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Ngā kaupapa o Te Ao Pāpāho - Pēpuere Pānui
Tēnā koutou e te whānau,
Ngā mihi mahana o te wā o Hine Raumati. Ko te manako nui i tau te āio o te wāhi ngaro ki runga i a koutou me tō whānau i tēnei wā.
As we embrace 2025, Ngā Aho Whakaari acknowledges the unwavering dedication of the Māori screen sector to our vital mahi, and the extraordinary mobilisation we’ve witnessed across the motu during this unprecedented summer of submissions.
I’ve found the oral submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill both inspiring and challenging. I’ve tried to listen with an open mind to those supporting it, eager to understand their perspectives. So far, I have found little in the way of coherent arguments, as many of the presentations I’ve heard in support of the bill were untethered from historical and legal fact. On the other hand, the intellectual rigour displayed by many well-informed, articulate, and respectful submissions opposing the bill has buoyed my spirits, particularly the astute observations of our emerging Rangatira.
This dichotomy and the polarisation displayed in this process highlights our responsibility to provide comprehensive and nuanced coverage of these crucial conversations. We must also continue to celebrate our incredible achievements, and uplifting events such as the Waka Ama Nationals, and just around the corner of course… Te Matatini.
Coverage of topical events and issues is vital, and so too is telling the stories that celebrate and amplify te reo Māori me ona tikanga - stories that entertain, uplift, and sustain us for the challenges ahead.
Ngā Aho Whakaari is here to support all these endeavours.
This year, we have a packed schedule of advocacy, advisory work, alongside professional development and networking opportunities for our hapori.
We welcome your feedback and suggestions on how we can serve you better.
Contact us at admin@ngaahowhakaari.org
Mauriora ki a tātou.
Kay Ellmers
Te Tumu Whakarae
Sonara Southcombe-Wallace
Executive Coodinator
Here are some important dates for kaupapa coming up, keep the karu peeled for official announcements.
Annual General Meeting
with Whakawhanaungatanga Dinner.
Formal notice and pre-reading material to be issued very soon.
🗓 Tuesday, 18 March. 6pm
⭐ Te Taumata o Kupe, Te Mahurehure Marae, Pt Chevalier
Aho Wānanga: Ngā Pūoro i te ao Pāpāho - Music in Screen Productions
In collaboration with NZ On Air and APRA, we’re welcoming in NZ Music Month with a special wānanga for screen practitioners and music creators. We’ll explore the vital role of music in screen production, covering a wide range of topics, followed by an exclusive showcase of live performances from some of our favourite artists.
More details to come.
🗓 Wednesday, 30 April. 12.30 - 8.30pm
Minecraft Masterclasses
Editorial | Sound Design & Visual Effects
End City Productions will be hosting 2x online masterclasses this February as part of their New Zealand Screen Production Rebate application for the 5% Uplift.
Editorial and Sound Design Masterclass
James Thomas, Editor, and Jay Jennings, Supervising Sound Editor from "A Minecraft Film" will cover Editorial and Sound design and its functions in the film industry.
Creation of a Scene from Dailies to Finish:
- The dailies process from set to editorial
- Assembly, post vizing and collaboration of a complex VFX sequence
- Director’s cut, Screening and preview process
🗓 Thursday, 20 Feb. 9 - 11.30am
⭐ RSVP for Editorial | Sound Design Zoom Link
Visual Effects Masterclass
This 1 hour online masterclass with will be presented by Oscar-winning Visual Effects Supervisor, Dan Lemmon about Visual Effects and its functions in the film industry.
🗓 Friday, 21 Feb. 9 - 10am
⭐ RSVP for Visual Effects Zoom Link
"Value Your Worth" Workshop with WIFT
Take Your Space, Value Your Worth, Getting a Yes: Negotiating Pay and Conditions You Deserve
WIFT is hosting an interactive workshop with Dr. Jo Cribb, where you'll learn essential negotiation techniques and conflict resolution strategies. Discover key insights about money attitudes and the pay gap, empowering you to advocate for yourself effectively. Walk away with actionable tips and tricks to navigate your next contract negotiations with confidence!
Jo is a consultant and professional director with a focus on gender and diversity. She was the previous Chief Executive of the Ministry for Women, and co-founder of the Mind the Gap campaign advocating for pay gap reporting.
🗓 Saturday, 22nd February. 1 - 5 pm
⭐ CLICK STUDIOS, 525 Rosebank Road, Avondale, Auckland
🎟 $10 for WIFT Members. $25 for Non-Members. Includes networking drinks & nibbles. Spaces are limited.
Screenrights Cultural Fund Open Now
Screenrights has opened applications for its 2025 Cultural Fund grant round, announcing the annual focus as Creative Intelligence.
The Fund offers up to $50,000 per project with a total pool of $300,000 for initiatives that foster the creation and appreciation of screen content in Australia and Aotearoa.
