Who knew that in the early 1920s sunny Ōtaki by the Sea was poised to become “The Los Angelos (sic) of New Zealand’s Moving Picture Industry…”?
Māoriland Charitable Trust
We are committed to creating social, cultural and economic opportunities for our community of Ōtaki and for filmmakers and artists. The success of the Māoriland Film festival has enabled the MCT to continue to grow its activities.
At the MĀORILAND HUB, we celebrate Indigenous excellence in film and across all forms of artistic expression.
In 2022 we will welcome our first Indigenous filmmaker to the newly refurbished MĀORILAND FILMMAKERS RESIDENCE – a first for Aotearoa. They will work alongside MĀORILAND PRODUCTIONS to develop and produce Indigenous stories for the screen.
Māoriland Productions works with filmmaker talent nurtured by TE URU MAIRE – the Māoriland Rangatahi Strategy.
Te Uru Maire is in turn led by NGĀ PAKIAKA, the rangatahi film leadership group.
Capacity building, exhibition, and commissioning new works, Māoriland is evolving its ecosystem to connect filmmakers with film audiences and with industry. This kaupapa Māori ecosystem is PURITIA, to be launched in 2023.
The creative opportunities offered at the Māoriland Hub to rangatahi include digital creative arts such as animation at M.A.T.C.H as well as dance, drama and art classes, TE ARA TOI.
HE PAKI TAKETAKE is sharing the voice of our people by reversioning films into Te Reo Māori with the first feature film TAMA KAIĀTEA (Astro Kid) at MFF2022.
TOI MATARAU – Māoriland’s contemporary Māori art gallery celebrates the incredible visual artists we have in our community and across Aotearoa. In 2022 the collective of renowned Māori carvers Te Matatoki have taken up their Māoriland Residence to carve the pou of Māoriland.
All this work is supported by the Māoriland MAARA and MĀORILAND KAI COLLECTIVE who are working to transform and support our community through food sovereignty and para kore practices (waste minimisation).
MFF2022 takes place as part of MATARIKI RAMAROA – Kāpiti Lights Arts Festival. This new event from the Māoriland team aims to connect our wider community across the Kāpiti Coast to te tau hou Māori – the Māori New Year.
The MCT is an independent Māori entity with a board of trustees, the founding Māoriland whānau and a mandate from Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki, the five sub-tribes of Ōtaki. He mahi ngātahi nei te kaupapa. Kei ngā haumi tēnā koutou.
Hei kōnā mai me ngā mihi aroha.
Our story begins with the founding of the Māoriland Film Festival in 2014 to celebrate Indigenous voices and storytelling in film and to uplift the perspectives and stories of Indigenous peoples. It is held in the Kāpiti Coast community of Ōtaki.
Over the past six years, the festival has grown to be the largest presenter of Indigenous screen content in the Southern Hemisphere, with a year-round programme of events that include; industry focussed events, emerging technology (VR/AR/XR), lecture series – NATIVE Minds, sound and stage performances, a full visual arts programme – Toi Matarau and more.
These activities were enabled through the establishment of the Māoriland Hub – Ōtaki’s largest building – purchased in 2017 by the Māoriland Charitable Trust – an independent Māori non-profit social enterprise mandated by Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki – the five sub-tribes of Ōtaki (NZ Charities Commission: CC53677). Māoriland exists for the social, economic and educational success of its community in Otaki through connection to the wider world of Indigenous creativity and innovation.
Growth
Māoriland started as a film festival.
Today, the Māoriland Film Festival is the flagship event for Māoriland – a year-round operation that includes;
Ngā Pou O Te Whare
Hou mai koe ki roto i te whare kōrero o Māoriland. Ko tōna tāhuhu ko te iwi, ko te poutāhu ko te mana o te kupu, ko te poutuarongo ko te ira tangata. Kei waenga ko te poutokomanawa o te aroha noa. Ka mutu, ko ngā pou koko ka titi iho ki te whenua ko ēnei:
We bid you entry into our house of stories. The ridgepole is the people, the front post is the authority of the word, the rear post is the essence of our humanity. Between them, we find the support pillar of love. The posts that anchor the corners to the land are these:
Koakoa | Celebration
Māoriland celebrates the rise of Indigenous cinema. It invites filmmakers from around the world to share their compelling big-screen stories with us, and with each other.
Ohooho | Inspiration
Māoriland upholds the mana and inspiration of our storytellers. We are guided by our elders, and taught by our children. The festival assists our community to expand their perspectives and connect with those from other cultures.
Manaaki | Respect
Māoriland is rooted in the traditions and language of the hapū and iwi of Ōtaki. It is our honour to extend manaakitanga to the many visitors to the festival.
Kōtahitanga | Inclusion
Māoriland provides a portal to the Indigenous world for ALL people. It assists social cohesion, a sense of pride, and the informed well- being of our community.
Kāti. Tuia te kawa, tairanga te kawa, ko te kawa o te manaaki i te tangata tēnei ka poua nei.
We are committed to creating environments and presenting work that upholds the mana and inspiration of our storytellers – guided by our elders and taught by our children.
We respect our audience – Māoriland is rooted in the traditions and language of the hapū and iwi of Ōtaki.
It is our honour to extend manaakitanga to all who present their work and experience those presented within Māoriland.