Māoriland Films Unveils ‘Raptor’ At Seattle International Film Festival

Māoriland Films announces that Raptor (Māori title: Pouākai), a powerful new short film directed by Libby Hakaraia, will have its international premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Set in ancient Aotearoa, 1000 years ago, Raptor tells the story of a chief whose child is taken by a Haast eagle, known to Māori as a Pouākai. Driven by love, he scales the mountains to confront the giant raptor.

The majestic scale of the film’s story features incredible New Zealand scenery and the work of WētāFX.

“We wanted to show humanity as part of an epic environment where we are not the apex predators. Fear and dread enters into this intimate human world. This propels the drama - the depth of love a parent has for a child.” says director Libby Hakaraia.

Raptor is a highly ambitious drama self-funded by Māoriland Films. It’s made by a team with extensive film credits, including Director Libby Hakaraia and producers Tainui Stephens and Desray Armstrong.

Raptor is written by Māori scriptwriter Ricardo Giraldo. He’s the writer behind Māoriland Films’ feature film project TANIWHA, which is also to be directed by Libby Hakaraia.

“Taniwha is our highly ambitious Indigenous creature feature that’s set in the same world and time as Raptor. It’s in advanced development with production set for 2027,” said producer Tainui Stephens. (The Deadlands, Whina) 

Māoriland Films is positioning Taniwha to meet a growing worldwide appetite for culturally grounded, high-concept storytelling.

Libby is a Sundance Fellow and a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She has built a long career as a screen director and producer. She has pursued Indigenous screen leadership, with a focus on creating pathways for Māori storytelling to reach global audiences.

Raptor (Pouākai) will screen at the Seattle International Film Festival, ahead of Mārama - the stunning directorial debut of Māori director, Taratoa Stappard. Screenings are on May 8 and 9.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUpmmZutwjs

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