Te Atamira Brings A Weekend Of Wāhine In Film To Queenstown

Four iconic New Zealand artists and storytellers will come together in Queenstown for a weekend of inspiring kōrero thanks to Te Atamira.

On Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December, Chelsea Winstanley ONZM, Dame Gaylene Preston, Dame Robin White, and Julia Holden will be sharing their work and insights into the power of collaboration in the arts.

Events in this exciting weekend of programming include:

• Julia Holden artist talk about her newly opened exhibition, The Artist 10:30am Saturday 6 December | Free, Te Atamira

• Panel discussion with all four women on ‘The Power of Collaboration’ 11am Saturday 6 December | $25, Te Atamira

• Screening of TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty followed by Q&A with Director Chelsea Winstanley

4pm, Saturday 6 December | $20, Silky Otter Cinema, Frankton

2pm, Sunday 7 December | $21, Cinema Paradiso, Wānaka

• Screening of GRACE A Prayer for Peace followed by Q&A with Director Gaylene Preston and artist Robin White

11am, Sunday 7 December | $20, Silky Otter Cinema, Frankton

The offering marks a number of firsts for Te Atamira. It is the first time the beloved local arts centre has collaborated with Frankton cinema Silky Otter, and Cinema Paradiso in Wānaka which expands the reach of Te Atamira’s programming over the hill for the first time. It is also the first programme planned and implemented by director Ruth Heath, who has recently marked three months at the helm of Te Atamira.

“I am thrilled to bring together such acclaimed wāhine who have had a significant impact on arts and culture in and for Aotearoa New Zealand,” she says. “It’s also great to be working with Silky Otter for the first time, a beginning of a partnership in which we can continue to bring important and quality film along with their makers to our region.”

This is a rare opportunity to hear from four extraordinary artists and storytellers who have shaped Aotearoa’s creative landscape through courage, generosity, and connection.

With the exception of Julia Holden’s artist talk, all events in this weekend of programming are ticketed and spaces are limited. To book your place, go to www.teatamira.nz/whats-on

Notes:

ABOUT TE ATAMIRA:

Te Atamira is Tāhuna Queenstown's arts and culture centre, which opened in the heart of the Whakatipu region in 2022. Our vision is to be a platform for creativity to flourish for everyone, every day. We have a curated programme and 22 fit-for purpose spaces including dance, performance, visual art, music studios, a pottery workshop, podcast recording studio, a curated art gallery, a project space, classroom workshop and a youth space. www.teatamira.nz

ABOUT TOITŪ: VISUAL SOVEREIGNTY

TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty, the debut directorial feature from Academy Award nominated producer Chelsea Winstanley, goes behind the scenes of the largest Māori art exhibition in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history. Following curator Nigel Borell’s vision for Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art, the film captures both its record-breaking success and the behind the scenes conflicts that arise when Indigenous sovereignty challenges institutional power. Featuring rare access and the voices of celebrated artists such as Shane Cotton, Emily Karaka, Taika Waititi, Brett Graham, Ngahina Hohaia, the Mataaho Collective and Reuben Paterson, this is a powerful portrait of cultural resilience and authorship.

ABOUT GRACE: A PRAYER FOR PEACE

A portrait of one of Aotearoa’s greatest living artists by one of our greatest documentary filmmakers. GRACE A Prayer for Peace brings together filmmaker Dame Gaylene Preston and artist Dame Robin White (Ngāti Awa) in an extraordinary collaboration. What begins as conversation evolves into a cinematic path across Aotearoa, Kiribati, and Japan, drawing rich connections between people, place, and art. This is not a biopic, but a creative exchange — anchored in Robin White’s practice and worldview, it becomes a deeply felt exploration of how we live, what we value, and what we choose to protect.

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