About

This programme has been curated for NZIFF by Leo Koziol of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival

"It is our privilege this year to work alongside the New Zealand International Film Festival to premiere the Māori and Pasifika short film collection for 2012. We have titled this year's collection 'Ngā Whanaunga', which means relatedness and connectedness between peoples. Māori are part of the great Pasifika whānau; our Polynesian peoples journeyed on the same waka from Hawaiiki, and are related by culture, language and blood and in wairuatanga (soulfulness) across our vast sea Moana-nui-a-kiwa. Screening Māori works alongside Pasifika is symbolic of the whanaungatanga and connectedness of our peoples. Kia kaha." — Leo Koziol (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka), Director of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival