Mahana and Born to Dance to screen at Berlinale

Mahana and Born to Dance to screen at Berlinale

Two New Zealand films have been included in the programme of the 2016 Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale). Lee Tamahori’s Mahana will have its world premiere at the festival, screening out of competition, and Tammy Davis’s Born To Dance will have its European premiere in the festival’s Generation 14plus section.

Mahana, directed by Lee Tamahori, written by John Collee and produced by Robin Scholes, is based on Witi Ihimaera’s novel Bulibasha. Set in rural New Zealand in the 1960s, the film tells the story of two large families of sheep-shearers, the Mahanas and the Poatas. The families are sworn enemies and 14-year-old Simeon, growing up in the shadow of his powerful grandfather, Tamihana Mahana, wants to know why. As Simeon unravels the truth behind the longstanding family vendetta, he risks not only his own future, but the cohesion of the entire tight-knit society.

Mahana is acclaimed director Lee Tamahori’s first New Zealand film in 20 years and reunites him with hisOnce Were Warriors producer, Robin Scholes, and star, Temuera Morrison (Mt Zion). The film also stars Nancy Brunning (White Lies, The Pa Boys), Jim Moriarty (The Strength of Water) and newcomer Akuhata (Augs) Keefe who was picked from Tolaga Bay Area School to play Simeon.

Mahana is funded by the New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand On Air, Māori Television, Entertainment One, Wild Bunch and private equity investors, including a selection of 200 individuals who invested via the Snowball Effect equity crowd funding platform, a first for a New Zealand film.

Mahana will be released in New Zealand on 3 March by Entertainment One.

Directed by Tammy Davis, written by Steve Barr, Hone Kouka and Casey Whelan, and produced by Jill Macnab, Leanne Saunders and Daniel Story, Born to Dance features some of the world’s top hip hop dancers with choreography by world champion Parris Goebel.

Born to Dance tells the story of Tu Kaea, who gets the chance to audition for K-Crew, the best hip hop crew in the country, but has to go behind the backs of his home crew and his best friend Benjy. Things get even more complicated when he starts falling for Sasha, the girlfriend of K-Crew’s leader. When Tu’s old crew and new crew clash, he has to make a decision that will change his life forever.

Born To Dance stars popular singer and X Factor New Zealand judge Stan Walker (Mt Zion), hip hop dancer Tia Maipi and Kherington Payne (Fame, So You Think You Can Dance, The Dance Scene).

Born to Dance had its world premiere at 2015’s Toronto International Film Festival, just ahead of its release on New Zealand screens in September, taking over a million dollars at the box office.

Born to Dance was made with investment from the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air and MTS. Production partners include Fulcrum Media Finance and Media Super, Random Films, Bakers Dough and the Sideshow Trust. World sales are being handled by CMG with Vendetta responsible for distribution in Australia and New Zealand.

The Berlinale takes place annually in February and is one of the world’s most important film festivals, screening up to 400 films each year, predominantly world or European premieres. New Zealand films which have screened at the Berlinale include Boy, No. 2, Two Little Boys, Shopping The Weight of Elephants, and What We do in the Shadows.

The 2016 Berlinale runs 11-21 February.

ENDS

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