4 Mar 2014

Otaki to host film festival

8:13 am on 4 March 2014

A new premier film festival has been driven by the desire of local hapu to celebrate indigenous cinema, its director says.

The Maoriland Film Festival, which will be launched later this month in Otaki, features some of the best indigenous short films and feature films from New Zealand and the world.

Libby Hakaraia, of Ngati Raukawa, says she knew it was time to create a new kind of film festival when she saw the reaction from kaumatua to some archival films, some more than 100 years old, and after being encouraged by other indigenous filmmakers overseas.

She says she took the tono [proposal] back home to Otaki and presented it to the six hapu, who all gave her a resoundingly positive response.

The festival will include Kapiti Coast filmmakers Himiona Grace, Louis Sutherland and Mark Albiston, who will talk about their recent features The Pa Boys and Shopping.

Films will be shown at the historic Rangiatea Church, Raukawa Marae, and the new multi-million dollar events centre, Nga Purapura, as well as the Civic Centre in Otaki.

The festival will run from 26-30 March.