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Te Mangai Paho has chosen Larry Parr as its new chief executive.
The film and television industry veteran is currently the Maori broadcast funding agency's television and new media funding manager.
He replaces John Bishara, who stepped down in August to work for his iwi.
Chair Piri Sciascia says Mr Parr is well suited to the job because of his 25 years in the industry as a film and television producer, as well as his passion for te reo Maori.
He takes the helm at a time the agency is about to move into the new environment created by the Maori Language Act 2016 and by whatever comes out of the the new sector governance organisation Te Matawai.
Mr Parr, from Ngati Hikitanga, Ngati Raukawa and Muaupoko, trained as a lawyer before making a start in the film industry helping Roger Donaldson raise funding for Smash Palace and Sleeping Dogs.
A run of productions throgh the 1980s including Bridge to Nowhere, Queen City Rocker, and Came a Hot Friday came to an end with the collapse of his company Kahukura Films.
He reemerged as head of programming at Maori Television before joining Te Mangai Paho in 2009.
Mr Parr is also the tumuaki of Te Runanga o Raukawa and chair of Ngati Hikitanga.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
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