NZ Film Commission Announces Senior Māori Executive

New Zealand Film Commission Announces Senior Māori Executive
Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) today announces the appointment of Karen Te O Kahurangi Waaka-Tibble to the newly-created senior executive position of Pou Whakahaere. Waaka-Tibble is a producer with extensive experience in governance, culture, intellectual property rights, iwi and community organisations as well as active involvement in Māori screen issues.

Making the announcement, NZFC CEO Annabelle Sheehan says it is this wide-ranging career which makes Waaka-Tibble such an asset to the NZFC. “The span and depth of her experience will be invaluable as we head into the important next phase of Te Rautaki Māori. She has an extraordinary mix of skills and expertise as well as significant connections in the industry and with government. I am so pleased to welcome her to the NZFC and I believe she will have an enormous impact on our culture here and on the future of the New Zealand screen industry.”

As Pou Whakahaere, Waaka-Tibble will be responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the NZFC’s Te Rautaki Māori strategy announced last month. Te Rautaki brings with it a commitment to three new funding initiatives for the production and development of Māori films. The strategy was created over the past two and a half years in collaboration with Māori screen organisation Ngā Aho Whakaari and the wider Māori film sector. [Links: Te Rautaki in full and funding details]

Karen Te O Kahurangi Waaka-Tibble, newly-appointed NZFC Pou Whakahaere, says, “I am delighted that this new role will give me the opportunity to facilitate funding for Māori films and career development for Māori filmmakers. I’d like to acknowledge the hard work and deep thought that has been put into the creation of this strategy and the Pou Whakahaere position from Māori filmmakers and NZFC staff and particularly Annabelle Sheehan for kick-starting it as soon as she was appointed CEO.”

Ngā Aho Whaakari chair Christina Asher says: "These are exciting times. After 20 years of protest we have Te Rautaki and in Karen we have a leader who has the mana and the skills to manage it effectively. Her career proves her dedication to our kaupapa. She has always championed te reo Māori and Māori screen creatives. Her colleagues in Ngā Aho Whakaari look forward to working alongside her to make Te Rautaki, and also the aspirations of our filmmaking tupuna Barry Barclay, Merata Mita, Tama Poata, Tungia Baker, Don Selwyn and Ramai Hayward, become a concrete, working reality."
Ma te huruhuru, ka rere te manu
With feathers, the bird will fly
Te Rautaki in full

© Scoop Media