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The Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Committee recently revealed the second group of recipients for their yearly PEAK Writers Scholarship.

This group consists of Benjamin Pola, Pingi Moli, Ciara Lacy, Lauren Toʻomalatai, and Conrad Lihilihi.

The fellowship, funded by Netflix, focuses on and nurtures five emerging writers of Pacific Islander descent, helping them bring their unique stories to television as they start their careers in this industry. Established by Dana Ledoux Miller, co-founder of PEAK and a director, screenwriter, and showrunner, the program is jointly managed with Bryson Chun, its program director and another screenwriter. Uniquely, it’s the only Hollywood writing initiative established by a storyteller from the Pasifika community.

This fellowship program is designed to assist budding writers in landing their initial staff writing positions by pairing them with seasoned industry professionals as mentors. Each chosen participant will receive guidance on refining their unique manuscripts into polished, professional-level drafts. Fellows engage in a sequence of discussions and workshops with prominent figures within film and television, learning the skills and knowledge essential for succeeding in the entertainment industry.

Mentorship will be given to the group by Migizi Pensoneau, known for “Reservation Dogs” and “Alien: Earth”, Dre Ryan from “Lady in the Lake”, Elsie Choi of CJ ENM America/Studio Dragon Global, Alex Lazarowich of “Resident Alien”, and Jody Lambert from “People Like Us”.

Kristian Fanene Schmidt, PEAK’s executive director and co-founder, commented, “Dana has an exceptional talent for nurturing people’s potential, and she’s guided us for so long, even our new co-manager Bryson, for instance. It’s heartening to witness the diverse ways these relationships influence each person and strengthen our collective endeavors.” He further noted, “Regarding the fellows, we’re all genuinely amazed by their narrative skills and resilience. They serve as a testament to the bright future we have ahead of us.

The fellows are below.

Benjamin Pola – “Kinship”

When a Samoan teenager moves in with his Mormon uncle, he leans on his charisma, exceptional intelligence, and resilient grandmother to navigate the eccentricities of his latest abode.

Pola hails from Long Beach, California and is a distinguished Sāmoan author. Following his completion of a postgraduate degree from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, he transitioned from his role as an academic advisor and lecturer in higher education to screenwriting, captivated by the storytelling potential that underpins the media sector. Presently, Pola holds the positions of social media manager and editor/writer at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is also working on his first short film, “Tuimaseve,” which is influenced by his personal experience of being bestowed the high chief title from his Satupaitea village in Savai’i, Samoa in 2024. The film will be showcased at the 2026 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival as part of Visual Communication’s Armed With A Camera (AWC) Fellowship.

Pingi Moli – “North Shore”

The Kualiʻi clan, legally entitled to the last unspoiled territory on Hawaii’s North Coast, use their formidable shipping conglomerate to safeguard their ancestral inheritance from persistent external threats such as land speculators, the US administration, and international crime networks. These entities covet what has been theirs since before colonization, but when a vengeful act triggers a conflict with the Yakuza, the family finds themselves entangled in a web of crime, politics, and deceit, willing to do whatever it takes to preserve their heritage.

Born and raised in Tonga, Moli is now a multitalented artist based in LA, excelling as a writer, director, actor, and stuntman. With a past as a Division I football player and a lifelong martial artist, he skillfully utilized his athletic experience to kickstart his career in the entertainment industry through stunts, showcasing his work in films like “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” and “The Accountant 2.” His first short film, titled “Vaha‘a” The Distance Between,” was both written and directed by him, and starred him as the lead actor. This movie made its debut at the Hawai’i International Film Festival and is set to have its LA premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Ciara Lacy – “Pet Psychic”

A grumpy cat psychic, preferring solitude, is compelled to interpret the worries of Brooklyn’s most fretful pets and their overly anxious owners, even as she navigates her regular occupation at an upscale store that strictly forbids animals.

Ciara’s films have been showcased at Sundance and Berlinale, and can also be found on streaming platforms like Netflix, PBS, ABC, Al Jazeera, and the Criterion Collection. Significantly, she is the first recipient of the Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship, and her work has received backing from various institutions such as Sundance, Tribeca, the Princess Grace Foundation, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, Pacific Islanders in Communications, and Firelight Media. Regardless of whether her projects are live-action or animated, documentary or fictional, short or full-length, Ciara strives to create stories that resonate as being timely, intimate, and insightful.

Lauren Toʻomalatai – “The Moana Guild”

As I grappled with the loss of my mother, I stumbled upon an enigmatic underwater community hidden on the shores of Oʻahu. To my surprise, this clandestine society not only unveiled mysteries surrounding my mother’s past but also revealed truths about myself that I had never dared to fathom.

Born in Kahuku, Hawai’i and raised in West Valley City, Utah, Toʻomalatai is a Sāmoan filmmaker and programmer. Currently, she serves as the lead programmer for the Māsima Film Festival, which she co-founded with the Salt Lake Film Society under the Utah Pacific Island Film Series in 2019. This festival particularly highlights and supports Pacific Island films and their creators. As a writer, Toʻomalatai was chosen to take part in imagineNATIVE’s 2021 Screenwriting Features Lab, where she finished an original horror feature screenplay titled “Blood in the Bowl.

Conrad Lihilihi – “Aloha, Please Hold”

For visitors, it’s a blissful getaway. But for the staff, it’s simply another workday in the longest-running production on our planet: the hospitality industry.

Lihilihi delves into culture and social matters by employing different genres, such as comedy and horror, providing a unique and entertaining viewpoint on cultural encounters. His notable works comprise the Smithsonian docu-series “Language of a Nation” and sketches for Tuntadun Films’ YouTube channel. Presently, he serves as an assistant editor at Warner Brothers and manages “Mixed Plate Storytime,” a YouTube platform that encourages literacy by featuring Pacific Island-based children’s literature.

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2025-05-20 19:49