EXCLUSIVE: Red, White & Brass is the debut feature from director Damon Fepulea’i and we’ve got the first trailer for the Taika Waititi-exec produced inspiring underdog tale. Check it out above.
Based on a true story, the film follows a community of passionate Tongans led by Maka, a superfan who will do whatever it takes to get tickets to the Tonga vs France 2011 Rugby World Cup game – even if that means promising to deliver a brass band for the pre-match entertainment. The only problem is, the band doesn’t exist and Maka has four weeks to create one.
The cast includes John-Paul Foliaki (Popstars), Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Panthers), Ilaisaane Green (Brutal Lives), Onetoto Ikavuka, Mikey Falesiu (Toke), Lupeti Finau, Lotima Pome’e (Under the Vines) and Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson (Savage).
Fepulea’i co-wrote the script with co-producer Halaifonua (Nua) Finau. The film hails from the producers behind such New Zealand-produced features as The Breaker Upperers, Cousins and the Waititi-directed award-winning Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Red, White & Brass is produced by Waititi’s Piki Films alongside Miss Conception. Producers are Georgina Conder, Morgan Waru, Halaifonua Finau. Exec producers are Waititi, Carthew Neal (Jojo Rabbit) and Ainsley Gardiner (Night Raiders).
Madman Entertainment, Piki Films and M2S1 Films are distributing in New Zealand and Australia with NZ opening March 23. UTA and Piki Films are handling sales for North America and Piki is handling the rest of the world.
The movie has funding from the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant and Screen Production Recovery Fund, NZ on Air, Warner Bros Discovery ANZ, Angel Investors Marlborough, Department of Post and Kiwibank.
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