Lomu
Rugby legend Jonah Lomu was a phenom from the start, sprinting 100 metres in under 11 seconds and becoming the youngest ever All Black at just 19 years old. His explosive impact at the 1995 Rugby World Cup transformed him into the sport's first global superstar. That same year, he was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a life-threatening kidney condition that would shape the rest of his life and career. Yet his courage never faded, and he continued to play at an elite level for years to come. Directors Gavin FitzGerald and Vea Mafile'o pay a pitch-perfect tribute to a true Kiwi-Tongan warrior, through spectacular game footage, newly revealed family archives, and intimate reflections from those closest to him.
Special Guests
Vea Mafile’o is a director and producer with over 20 years of experience in film and television. Her award-winning short film, LEA TUOU’ANGA, premiered at Sundance in 2024, while her feature documentary FOR MY FATHER’S KINGDOM premiered at Berlinale in 2019.
Mafile’o made history as the first Pacific female director of a prime-time TV drama with THE PANTHERS, earning a nomination for Best Drama Director at the 2022 NZ Television Awards. She is also the founder of PISA (Pacific Island Screen Artists), two film festivals, and the South Auckland creative hub, Taro Patch Creative, which is dedicated to promoting brown storytelling.
Tickets
Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.
We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
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