The regional competition, run by Pasifika TV, brought together 20 teams from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands, with five teams representing each country.

At noon on September 4, all teams opened the same challenge envelope containing the theme “Culture”, the line of dialogue “That doesn’t belong there” and a whistle as the required prop.

They then had 48 hours to create a complete four-to-six-minute short film, including the story, script, casting, filming, editing, music, titles and final submission.

Each team was provided with a Samsung S26 Ultra, tripod, gimbal and microphone.

The five Cook Islands entries took very different approaches to the challenge.

Team Anuanua – Orange is the New Kikiā: Orange is the New Kikiā follows a reluctant son in 2046 who is sent back through his parents’ memories to uncover “the truth”.

An innocent raw fish encounter spirals into an island-wide tale of theft and crime before he discovers the truth has been hiding in plain sight.

The core team was Daniel Fisher, producer and production manager; Teherenui Koteka, director and writer; and Joshua Baker, videographer and editor.

Fisher said the challenge was “intense, chaotic and probably one of the most fun creative experiences I’ve ever had”.

The team spent three hours brainstorming before settling on its story, eventually working with 18 actors and about 17 locations.

Koteka wrote about nine versions of the script before the team settled on one at about 2am Saturday. Filming resumed at 6.30am and continued for about 12 hours.

Baker then worked through the night editing, with the team making final changes at about 11.40am Sunday before driving from Nikao to submit the film at 11.58am – two minutes before the deadline.

Team Manava – Korero Tupuna: Korero Tupuna follows a young woman preparing to step into the spotlight as she remembers words of strength and resilience shared by her grandmother.

Team Manava comprises Kylie Mulipola, Taungaroa Emile, Kubethreana Taripo and Esther Tetava.

Team First Watch – That’s the Spirit: Set in the lively world of Cook Islands sport, That’s the Spirit asks where the sound of a whistle actually comes from.

For Aunty Bea the Referee, every call sends the tiny spirit inside her whistle tumbling through a game of its own.

Mary Louise Raela and Ani O’Neill handled camera and sound, with Moana Cook as costume and set assistant and production manager.

Benjamin Raela was director and editor, while Pouarii Tanner was executive producer.

Team Toru – One Small Detail: One Small Detail follows a young Māori woman whose ordinary morning unravels after a missing bike pedal, a stolen bicycle and an unexpected ride from a Cook Islands stranger send her racing to a soccer game.

She then receives a life-changing call from her auntie revealing she has a brother she has never met.

Kirsten Lebon was director, writer and production manager, while Jay Araia handled camera, sound and editing.

Team Etu Mana – ATM: ATM, written by Ruth Tangiau Mave, follows a routine trip to an ATM that connects two strangers from different generations, exploring trust, community, belonging and cultural connections.

Mave was director and scriptwriter; David Teata handled camera; Ma Pirangi, sound; Steele Cassidy-Koronui, editing; and Terence Tereapii Tangatapoto, songwriting.

The team deliberately used the required whistle in connection with the line “That doesn’t belong there”.

Mave said the team had limited experience in cinematography, sound and editing, with members learning as they went.

Among the cast were Mave’s 92-year-old uncle Tangimetua Lucky Mave, his 90-year-old wife Reuera, and 17-year-old Liam Aviu-Kurariki, who arrived straight from Tere Ora College without having met the team or read the script.

“He did a fantastic job of adjusting and bringing his own humour and compassion to the story,” Mave said.

The team also created its own soundtrack, with sounds recorded by Pirangi and a team song written and performed by Tangatapoto at 1am.

Mave said the experience had shown the team where it could improve, while the equipment provided for the challenge would allow them to continue making short films about local people and their stories.

Fisher said POP48 showed how teams could interpret the same brief in completely different ways.

“It really highlighted the variety of creative voices across the Pacific,” he said.

Public voting is now open, with each person able to vote for up to three films every 24 hours. A free Pasifika TV account is required.

The winning team will receive a trip to Hawai‘i for a film masterclass. Watch the five Cook Islands entries and vote through Pasifika TV’s POP48 competition page. –