Finding a script for a Papua New Guinea musical in the university library as a student led to Simei-Barton staging Feiva/Favour!
[2] It was also a springboard for other Pasifika performing artists, notably choreographers Iosefa (Sefa) Enari, founder of Pacific Dance New Zealand, choreographer Lemi Ponifasio, and film director Vela Manusaute, who turned up on Simei-Barton's doorstep begging to be involved.
Simei-Barton co-directed with Alan Brunton a performance of Romeo and Juliet for Auckland University's Summer Shakespeare in 1992, with an exclusively Pacific Island cast.
[5][3] These plays were part of the beginning of a movement for Pacific people presenting professional contemporary performing arts.
This includes short films Brown Sugar (1995) and The Trophy (2008),[7] The Overstayer, and Coming Home for the series "Tala Pasifika".
Simei-Barton was producer, creator, writer, and director of the 2003 television series Good Hands–Lima Lelei, which took seven years to bring about.
[1] Simei-Barton directed the production of Wanjiku Kiarie Sanderson's New Zealand African play In Transit in May 2017 at Mangere Arts Centre.