Wairoa Maori & Indigenous Film Festival 2008

It’s the end of autumn and the weekend should be a busy one

Friday, 30 May 2008
By Sophie Rishworth

It’s a long weekend, the MetService says it is going to be sunny and there is plenty happening around town.

After a week of next to no surf, the swell forecast for the weekend could not be better timing for the Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series Maori Surf Championships on Saturday.

The one-day event will feature some of New Zealand’s top Maori surfers, with perfect conditions promising for competitors and spectators alike.

The golden days of radio will be celebrated at a Radio-in-Gisborne reunion at the Emerald Hotel to mark 85 years of broadcasting in this region. Past employees of 2ZG and 2XG will be there to swap stories with present employees of the Radio Network.

Over the Whareratas, the 2008 Wairoa Maori Film festival is back for the third year. This year will pay special tribute to Maori film-makers Don Selwyn, Witarina Harris and Barry Barclay, who all died in the past 18 months.

The film schedule features New Zealand classic, Came a Hot Friday, plus contemporary footage from closer to home, Krumping in Gisborne. With more than 40 movies to see, the full festival programme is worth checking out on manawairoa.com. It includes international films in the mix.

Cultural activities continue, with Braemar Dancing Club competitions at the War Memorial Theatre from Friday evening to noon on Monday. Young dancers from all over New Zealand will perform tap, modern and ballet routines, some hip-hop and speed-tap to keep things lively.

Rejuvenated steam train WA165 will make coastal trips to Muriwai and back on Saturday and Sunday. Bookings can be made at the Visitor Information Centre.

Dogs and their owners from all over the North Island will be here for the Championship Obedience and Agility Show at Showground Park on Saturday and Sunday.

A Mind, Body, Spirit Expo will be at Gisborne Hotel, featuring spiritual mediums, crystals, jewellery, soy products and much more.

Continuing with that theme, Sunday night at Lawson Field Theatre will see psychic medium Sue Nicholson connect audience members with the “other side”. Limited tickets are still available.

The end of Youth Week on Saturday will be celebrated with a concert at the House of Breakthrough. It will feature Rapture Ruckus and rap band Zero T.

Get out there and take part in what Gisborne has to offer this weekend — even if it’s a walk around the block to enjoy the last of Autumn before winter officially starts on Sunday.

Taking Maori tales to world

Saturday, 31 May 2008
By Kristine Walsh

IDEAS can be universal but cultural differences create unique ways of telling stories, say film-makers Tearepa Kahi and Pita Turei.

“This is what makes these stories worth hearing and rehearing,” says Turei who, with Kahi, was in Gisborne to run a workshop for Maori with ambitions to make short films.

“Culture and experience shape our world view,” Kahi adds. “That is the difference between Maori storytelling and Pakeha storytelling.”

The pair discovered a wealth of stories among the nearly 20 budding scriptwriters who attended Friday’s workshop.

There was one about an apology between whanau members. One documenting a journey to the spirit world. And one where animated humans are turned into pigs.

“Many have already thought deeply about their stories and why they want to tell them, so they are already a long way down the track,” says Turei.

“They are as engaged and articulate as any of the film professionals we come across in the bigger cities.”

He and Kahi have already staged about 15 similar workshops around the country, talking not only about the creative side of film-making but also practical issues like funding and how to access it. They admit they have an ulterior motive.

Both are drivers behind Te Paepae Ataata, a new initiative designed to mentor and fund feature-length works by Maori film-makers.

As chairman of Nga Aho Whakaari: Maori in Film, Video and Television, Turei has committed the next three years to tracking down and supporting emerging film-makers.

Kahi plans to do the same, while maintaining his own film-making commitments and continuing to produce Iti Pounamu, the short film programme that screens weekly on Maori Television.

It can often take years to take a feature film from script stage to completion, but Te Paepae Ataata has the ambitious goal of guiding the production of a film every year.

And they are not only shooting for the domestic market. Whether the films are scripted in English or te reo Maori, they want them to be accessible to an international audience.

“There were too many years between the making of films like Ngati (1987) and Once Were Warriors (1994),” says Kahi.

“If we want to make this work we need to go hard, and now is the time to do it.”

Tearepa Kahi and Pita Turei will also run short film workshops at this weekend’s Wairoa Maori Film Festival, and next week in Ruatoria.

Environmental doco wins top award

Tuesday, 3 June 2008
By Sophie Rishworth

It was like a night at the Oscars, Wairoa- style.

About 150 people, including indigenous film-makers from all over the world, gathered for a candlelit dinner in Wairoa’s War Memorial Theatre on Saturday night.

The 2008 Maori Film Festival Awards was a chance for them to sit back and reflect on all the hard work achieved over the past year and celebrate indigenous film making.

Minister of Maori Affairs Parekura Horomia told them the festival was beginning to make its mark around the country and emphasised the importance of it coinciding with Matariki — the traditional Maori New Year.

“Matariki is a time of newness, moving from the old to the new. The reason this festival grows and is really great is because it is in line with Matariki,” he said.

Festival director Leo Koziol and his mother Huia Koziol were congratulated for their perseverance in keeping the festival going.

“This is a lesson in bringing things that are recognised nationally and internationally to a town like Wairoa — I look forward to the fourth year,” he said.

