The second Māoriland Film Festival begins this week in Ōtaki and is expected to attract Indigenous film makers from around the world.
Greenland, Siberia, Canada, USA, Australia and Latin America are just some of the countries that have participated in New Zealand’s first Indigenous Film Festival which is modelled on the Sundance Film Festival.
According to a statement issued by organisers, the vision is to use a native lens and iwi screens to bring the world’s best cinema stories, those usually only seen at International Film Festivals, to Ōtaki and to provide an opportunity to showcase homegrown talent.
In 2015 filmmakers from Canada, USA, South America and Europe (including the Sami from Norway and Greenland), Australia and the Pacific will join a large number of Māori filmmakers and actors to share their films, meet, talk and interact directly with the festival public over five exciting days.
Films will be screened at Raukawa Marae, the historic Rangiatea Church, Hadfield Hall, the 1940’s art deco theatre The Civic, and Te Wananga O Raukawa’s Nga Purapura stadium.
The content of the festival will be comprised of 120 short films, 11 feature films, documentaries, dedicated school screenings, a rangatahi Filmmaking Competition and numerous workshops.