Vea Mafile'o is of Tongan, English/Scottish descent and lives with her family in South Auckland, New Zealand. Vea is currently working in film and television as a freelance Director/Art Director/ Camera OP. With her sister, Emily, a photographer, she created the Taro Patch Creative - Tala Loto Fale. Vea’s award winning family documentary film 'For My Father's Kingdom' - shown at festivals internationally - created space for much needed talanoa - hard talanoa that at times is uncomfortable but opens up space for empathy and respect through 'ofa (compassion). Tala Loto Fale is about creating a safe space for people to talanoa. Her recent art works explore natural and man-made environmental issues in the Kingdom of Tonga mainly in the Ha’apai Island group. Themes include the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclone Ian and the rise in sea levels. Recent exhibitions include For My Father’s Kingdom (Penn Museum, Philadelphia, USA, 2021); Truth or Consequences (Christchurch Art Gallery; Ashburton Art Gallery, 2019); and Digital Launima (St Paul St Gallery, Auckland, 2018). Vea Mafile’o advised on and supported the creation of digital stories in the Rising Stories project.