Call for Entries for Maori & Indigenous Film Fest

CALL FOR ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR WAIROA MAORI & INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL 2008

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WAIROA, New Zealand, 2 September 2007

THE ORGANISERS OF THE 3RD WAIROA MAORI & INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL are proud to announce the dates of next year's festival, and to open Call for Entries for Maori film-makers in Aotearoa and indigenous film-makers around the world. In 2008, the festival will return to the Matariki Queen's Birthday Weekend, with the event occuring from Thursday 29th May to Monday June 2nd 2008. The festival entry form is now available for download at the festival's official website: www.manawairoa.com.

"We have held two successful Maori film festivals, and our rebranding to clearly incorporate world indigenous film represents a desire for us to connect with the visionary dreamkeepers from the four corners of our planet," says Festival Director Leo Koziol, proud member of the Raikapaaka tribe of Nuhaka.

The theme of the third festival will be "Te Karanga O Papatuanuku – Te Waiata O Te Whenua" - "The Land Sings, The Earth Cries Out". Festival Director Leo Koziol says "As we face a world imperiled by ecological decline and the uncertain impacts of climate change, we find it is our indigenous voices that are emerging as beacons of hope for the future of our planet. We honour in particular our Festival Chairperson, Pauline Tangiora, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and a tireless champion for the under-represented voices of our indigenous peoples." Film works presented at the 2008 festival will include a focus on the peace and environment advocacy works of Pauline Tangiora.

Alongside an environmentally themed-programme, there will also be a general Maori and indigenous programme of short films, dramatic features, long and short documentaries, with international indigenous works coming from around the world. "Our Rangatahi (youth) may be growing up with YouTube and Generation TXT, but it is still important for us to gather and congress and hui around the works of our visionary film-makers. The Wairoa Maori Film Festival is a unique festival occuring in the Maori cultural heartland of NZ's East Coast, and will always be the hub for our activities as we take our vision out to the world."

This year, Wairoa will be a "portal" for Maori and indigenous film-makers, as for the first time the programme from the festival will travel on to the two main centres of Auckland and Wellington. "We have tentative agreement from MIC Toi Rerehiko in Auckland and the NZ Film Archive Mediaplex in Wellington to host showcase programmes from the 2008 Wairoa event, and look forward to confirming finalised dates soon," says Festival Director Leo Koziol.

The Wairoa Maori Film Festival was established in 2005 to "undertake an annual Maori Film Festival in Wairoa District that supports:

- Development of a global hub for Maori creativity and talent;

- Building bridges among ahi kaa and taurahere populations;

- Building bridges among creative communities, Maori and Pakeha;

- Building of an international indigenous people's network; and

- The revitalisation and renaissance of Wairoa and it's communities."

International participation in the festival occured in 2005, with support and sponsorship from National Geographic All Roads and programme participation from the Sundance Institute and the National Museum of the Native American Indian (New York City). In 2006, the focus was on presenting a strong body of New Zealand film works in partnership with the New Zealand Film Archive, with works presented by MIC Toi Rerehiko, Pollywood Film Festival and Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum of New Zealand. The Wairoa Maori Film Festival is unique in hosting screenings in both cinema and marae venues.

Wairoa Maori Film Festival Dates:
Matariki Queen's Birthday Weekend
Thursday 29th May to Monday June 2nd 2008

Auckland & Wellington Showcase:
MIC Toi Rerehiko, Auckland, June 2008 (final dates to be confirmed)
NZ Film Archive Mediaplex, Wellington, June 2008 (final dates to be confirmed)

ENDS

www.manawairoa.com

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