Carrisse Uta’i (Si’umu, Aleisa) is a New Zealand-based award-winning producer, writer, and actress of Sāmoan, Tuvaluan, Fijian, Cook Island, and German descent. Her producer debut, Find Where I Belong, won Best Short Fiction Film at FIFO Tahiti (2023) and was acquired by France TV. Her screenwriting debut, KÜĪ, won Best Indigenous Film at Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival (2025) and Best Short Film 16+ Youth Jury Award at Cinemagic Film Festival (2025).

She is currently co-producing Kahu Kaiha’s debut feature documentary, KAKAIA – Children of Tiki, as well as a series pilot episode for PASC Ep1 Redux. Her most recent short film, O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Nā, funded by NZ On Air/Day One Hāpai Te Haiata, was released earlier this year.

As co-founder of KAKAIA Productions, Carrisse is dedicated to championing Indigenous and Pacific Islands narratives on screen. She received the 2024 Day One Vista Foundation Spirit Award.

KAKAIA Productions

KAKAIA Productions is an audacious production company bringing Polynesian stories to life across Aotearoa (New Zealand) and French Polynesia. Founded by award-winning filmmakers Carrisse Uta’i and Kahu Kaiha, KAKAIA champions Indigenous narratives rooted in language, culture, and collaboration.

Their work has resonated globally—Find Where I Belong won Best Short Fiction at FIFO Tahiti and was acquired by France TV, while KÜĪ won Best Indigenous Film at Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival and Best Short Film 16+ Youth Jury Award at Cinemagic Film Festival (2025). Their latest, O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Nā, debuted in 2025 with NZ On Air support, and they’re now developing their debut feature documentary, KAKAIA – Children of Tiki.

Recipients of the 2024 Day One Vista Foundation Spirit Award and Vision Award, Carrisse and Kahu are rising filmmaking forces amplifying Pacific voices through visionary cinema.

Carrisse Uta’i attends AIDC 2026 with NZFC-supported delegate Kahu Kaiha.