August 30, 2019
Royalty assent for Maoriland rangatahi film programme
Maoriland Charitable Trust has received a $50,000 grant from Australasian screen industry royalties management body Screenrights to support its Through Our Lens youth initiative.
Through Our Lens started in 2017 with seed funding from UNESCO to encourage rangatahi filmmakers by having them design and lead filmmaking workshops with other youth outside of New Zealand.
The aim is that by taking them outside of their own peer group they have the opportunity to be unrestricted; to learn about other cultures and to share their own; to explore their limitless potential.
The first Through Our Lens took 14 rangatahi filmmakers aged 13 – 24 to Samoa, Hawai’i, Rarotonga and Tahiti, resulting in nine short films.
Six of those rangatahi are now working in the film industry.
The Screenrights grant will help the next lot of rangatahi run workshops in Samoa, Hawaii, Norway, Greenland and Canada, and will also make the initiative sustainable in following years.
Maoriland rangatahi manager Madeleine de Young says the funding really gives the trust the feathers to fly.
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