Join the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab

Ngā Kaituhi

Following a national call for expressions of interest, the following projects have been selected for the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab

Paula Whetu Jones with Sins of the Mother
Sins of the Mother is a powerful, character-driven family drama exploring the generational impact of trauma, guilt, and the bond between mothers and daughters. 

Aroha Awarau with Hidden
Hidden is a tense, emotionally charged crime thriller following Pere, a rural Māori cop, and Lupe, a determined Sāmoan mother, as they search for their missing gay relatives. 

Kirk Torrance with Don Te Haute
Don Te Haute is a darkly humorous yet heartfelt story of redemption, centering on a man struggling with his mental health. When his estranged daughter is deported to his address, he devises a wild plan to help her return to her kids in Australia and hopes to make up for a lifetime of absence. 

Tainui Tukiwaho with Hemo is Home
Hemo is Home is a darkly comedic fantasy that follows 9-year-old Hemo, raised by the ghosts of his ancestors in an ancient urupā. Tainui Tukiwaho is an award-winning playwright and director with a 20-year career in the performing arts. 

Rafer Rautjoki with The Jade Stars
The Jade Stars is a vibrant exploration of ambition, cultural identity, and family dynamics set in 1960s New Zealand. Rafer Rautjoki began his filmmaking journey inspired by his mother, pioneering Māori filmmaker Merata Mita.

Teina 

Bronson Price with Pressure

Bronson (also known as hip-hop artist Melodownz) is a dynamic artist known for blending genres in his music, and now he’s venturing into screenwriting. His project, Pressure, is a visually powerful drama exploring the societal and familial expectations placed on three Auckland teenagers.

Ngā Tuakana

Kath Akuhata Brown with The Ugliest Woman in the World 

A poignant exploration of self-worth, identity, and societal expectations wrapped in a comedic and dramatic narrative. The story follows Adi, a Māori widow who is thrust into a bizarre legal battle following the death of her wealthy husband, Joseph. 

Libby Hakaraia with Disco Kuini 

An energetic, vibrant coming-of-age story set in 1980s New Zealand, following two spirited Māori teenage girls, Miriama and Kararaina, navigating the complexities of race, culture, and identity through their love of disco. 

Call for Directors & Producers

We are now looking for directors and producers to join these projects. 

You must have credits in short or long-form drama as a producer or director to apply. 

This is for experienced filmmakers ready to step into the feature film space.

Applicants will be required to submit the following information:

• Contact Details
• Indigenous Affiliation
• Personal Bio
• CV and relevant experience
• Eligible Credits (Producer/Director credit on a film that has screened at an international film festival)
• Pitch Video
• Acknowledgement of Māoriland Tikanga and Terms of Program
• Acceptance of Puritia Declaration

Pou Tuarua Selection Process

Shortlisting

The Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab Kāhui will review all eligible applications against program criteria and goals, producing a shortlist of potential producer and director partners. 

The Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab Kāhui is made up of Adam Piron (Sundance Indigenous Program), Lindsay Monture (imagineNATIVE Film Festival Director), Emile Peronard (Award winning Greenlandic Producer), Tainui Stephens (Experienced Māori Producer) and Libby Hakaraia (Kaitiaki Pūrakau – Māoriland). 

Social Hour

All shortlisted participants will join the writers and the kāhui in a Zoom Social Hour. 

During this social hour, writers will pitch their projects to the shortlisted producers and directors.

Interviews

All shortlisted participants will then be interviewed via Zoom and assessed by the kāhui. The kāhui will then build out the key creative teams.

A second interview, including the Writers, may be held where relevant.

Whakawhanaungatanga

Following selection, the teams will attend a wānanga at the Māoriland Hub in early December. This wānanga will test the key creative teams to ensure their compatibility.

Program Overview

The Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab is made up of four pou. 

For Writers

POU TUATAHI: Māoriland Indigenous Script Accelerator (Underway) 

For Writer, Producer, Director Teams

POU TUARUA: Key Creative Teams

In Pou Tuarua, we will invite Indigenous producers and directors to join the writers from Pou Tuatahi to build strong key creative teams.

Pou Tuarua consists of wānanga (in Ōtaki), alongside mentored producer and director training.

A project showcase will be held at the Māoriland Film Festival 2025 for invited industry funders, distributors and sales agents.

POU TUATORU: Project Packaging

In Pou Tuatoru, the creative teams will work to package their project for international markets, utilising the skills and information delivered in Pou Tuarua.

Mentors will continue working with each team throughout this period to support the preparation of pitch materials, including their budget and creative materials.

Both domestic and international assessors will be made available to each team to provide feedback on their projects.

Participants will also take part in pitch training with international mentors.

Co-Production opportunities will be actively explored. 

If appropriate for the projects, a call for international producers and co-directors will be made at this time. 

POU TUAWHĀ: Market Ready

In Pou Tuawhā, teams will receive market training and support as they travel to international markets and festivals to showcase the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab.

The program will officially conclude at Matariki following a showcase in Toronto, Canada at imagineNATIVE Film Festival 2025.

Māoriland will work with its established network of Indigenous film festivals, film market and Industry partners to create further showcase opportunities for the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab projects at International markets and film festivals.

Location

The Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab will be delivered through Wānanga at the Māoriland Hub and remotely. Participants will work in their own time to develop their projects. 

All participants will receive wrap-around pastoral care and support to develop their projects. 

Accommodation and travel will be provided as required. 

About Māoriland Charitable Trust

The Māoriland Charitable Trust has leveraged its successful Māoriland Film Festival, and extensive work in film training and production, into strong relationships with the Indigenous film community, worldwide. This unique global network, combined with our decades of experience in nurturing and showcasing authentic Māori screen stories, underpins our kaupapa: Maiangitia Te Mana Ataata – Towards Māori Screen Success

Eligibility: To participate in the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab, applicants must:

• Be of Indigenous descent.
• Live in Aotearoa
• Have a previous relevant credit on a film that has been selected to screen at a film festival.
• Commit to the duration of the kaupapa. 

Confidentiality: All materials discussed or provided within the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab constitute Confidential Information. All participants in the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab will be required to sign an NDA. 

Policies: The Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab operates according to Māoriland Charitable Trust policies, including but not limited to; Māoriland Kaimahi Policy, Māoriland Health & Safety Policy, Māoriland Child Protection Policy, Māoriland Tikanga and Te Hohou Rongo – Māoriland Complaints and Disputes Policy. 

Amendments: Māoriland Film Festival reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time. Participants will be notified of any changes.

By applying to participate in the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab, you agree to these terms and conditions.