder of Mana Film Productions, a Gold Coast-based screen company creating culturally grounded, commercially viable stories for local and global audiences.
Born in New Zealand and raised largely in Australia, Shonee brings a global perspective shaped by her work across Australia and the United States. Her background spans game development on major international titles as well as motion capture, stunts, acting and producing across film, television, documentary, genre and digital content.
Awarded Screen Professional of the Year 2026, Shonee is building Mana Film Productions to champion underrepresented voices while creating work with broad audience appeal, market potential and international relevance.
For Shonee, MANA is carried through story, culture and collaboration. Her goal is to create screen stories that connect cultures globally, stories that back our people properly and leave a legacy for Māori and Pasifika voices on screen and behind the camera.
One day she hopes to leave a body of work that inspires many generations after her, pasifika or otherwise to continue telling stories that make life meaningful to them and to do it with their village aka. friends and family - and preferably over KFC.