Festival Programme Out On The Streets

THE PROGRAMME of this year's Wairoa Maori Film Festival is now available, out and about on the streets of Wairoa, Napier, Hastings and Gisborne. "We have put the programme out and about in cafes and art galleries in Wairoa and its three neighbouring cities, as well as at 'I-Site' iinformation centres in all four locales, and at the two Ticketek outlets in Napier and Hastings," said festival director Leo Koziol.

Ticket purchases can now be made on-site at the Hastings and Napier Ticketek outlets. The Napier Ticketek outlet is the Napier Municipal Theatre. The Hastings Ticketek outlet is the Hastings Information Centre. It is hoped to be able to make sales at the Gisborne I-Site soon.

Festival programmes are also available at Mia gallery, Hastings Street, Napier, at Te Puni Kokiri, Gisborne, and at the Napier and Taradale Public Libraries.

In Wairoa, the festival programme is also available at the Festival Office itself, located as part of the Gaiety Cinema complex on Marine Parade, phone 06-838-7717. Ticket sales can be made directly at this location, which will be a hub of activity during the festival itself in ten days time.

"We will be mailing copies of the programme to our larger urban centres this week, including the two Mediaplexes of the New Zealand Film Archive that are located in Wellington and Auckland," said Mr. Koziol.

Wairoa's first Maori Film Festival will be held this Queen's Birthday weekend to mark the commencement of Matariki, the "Maori New Year".

The Wairoa Maori Film Festival will be held at the Gaiety Theatre and other venues, Matariki Weekend, June 2nd to 6th 2005.

The Opening Night Festival Gala is June 2nd 2005, and will include a screening of "Broken Barrier".

The Friday night centrepiece will include presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Ramai Hayward, along with screening of the classics "To Love A Maori" and "Rewi's Last Stand."

"We are hoping for the Maori Film Festival to be a premiere event on the Aotearoa arts calendar," says Festival Director Leo Koziol. "The recent securing of the National Geographic Society as our international partner means it will be a showcase for both the best in Maori film-making and international indigenous film-making." Bird Runningwater of the Sundance Institute will also be attending, presenting a showcase of indigenous North American and Pacific works.

Patrons of the Wairoa Maori Film Festival include Lee Tamahori, Rena Owen, Merata Mita, Cliff Curtis, Witi Ihimaera, Don Selwyn, and Dame Georgina Kirby.

Funding support for the festival has been secured from the NZ Film Commission, NZ Ministry of Economic Development, Creative NZ Te Waka Toi, Wairoa District Council, Te Puni Kokiri and NZ Trade & Enterprise.

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