Rawiri Paratene followed Mr Horomia on stage, opening up with a rendition of There’s No Business Like Show Business.

His banter kept the audience entertained — and when it came time to announce the evening’s award winners, the laughs continued.

Each sealed envelope contained the wrong matching award winner.

The comedy of errors delighted the audience, who enjoyed the light-hearted manner with which it was handled and eventually all winners were announced for the right category.

The two judges were inundated with entries this year and the winners were:

Overall winner was Restoring the Mauri of Lake Omapere, an environmental documentary directed by Simon Marler.

The Audience Award was Patu Ihu directed by Summer Agnew.

Best Documentary Aotearoa was awarded to Turangaarere: John Pohe Story, about a World War 2 pilot, and directed by Julian Arahanga.

Best international indigenous long documentary was Four Sheets to the Wind directed by Sterlin Harjo.

Best international indigenous long documentary was Way of the Warrior directed by Patricia Loew.

The best international indigenous short documentary was Nigger Lovers. Aboriginal director Rhonda Hagen travelled from Australia with her husband for the film festival. Unfortunately, a confused travel agent in Australia booked them into a hotel in Napier, assuring them it was close enough.

They did not make it to the awards dinner to accept the award but did travel every day from Napier to Wairoa to watch the film festival movies.

Wairoa, Maori films in focus

Saturday, 31 May 2008
By Sophie Rishworth

THE 2008 Wairoa Maori Film Festival celebrates the past, present and future of indigenous film-making in New Zealand.

This year’s festival pays special tribute to Maori film-makers Don Selwyn, Witarina Harris and Barry Barclay, who all died in the past 18 months

But it is also a time for newcomers to show what they have achieved.

Young Maori film-maker Garth Watene has attended the Wairoa Maori Film Festival every year since its inception three years ago — but this year is the first time he has a film in it.

“It’s awesome, I just love telling stories, especially Maori ones,” he said.

“If you have a story idea it’s good to get it out there and see what people think.”

Watene’s film, Rua, debuts this weekend as part of the Maori Short Film Showcase I.

The 13-minute film is about a young boy whose mother has died and as he looks for answers he finds them in his Maori cultural identity.

“The stories told on maraes in the old days are being put on to film and TV. It lets everybody listen to them, not just Maori,” he said.

Mr Watene, 34, attends Waikato University and is part way through his Maori media and communications degree.

He funded Rua himself, but will apply for funding for his next feature — an extended version of the short film, which he will start in January.

“It’s good to have Maori film-makers get together, share ideas and promote Maori film-makers.” The Gaiety Theatre has screenings today, tomorrow and Sunday that start at 11.30am, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm.

A special 8pm screening of super natural thriller, The Tattooist, directed by Peter Burger, will be held at the Gaiety tonight. The film delves into the spiritual side of tattooing and includes graphic images of the ancient art in progress.

Taihoa Marae Tahi has three showings at 11am, 1pm and 3pm over the weekend and Taihoa Marae Cinema’s Rua screenings are 11.15am, 1.15pm and 3.15pm.

The Wairoa War Memorial Hall is holding the Wairoa Maori Film Festival Awards Dinner and Maori Musical evening from 7 tonight.

PRESS RELEASE: WAIROA MAORI FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wairoa, June 3rd 2008

Te Roopu Whakaata Maori I Te Wairoa – Wairoa Maori Film Festival
Society Inc. is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s
festival awards:

Festival Prize (Best Overall Entry)
Festival Trophy & $500 Prize to “Restoring the Mauri of Lake Omapere”
Director Simon Marler

Dramatic Short (Aotearoa) Audience Award
Festival Trophy to “Patu Ihu”
Director Summer Agnew

International Indigenous Drama
Festival Trophy to “Four Sheets to the Wind”
Director Sterlin Harjo (USA)

International Indigenous Documentary (Short)
Festival Trophy to “Nigger Lovers”
Director Rhonda Hagan

International Indigenous Documentary (Long)
Festival Trophy to “Way of the Warrior”
Director Patty Loew

Documentary (Aotearoa) Award
Festival Trophy to “Turangaarere The John Pohe Story”
Director Julian Arahanga

The Festival Awards Night & Celebration was held at the Wairoa War
Memorial Hall, Wairoa, on Saturday evening May 31st. Entertainment for
the evening was Maori guitar legend Billy TK.

Trophies were presented by special guests at the awards night,
including Hon. Parekura Horomia (Minister of Maori Affairs), Mayor Les
Probert of Wairoa, Mayor Meng Foon of Gisborne, Ella Henry, Pita Turei
and Rawiri Paretene. Many of the film-makers were present on the
evening, including Patty Loew who had travelled from Wisconsin, USA.
International Indigenous Documentary (Short) was presented to Rhonda
Hagan and Stephen Hagan who had travelled from Toowoomba, Australia.

The theme of this year’s festival was “Te Karanga O Papatuanuku, Te
Waiata O Te Whenua’ ~ ‘The Land Sings, The Earth Cries Out.” This
environmental theme was reflected in a selection of kaitiaki-themed
films throughout the festival, including Festival Prize winner
“Restoring the Mauri of Lake Omapere.”

Authorised by: Te Roopu Whakaata Maori I Te Wairoa – Wairoa Maori Film
Festival Society Inc. www.manawairoa.com