Tinā, the breakout box office smash from down-under, was awarded the Golden Space Needle Audience Award for Best Film at the 51st Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). Directed by Samoan filmmaker Miki Magasiva, Tinā is a soulful celebration of healing and hope.
Present for two sold-out screenings, Magasiva and Beulah Koale, who portrayed Sio, were in the house to witness the love firsthand, and it was well-earned.
This powerful and critically acclaimed film follows Mareta, a grieving teacher who steps into an elite private school and builds a student choir that becomes a source of connection, purpose, and joy for her and the entire community.
Tinā was featured in SIFF’s cINeDIGENOUS programming, presented alongside the 4th World Media Indigenous Film Lab. Together, these platforms uplifted 19 Indigenous films from 11 countries, affirming what we already know: Indigenous cinema is not just rising. It’s leading.
While SIFF’s in-person festival wrapped on May 25, the virtual festival runs from May 26–June 1, 2025. So there’s still time to catch the stories changing the narrative and breaking the mold.
Learn more at SIFF’s cINeDIGENOUS Program or 4th World Media Lab.
