Tanna stars hit Oscars in penis sheaths

The stars of Tanna have brought their unique fashion style - penis sheaths, bare bottoms and painted faces - to the Oscars.

Lingai Kawia, Seline Kawia and their interpreter JJ Nako from the tiny volcanic Vanuatu island of Tanna in the south Pacific braved 13C temperatures on the red carpet for the 89th Academy Awards on Sunday.

They rubbed shoulders with Hollywood's biggest stars but did not know who the global icons were because they have lived lives largely shut off from the rest of the world.

Australian filmmakers Bentley Dean and Martin Butler were able to film a scripted drama with members of the village, despite no electricity and the villagers never watching a movie or TV show before.

The actors speak in their native Navhal and Nafe and managed to score one of the five foreign language Oscar nominations, a first for an Australian production.