Wairoa Maori Film Festival e-Programme Now Online

Wairoa Maori Film Festival e-Programme Now Online

FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY 31 MAY 2011

WITH TWO DAYS TO GO, THE WAIROA MAORI FILM FESTIVAL HAS PLACED ITS ePROGRAMME ONLINE at its website www.manawairoa.com. "This year's festival programme is now available in a convenient PDF format, for you to either print out or port as an iBook on to portable media devices, such as the iPad," says Festival Director Leo Koziol.

The Wairoa Maori Film Festival is a celebration of Maori and indigenous film-making, with this year's theme "Maori Romance". It starts this Thursday June 2 at Wairoa's Taihoa Marae with a powhiri, welcome dinner and evening of film, then moves to Kahungunu Marae, Nuhaka, until June 6. Passes start at $80. Options include marae accommodation and meals.

There will be six new New Zealand feature films playing at this year's festival, a first for the festival. Opening night will be new feature film TRACKER starring Temuera Morrison, followed by multi cultural drama MATARIKI directed by Michael Bennett on Friday night. Saturday will be RUSSIAN SNARK by Stephen Sinclair and feature film NIGHTS IN THE GARDEN OF SPAIN directed by Katie Wolfe, and on Sunday we are screening HOOK LINE AND SINKER starring Rangimoana Taylor and HUGH AND HEKE starring Pete Smith.

There is also a diverse range of content from indigenous film makers all around the world. LANI'S STORY tells the moving and intimate portrait of a young Australian Aboriginal woman's journey from victim to victor, from a broken and violent relationship to discovering the redemptive power of love. 7 GENERATIONS tells the powerful story of the gathering of 13 indigenous Grandmothers who travel the world and promote a message of World Peace.

Another highlight is the diverse range of short films playing at the festival. On Thursday and Friday nights, the MATARIKI SHORT FILM SELECTION will include new works by Maori film makers Nathaniel Hinde, Rachel House, Tammy Davis, Kararaina Rangihau and James Barr. Saturday's programme includes THE NEW BLACK seven new Australian Aboriginal films presented in association with Flickerfest, Australia's largest short film festival.

"The festival will once again be taking place over the Queen's Birthday weekend holiday," says Festival Director Leo Koziol. "This time has also traditionally been seen to mark the beginning of Matariki and the Maori New Year celebration."

"Our festival is unique as all of our screenings are on Marae. We expect once again for people to travel from near and far for a weekend of film, kai and korero, as well as the opportunity for bush walks and hot pools at Morere and sand and surf at Mahia, food for the soul as well as the body."

Opening the festival will be NATIVE IN NUHAKA, WIRED IN WAIROA Maori Film Futures Hui. The Maori film hui takes the conversation into the future and to the next level, with special guest speakers from the NZ Film Commission and Nga Aho Whakaari Maori in Film & Television, and an afternoon of global networking and practical script workshopping.

The Wairoa Maori Film Festival Society wishes to thank the New Zealand Film Commission and Creative NZ Te Waka Toi for their kind support of this year's festival.
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