Meet Peter Filimaua | Writer & Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Peter Filimaua and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Peter, how do you think about risk?

Taking risks in life is inherent. We either choose to take them, or we must go through them. Pursuing a career in the field of film has been my risk. Filmmaking has always been a passion of mine since childhood. One of my first shorts was a stop-motion of WWE action figures I shot on a flip video camera. It grew from that to making short skits with my best friends in high school. Now looking back into my last year of graduate school for film and tv at USC, it’s been a long journey full of learning.

A value I continually try to embrace is being yourself. The film industry, like many other fields, is full of politics. Going through predominantly white-run education systems as a Mexican-Samoan artist has brought its own challenges. One situation, for example, happened when I was creating my thesis film, a personal story based on my experience with football and the Samoan culture. I was having difficulty casting and was  told by my mentor, a white female professor, that I should just “Cast someone that looks Pacific Islander enough.” It’s been scenarios like these where I’ve questioned the validity and intentions of these institutions. I understand there aren’t many people that come from my culture in the film industry. However, having to constantly teach professors about your culture and community can be exhausting. Not being able to see anyone like yourself around you is frustrating. Having to always fight for your vision is tiring. It’s a feeling shared amongst minority artists, and that’s the notion that we have to prove our worth. Nonetheless, I know that taking risks in this uncharted territory is important, and it will inspire the next generation that follows, so I will continue to tell stories about my people and be true to myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

2022 was a great year. I worked on a lot of sets, learned a great deal about myself, and collaborated with some talented folks. I directed my largest project to date. A passion project with the money we funded from Kickstarter. I received a grant on stage at the Critics Choice Award, got to meet actors that I look up to, and attended a Netflix red carpet event. I was also fortunate to be part of a fellowship that gave six Pasifika artists the chance to make a short film. While all of this sounds fun, and I’m very grateful for it… it was very stressful.

I’m someone who prides myself on the ability to work hard constantly. For a good portion of my life, I have always correlated hard work with success. It wasn’t until February of this year that I had a run-in with Bell’s Palsy. I was putting in hours and hours of editing, shooting, and doing interviews each day. It was exhausting, but I told myself that at some point, all this hard work had to pay off… I was right. But it came at a cost.

I was 24 and spending a visit at the hospital to get my half-paralyzed face fixed. The doctor told me I needed rest. And lots of it. I learned the hard way that working hard non-stop is not good for your health. Balance is required.

I’m better now, but I can’t lie; it was scary.

However, if someone were to ask me now if I would go back and change anything. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m glad it happened. It taught me how to face adversity head-on and learn how to manage balance. Work, school, family, all of it.

“It’s going to be hard, but hard is not impossible.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
LA sucks. Please don’t come here. We have a lot of traffic…

Just kidding.

Here’s a few of the good spots. Take it from a Socal native:

Adrian’s Tacos – Best tacos in LA. (trust me, I’m Mexican)

Barro’s Pizza – Delicious pizza, mojo, and wings

Bob’s Big Boy – Great diner food

BBQ Stop – Best Korean bbq

Show Sushi – Best all-you-can-eat sushi (the salmon is amazing!)

Snowy Village – Sweet cold dessert

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am here with the help of so many people, but I’d especially like to thank my parents. Without them, I wouldn’t be half the man I am today. They’ve taught me so much throughout life, and I couldn’t have asked for a better support system. I chose to go down a career path that, for my family, is completely foreign, and despite that fact, they’ve supported all my endeavors. They continue to root for and push me. And for that. I am grateful.

I’d like to shoutout the organization CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) for championing API voices and giving people like myself the opportunity to carve out our own space in this industry.

There is a myriad of people who’ve supported me on my journey, and I can’t thank them enough. Here are their names: Asa Bailey, Bo Valencia, Brandon Lê, Brenton Bender, Bryson Moore, Bunthoeun Real, Catrina Freeman, Corina Penaia, Cheryl Penaia, Daniel Garcia, Felipa Perez, Ifeanyi Ezieme, Jalen Christopher, Joshua Leomiti, Kameha Filimaua, Kalani Filimaua, Leilani Filimaua, Max Marchand, Raymond Penaia, Rodolfo Perez, Saif Vaid, Sarah Arthur, South Sea, and Zakkarya Valdez.

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Website: https://filifilms.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterfilimaua/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-filimaua-ba08b3156/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeterFilimaua

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.filimaua

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMyw05h0yeTiTJv6LQVo39g

Other: https://letterboxd.com/pekelo/

Image Credits
Dai Leyi, Dante Bailey, KC Leomiti, Kevin Winter, Malik Baker, Matt Winkelmeyer.