First Māoriland Filmmaker Residency announced
A first for New Zealand, the Māoriland Filmmakers’ Residency will host national and international Indigenous artists for up to 3 months at the Māoriland Hub in Ōtaki. There will be two residencies offered in 2020.
Head of the International Sámi Film Institute will be Māoriland’s first filmmaker in residence.
Anne Lajla Utsi is a champion of Sámi filmmaking that has grown from strength to strength through her work helming the International Sami Film Institute.
The vision of ISFI is to provide the Sámi population with competence and a better economic foundation to develop, produce and screen their own films in the Sámi language. The International Sámi Film Institute is for all professional film workers all over the Sámi lands in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The film projects are to be primarily produced in the Sámi language.
Anne Lajla Utsi is traveling with her whānau from Kautekeino in Norway to take up residence for a month from mid November in Ōtaki on the Kapiti Coast.
This week in Los Angeles Anne Lajla was part of the Sámi representatives at the wrap party for the long awaited FROZEN II. Anne Lajla teamed up with Walt Disney Animation Studios to “get the details right on Frozen II… We want cinema-goers to experience authentic Sámi culture, reindeer herding and Norwegian nature.”
Anne Lajla does not want to give the film away but looking at the Disney trailer. It’s every bit as visually stunning as you would expect, and hints at the plot: “Far away, as north as we can go, once stood an enchanted forest.”
Coming to New Zealand will be the furtherest South Anne Lajla and her family will have ever gone, “It has been my dream to come to Aotearoa ever since Māoriland started 7 years ago.”
Māoriland is New Zealand’s annual indigenous film festival and is now the biggest such film festival in the Southern Hemisphere. Anne Lalja will be collaborating with Māoriland and Māori filmmakers during her residency.
”Now more than ever the world needs our stories. Indigenous stories show that we are connected to our culture and our lands and waters. We can inspire the world community to find a more sustainable way of life. By building our indigenous film community, we can create a change worldwide, I am so honoured to be the first Maoriland resident and I can’t wait to meet your film community”
About the Residency
Indigenous filmmakers from across NZ and from around the world will be invited to apply for the residency to develop or complete film projects. They will be encouraged to collaborate with Māori filmmakers and other artists during their residency.
Residents will also have the opportunity to share their skills and knowledge base, particularly with rangatahi participating in Māoriland projects.
The Māoriland Filmmaker’s Residency is a refurbished four-room villa within the Māoriland Hub and will include an editing suite, office and living space.
The residency is supported by the Māoriland Charitable Trust.
For more information contact:
Libby Hakaraia
Managing Director, Māoriland Charitable Trust
