July 05, 2022
Māoriland film feast draws in wider crowds
The director of Māori screen guild Ngā Aho Whakaari says the weekend’s Maoriland Film Festival shows there is a growing hunger for Māori stories.
Lanita Ririnui says Māoriland is always special because of the manaakitanga of its hosts and the way producers, directors and actors interact with the community.
She says with crowds were drawn in by headliners like The Lion King te Reo, two screenings of Whina and the Toby Mills’ documentary on the late Hekenukumai Busby, Whetū Mārama – Bright Star.
“The movies were getting sold out not just from the people attending the festival but from the public. There was such massive interest. All our movies are out in the cinemas as well and just the popularity of what we are doing is a reminder of how awesome we are. Māori are magic, and all our stories are magic when they are done by us, with us,” Ms Ririnui says.