Director Tony Vainuku has signed to M88.
Vainuku became an Emmy Award-winning director for his feature-length documentary in 2017 We trust in football. Bowing to Sundance, the cautionary sports doc focused on the impact football is having on the emerging Polynesian community in the United States.
The Polynesian-American filmmaker also directed the two-part finale for Netflix’s untold documentary series executive produced by the Way Brothers and slated for release next month. The finale tells the story of the catfishing hoax that led to Heisman trophy finalist Manti Te’o falling from stardom.
Vainuku also directs the docuseries American gladiators with Campfire Films, and will direct and screen a docuseries for Scott Budnick’s One Community.
He is also developing a narrative series based on the life of Junior Seau. The life of the Samoan NFL star from Oceanside, California came to a sudden and tragic end in 2012 after a long battle with the traumatic brain disease CTE, a major crisis that plagued the NFL.
Vainuku is still represented by UTA on the side of the agency and Community Films for commercials.
In 2020, former WME partner Phillip Sun and MACRO founder and CEO Charles D. King launched M88 as an indie representation firm, led by Sun and partners Oronde Garrett and Gaby Mena.