New Zealanders' ongoing fascination with the shifting earth beneath our feet will be catered for with a new three-part documentary series funded by NZ On Air for Prime TV.

Beneath NZ has received $390,000 in support from the Platinum Fund* to show viewers inside the active geological laboratory that is New Zealand's often shaky tectonic and volcanic foundation.

NZ On Air's latest documentary funding round has also supported a very special two-hour international co-production to mark Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's 70th year. Kiri Te Kanawa - Breathing Is Singing will take us behind the scenes with our most successful opera star as she discusses her career and continues her work with the next generation of opera singers.

A new seven part series for Maori TV, Tales From The Trails, will follow Pio Terei as he travels the length of New Zealand on the Te Araroa trail, discovering our country, culture and history through a Maori lens.

NZ On Air has also backed a further series of the Pakipumeka Aotearoa documentary series for Maori Television. Upcoming episodes will include a look back at the ground-breaking film Once Were Warriors 20 years on, and consider how the health of Maori children stacks up against Pakeha children in Our Children Are Dying. Ten further documentaries on subjects yet to be confirmed have been funded for 2014.

"The diversity of the documentary and factual content we have supported once again shows that we are giving New Zealanders more opportunities to watch and share their own stories. This is important to ensuring our cultural identity is not lost in the torrent of global media content," said Jane Wrightson, CEO of NZ On Air. "These stories are just so uniquely New Zealand."

*The Platinum Fund is a special contestable fund which supports programmes with something important to say about New Zealand. The fund supports quality content and aims to inform, educate and entertain a good cross-section of New Zealand.

Funding details

• Beneath NZ, 3 x 60mins, Making Movies, Prime TV, $390,000
• Kiri Te Kanawa - Breathing Is Singing, 1 x 2hrs, Karamata Productions, TV One, $300,000
• Te Araroa: Tales From The Trails, 7 x 60mins, Scottie Douglas Productions, Maori TV, $280,000
• Pakipumeka Aotearoa 2013/14, 10 x 60mins, Maori Television, Maori TV, $1,250,000
• Pakipumeka: Once were Warriors - Where Are They Now?, 1 x 60mins, Jump Film and Television, Maori TV, $117,711
• Pakipumeka: Our Children Are Dying, 1 x 60mins, Red Sky Film & Television, Maori TV, $125,000

Media Release: NZ On Air