Wairoa Maori Film Festival 2010

PRESS RELEASE: FESTIVAL PROGRAMME NOW ONLINE
WAIROA AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND Wednesday April 8th 2009

The Wairoa Maori Film Festival is proud to announce the release of its festival programme for 2009. “Since 2005, we have been presenting a showcase of New Zealand Maori themed film works, including dramatic features, short films and documentaries” says Festival Director Leo Koziol.

“ Indigenous film makers have also travelled from around the world to present their works and participate in the unique energy that is the Wairoa Maori Film Festival,” says Mr. Koziol. “This year, our international selection includes films from Canada, USA, Australia and Bolivia. On the feature film front, we are proud to host the World Premiere of the new digital feature “Rua”, directed by Garth Wateneh.”

“The new NZ Film Commission-funded short films are also a highlight of our programme, with new works by Maori directors Nancy Brunning, Ainsley Gardiner and brothers Meihana and Pere Durie,” says Mr. Koziol. “We are hoping to have some of these film-makers in attendance at the festival this year, as we celebrate our fourth festival of Maori film.”

This year’s festival theme is “Kia Tau Te Rangimarie” – “Peace in our Time”, and this theme is represented in a special Peace-themed selection of archival films presented by the NZ Film Archive, and by the astonishing and prophetic “8th Fire” from the Anishnabe people of North America. The Anishnabe believe that 2011 is a unique year of change in the calendar of time, as is also prophesised by other native people’s across the American continents.

This year’s programme is different to those prior because for the first time the festival is bein g presented as one sequential programme, with no competition across the four festival venues. For the first time, festival organisers are also holding a special “pre-night” screening at the Kahungunu Marae in Nuhaka, with archival films focused on the community of Festival Director Leo Koziol’s home village and its hinterlands. Films to screen include footage from the original opening of Kahungunu Marae in 1949.

“The new approach will enable our guest film-makers to maximize their wananga potential between each other, and for guests to take in fully the menu of great film works on offer,” says Mr. Koziol.

The programme of the Wairoa Maori Film Festival is online now at: www.manawairoa.com.

Some further elements of the festival are still to be confirmed for inclusion, including a “first film-makers” short films wananga, an NZ On Screen wananga, and a korero session with Nga Aho Whakaari Maori in Film & Television.

This year’s festival is supported by Creative NZ Te Waka Toi and the NZ Film Commission.

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Authorised by: Te Roopu Whakaata Maori I Te Wairoa, Wairoa Maori Film Festival Society Inc., PO Box 85, Nuhaka, Wairoa District, Aotearoa New Zealand. Email: maorimovies@gmail.com Phone: 06 837 8854 (Chairperson) 09 528 3157 (Festival Director) Website: www.manawairoa.com
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PRESS RELEASE: WAIROA MAORI FILM FESTIVAL 18TH TO 21ST JUNE 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wairoa Aotearoa New Zealand Sunday March 22nd 2009

THE NEW DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL WAIROA MAORI FILM FESTIVAL! Marking the dawn of the special time that is Matariki, this year’s festival will run for four days Thursday 18th June to Sunday 21st June 2009. This year’s festival theme is Peace: “Kia Tau Te Rangimarie – Peace In Our Time.”

The festival kicks off with a special opening evening of archival films relating to the local Nuhaka and Mahia area. This screening will occur at Kahungunu Marae, Nuhaka, 7 p.m. Thursday June 18th. Festival Director Leo Koziol is from Nuhaka, where he is a board member of the local Rakaipaaka iwi. Mr. Koziol has been researching archival films from Nuhaka, including footage of the opening of Kahungunu Marae in 1949. A unique evening of Nuhaka archival films will therefore open the festival, with a special bonus film premiere featuring local celebrity dolphin “Moko.”

On the Friday, the festival moves to Wairoa with a lunchtime Powhiri at Taihoa Marae and an opening night gala at the Gaiety Cinema. Four new Maori short films will be screened, followed by a Maori Batallion -themed live play from Taki Rua Theatre. “We are working with Taki Rua Theatre to bring the play ‘Strange Resting Places’ to Wairoa for one special evening,” says Festival Chairperson Huia Koziol. Details on the live play will be confirmed soon.

Taihoa Marae will be the focus of activities on Saturday, with a Marae Community Day comprising film screenings, live music performance, an Audio-Visual installation space, arts stalls, kai stalls and a bouncy castle for the kids. The day concludes with the centrepiece of the festival comprising the Wairoa Maori Film Festival Awards night at the War Memorial Hall. “The War Memorial Hall is an appropriate location for our ‘Peace’ themed festival, in remembrance of those who served so we could live our lives in peace today,” says Mrs. Koziol. A night of performance of local Wairoa talent is planned, including hit of last year’s festival Billy T.K. Sr.

The festival concludes with one further day of film screenings at Taihoa Marae, and two special feature presentations at the Gaiety Cinema. Closing night screening will be “Rain of the Children”, Vincent Ward’s stunning documentary filmed in the hinterlands of Wairoa at Ruatahuna and Maungapohatu. “The incredible true story of Puhi and her life history living and marrying into Rua’s Maungapohatu community will be a highlight of this year’s festival,” says Festival Director Leo Koziol.

Since 2005, Wairoa has been host to three Maori and indigenous film festivals. Guests to the festival have traveled from across Aotearoa and from as far afield as Mexico, USA, Hawaii, Canada and Australia. Confirmed sponsors of this year’s festival are Creative NZ Te Waka Toi and the New Zealand Film Commission.

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Authorised by: Te Roopu Whakaata Maori I Te Wairoa, Wairoa Maori Film Festival Society Inc., PO Box 85, Nuhaka, Wairoa District, Aotearoa New Zealand. Email: maorimovies@gmail.com Phone: 06 837 8854 (Chairperson) 09 528 3157 (Festival Director) Website: www.manawairoa.com