The New Zealand International Film Festival has announced eight Maori and Pasifika short films have been selected for the Nga Whanaunga Maori Pasifika Shorts Programme for 2015.

The New Zealand International Film Festival has announced eight Maori and Pasifika short films have been selected for the Nga Whanaunga Maori Pasifika Shorts Programme for 2015.

The Nga Whanaunga Maori Pasifika Shorts Programme is a collection of Maori and Pasifika short films curated by Leo Koziol (Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Rakaipaaka), Director of the Wairoa Maori Film Festival, with guest co-curator Craig Fasi (Niue), Director of the Pollywood Film Festival.

“This year’s expression of ‘Nga Whanaunga’ – which means relatedness and connectedness between peoples – is realised with films from Aotearoa, Hawaii, Samoa and Tuvalu. Native noir, cultural comedy and deep drama combine in an expression of ‘Hawaiiki Hou’ – Voices of a New Hawaiiki.” says Leo Koziol, Wairoa Maori Film Festival Director.

The short films, with curators’ comments, are:

Taniwha
NZ 2015 | 3 mins | Director: Mika (Ngai Tahu, Takatapui)
We open with waiata from Maori magician Mika, another divination, an expression of the spirit of Taniwha! — LK

Ma
NZ 2014 | 16 mins | Director/Screenplay: Nikki Si’ulepa (Samoan) | Producers: Ngaire Fuata (Rotuman), Nikki Si’ulepa
When a grandmother discovers one of her precious toys is missing, she takes matters into her own hands. Ma is a no-nonsense kind of lady who knows exactly what she wants. Never underestimate Ma! — CF

Islet
Tuvalu 2015 | 11 mins | Director/Producer/Screenplay: Andrew John Fakaua Ponton (Tuvaluan)
A 13-year-old boy must navigate the expectations of his ultra-conservative community. The first full Tuvalu language short drama shot in Tuvalu, Islet is a comic tale of a boy who gets hold of a naughty magazine that gets a hold on him. — LK

Coral
NZ/Samoa 2015 | 15 mins | Director/Screenplay: Giacomo Martelli | Executive Producer: Maea Tamasese (Samoan) | Producers: Steve Finnigan, Grant Baker, Fuimaono Alex Wright (Samoan)
A fisherman finds something disturbing in a forbidden lagoon. Shot fully in Samoan, this native noir tale of Tangaroa intrigue, death and mystery lingers with you long after it ends. — LK

Lahaina Noon
USA 2014 | 14 mins | Director/Screenplay: Christopher Kahunahana (Hawaiian Kanaka Maoli) | Producer: Patricia Buskirk
Three short stories are woven together during a yearly tropical solar phenomenon when the sun passes directly overhead and objects cast no shadow. Hawaiians believe that during the sacred time of Lahaina Noon the sun rests on the brain and for one minute your mana magnifies. — CF

Netta Jones
NZ 2015 | 12 mins | Director: Pablo Araus Lobos | Producer/Screenplay: Rachel Morris (Te Aupouri)
During WWII, as Awanui is on high alert fearing a Japanese invasion, 16-year-old Netta falls for a Maori soldier stationed there. Rachel Morris’ story of her grandmother beautifully depicts the landscape of Far North Awanui where a tale of wartime mixed-race love takes place. — LK

Mrs Mokemoke
NZ 2015 | 9 mins | Director/Screenplay: Li Gent Xin | Producer: Tia Barrett (Ngati Maniapoto, Ngai Tahu)
Mrs Mokemoke loves her husband, but he’s more interested in her inheritance. A mind-expanding mashup of Lindauer portraits, silent-era storytelling, film noir and Kubrickian intrigue. — LK

Elevation
NZ 2015 | 14 mins | Director/Screenplay: Tihini Grant (Te Arawa) | Producer: Lara Northcroft (Te Arawa)
Trapped in an elevator, a white supremacist and a Maori gang member confront their issues and come out better men, or not. In this dark comedy, a common hate creates an unlikely union. — CF

Media Release: New Zealand International Film Festival