Eight director Miki Magasiva wins Best Director at the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand TV awards

Eight’s popular director Miki Magasiva has been named Best Director Drama/Comedy Drama at the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand TV awards for The Panthers.

The Panthers produced for TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+, dominated the scripted content winning eight awards and of the show’s three director finalists, Magasiva was named Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama/Comedy Drama.

A humble man of few words, Magasiva says: “I am stoked.”

Born in Savaii, Western Samoa, Magasiva’s parents moved to New Zealand in search of a better life for their family. Known for his ability to breathe life into words on a page, this big hearted Samoan possesses an innate sense of pace and timing. He has a strong sense of empathy and a natural way with people. He uses idiosyncratic character details to craft rich, textured visual narratives.

The third of five boys, Magasiva hails from a long line of performers, artists and storytellers. His thespian background gives him a unique insight into the actors’ craft.

After graduating from Film and Television school in Wellington, Magasiva moved to London and threw himself into the vibrant UK market. He returned home to New Zealand and quickly established himself as the hottest new commercial director in New Zealand. He eminently enjoying great success across the ditch in Australia.
Over the years Magasiva has directed high-end campaigns for countless clients and has won multiple industry awards, establishing a reputation for himself along the way as one of the nicest guys in advertising.

Eight has been working closely with Magasiva and Mario Gaoa from The Brown Factory to implement a strategy to foster indigenous, Māori and Pacific people in advertising and film. Based on the US Association of Independent Commercial Producers “Double the Line” initiative, Eight’s ‘inclusion line’ is up and running on all productions with the aim to broaden access to the industry.