Wairoa Film Festival Postponed to 2024
Photo from Takitimu Marae Artists & Writers Gathering, 1974; Photo by John Miller.
The next iteration of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival is currently planned to go ahead October 6 to 8 at Kahungunu Marae, Nuhaka, and Gaiety Theatre, Wairoa.
However, due to ongoing challenges post-Cyclone Gabrielle (roading, transportation, accommodation) the organisers of this year’s festival have decided to postpone the festival until 2024.
“Our usual date for the festival is King’s Birthday weekend (formerly Queen’s Birthday), and this has always been a popular time that people knew our festival was on,” says Festival Director Leo Koziol. “We are hopeful to go ahead next year on King’s Birthday weekend and will start planning now for a ‘double’ festival with films from 2023 and 2024.”
An important part of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival is presentation of the WIFT NZ Mana Wahine Award. Discussions with Women in Film & Television (WIFT) NZ has resulted in the decision that the 2023 Mana Wahine Award will be presented at the WIFT Awards in February (29 February). “We are thankful for WIFT NZ accommodating this request to continue with the award, presented annually for over a decade now.”
Wairoa Māori Film Festival will continue with other activities across the motu to celebrate Māori film. This year WMFF presented Māori films for Matariki at Te Papa, Wellington City Gallery, Auckland Town Hall and Corban Estate Arts Centre (Auckland). WMFF also co-curated Ngā Whanaunga Wairoa Pasifika shorts for the NZIFF film festival, which screened nationwide in over 14 centres.
“We are disappointed we wont be bringing the magic of the film festival to Wairoa in October, but look forward to bringing the festival back post Cyclone Gabrielle next year,” says Leo Koziol. The 2024 date will mark the 50th anniversary since the Wairoa Māori Writers & Artists gathering at Takitimu Marae in 1974 (see photo above), and 75 years since the opening of Kahungunu Marae in Nuhaka (our host marae).
ENDS