The Wairoa Māori Film Festival is New Zealand's

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 premiere Māori and indigenous film festival.

The festival is held annually in the small coastal town of Wairoa

Wairoa

Wairoa is a town in New Zealand's North Island. It is the northernmost town in the Hawke's Bay region, and is located on the northern shore of Hawke Bay at the mouth of the Wairoa River and to the west of Mahia Peninsula...

, Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay is a region of New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is recognised on the world stage for its award-winning wines. The regional council sits in both the cities of Napier and Hastings.-Geography:...

, during the Matariki

Matariki

In the Māori language Matariki is both the name of the Pleiades star cluster and also of the season of its first rising in late May or early June - taken as the beginning of the new year...

 celebration period.

The festival first occurred in 2005, with further festivals in 2006, 2008 and 2009. The festival is now an annual event. In 2008, the festival travelled to other centres in New Zealand, including Auckland and Wellington, and now travels each year.

The Wairoa Māori Film Festival is held at the local historic Taihoa Marae, and is supported by the New Zealand Film Commission

New Zealand Film Commission

The New Zealand Film Commission is a New Zealand government agency formed to assist with creating and promoting New Zealand films...

 and the New Zealand Film Archive

New Zealand Film Archive

The New Zealand Film Archive is a charitable trust dedicated to the collection, preservation and viewing of mainly New Zealand films and videos made between 1895 to the present day.- Background :...

.

Festival Awards

Each year the festival presents a range of awards for best Maori and indigenous films. Short films are judged by the attending audience, with other awards decided by a panel of guest judges.

In 2005, the festival awards were presented to:

Short Film Drama (Aotearoa) Award: Two Cars, One Night, Director Taika Waititi.

International Indigenous Entry Award: Te Toa Aniwaniwa, Director & Producer Robert Pouwhare
Short Documentary (Aotearoa) Award: Buy Culturalism, Director Mark Sweeney.

Feature Documentary (Aotearoa) Award: Tuhoe A History of Resistance, Director Robert Pouwhare.

Feature Drama (Aotearoa) Award: Whale Rider, Director Niki Caro.

Festival Prize: Pear Ta Ma'On Maf / The Land Has Eyes, Feature Drama, Dir.Vilsoni Hereniko, Rotuma, Fiji.

In 2006, the festival awards were presented to:

Short Film Drama (Aotearoa) Award: The Speaker, Director Tearepa Kahi.

International Indigenous Entry Award: The Gathering Return of the Whale Dreamers, Director Kim Kindersley.

Short Documentary (Aotearoa) Award: So Far, Yet So Close, Director Sophie Zhang.

Feature Documentary (Aotearoa) Award: Squeegee Bandit, Director Sandor Lau.

Best Te Reo Maori Entry: Nga Kaitiaki O Te Mauri, Director Phil England.

Festival Prize: The Waimate Conspiracy, Director Stefen Lewis.

In 2009, the festival awards were presented to:

Short Film Drama (Aotearoa) Audience Award: Warbrick, Pere Durie and Meihana Durie Directors.

International Indigenous Entry Award: Tnorala Baby Falling, Warwick Thornton Director.

Feature Drama/Documentary (Aotearoa) Award: Taking the Waewae Express, Andrea Bosshard and Shane Loader Directors.

Festival Prize: Rain of the Children, Vincent Ward Director.