Applications close Wednesday, 9th April 2025
Spada Launches Vincent Burke Scholarship
Spada has announced the launch of the inaugural Vincent Burke Scholarship, which aims to support the next generation of New Zealand producers by providing an annual grant of $5,000 to assist the advancement of their projects, companies, or careers.
This Scholarship recognises the creativity, innovation, and commitment of up-and-coming New Zealand Producers by providing the recipient with the resources to take the next step in their career or business, whether that be traveling to an international market or investing in business development.
Find out more on their website.
Show Me Shorts 2025 - Open for Entries!
Show Me Shorts turns 20!
Show Me Shorts is a festival dedicated to elevating short films and the creative talents behind them. Whether you are a seasoned filmmaker or taking your first steps into filmmaking, we want to experience your unique stories.
This competitive, Oscar-accredited, and BAFTA-qualifying festival offers filmmakers a pathway to achieve national and international recognition at the highest level. Don’t miss out on the chance for your short film to shine!
Submit your film today for the opportunity to showcase your work on the big screen at 40 cinemas throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Early Bird Deadline: 1 April 2025
Final Extended Deadline: 1 July 2025
SPADA Resources Available
Spada Cultural Capability Handbook
Spada has launched its Cultural Capability Handbook. This Handbook serves as a guide to fostering authentic, respectful, and inclusive screen productions in Aotearoa New Zealand.
View and Download the Cultural Capability Handbook HERE
Greenlit Sustainability Tools
Greenlit supports the screen sector in Aotearoa with environmentally sustainable production practice, and Spada supports their work.
The Greenlit tools are tailor-made to help domestic screen productions implement environmentally sustainable processes. This resource includes links to watch / listen to Spada discussions in the sustainability space.
View the Greenlit Sustainability Tools HERE
MHFA Course for Screen Practitioners
Mental Health First Aid is the help provided to a person who is;
- developing a mental health challenge
- experiencing a worsening of a mental health challenge
- or in a mental health crisis.
Become a Mental Health First Aider with this 2 x day FREE course in Tāmaki, Feb 21-22 - learn skills to support your workmates and your industry.
On completion of the course, all participants will receive a Mental Health First Aid certificate valid for 3 years.
🗓 21- 22nd February
🎟 Free. Spaces are limited.
Te Matatini - only 11 days away!
TVNZ and Whakaata Māori partner to bring Te Matatini to audiences LIVE and Free-To-Air
Whakaata Māori and TVNZ are partnering to bring Aotearoa's largest Māori performing arts festival, Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025, to viewers across the motu.
Together with Te Matatini Society Inc, Pango Productions and funding from Te Māngai Pāho, the festival will be available live and free-to-air, giving audiences more access than ever before.
Good luck to everyone taking the stage, behind the cameras, on screen and on the ground supporting your whānau and friends.
Māori ki te ao!
Share your Wins With Us!
There continue to be many achievements to celebrate over Raumati within our Industry and we'd love to share more with you all.
- A special WHAKANUIA to Ramon and Nicola for taking away the Special Jury Prize at FIFO Film Festival in Tahiti last week!
Please tag @ngaahowhakaari on socials or email us at admin@ngaahowhakaari.org to share and celebrate your exciting kaupapa.
MFF2025 Festival Programme
The Māoriland Film Festival Programme for 2025 has now been released!
This year’s festival theme, “Ko te mauri, he mea huna ki te Moana,” is a whakataukī that speaks of the life force of the ocean and the life force within us all.
Opening MFF2025 is a Special Screening of Kōkā, the debut feature film written and directed by Kath Akuhata Brown of Ngāti Porou.
Congratulations to everyone with films, docos and other kaupapa in this year's Māoriland Film Festival, especially all of the Aho Short films!
Ngā Aho Whakaari will be there all festival to tautoko and celebrate Indigenous film making. We're also hosting an Industry afternoon, which we'll release more information on over the coming month.
🗓 26 - 30 March, 2025
⭐ Ōtaki, Aotearoa
🎟 Full pass from $200
Media Reform - Have your say
This media reform process is very significant for our hāpori. NAW will be making a submission, and we welcome your input – send your thoughts to admin OR make your own submission on this important kaupapa.
Te Manatū Taonga, The Ministry of Culture & Heritage want to know what you think about media regulation in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
MCH has released a consultation document Media Reform which aims to create a modern and fit for purpose regulatory and funding environment for the media and content production sectors.
The changes will also support a healthier and sustainable media and content production sector that delivers for New Zealand audiences.
Media Reform outlines five proposals:
- Ensuring accessibility of local media platforms
- Increasing investment into and discoverability of local content
- Increasing captioning and audio description
- Modernising professional media regulation; and
- Streamlining Crown content funders
Consultation closes on Sunday 23 March.
Online information sessions
There will be two public information sessions online to introduce the draft proposals and to answer questions.
Media Reform information session one
1pm, Wednesday 19 February.
Register for information session one
Media Reform information session two
2.30pm, Friday 21 February.
Register for information session two
Want to share your events, initiatives, or announcements with us?
We'd love to feature them in future pānui! Drop us a line at admin@ngaahowhakaari.org