Two festivals at Matariki
Film and light art festivals planned
After postponement earlier this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, Ma¯oriland Film Festival (MFF) will run over five days from June 29 to July 3 in O¯ taki, coinciding with a month-long Matariki Light Art Festival — Matariki Ramaroa, also run by Ma¯oriland.
The two festivals combined will provide a month of arts experiences with Matariki Ramaroa starting on June 24, the first Matariki public holiday.
With both the 2020 and 2021 festivals impacted by Covid-19, this year’s festival will be the first since 2019 that international filmmakers will be able to attend in person.
MFF2022 programme director Madeleine Hakaraia de Young said the lifting of border restrictions means the return of international filmmakers to present their films.
“Ma¯oriland is nine years young and the largest inperson international indigenous film festival in the world.”
At MFF2022 Indigenous filmmakers from across the globe will share their stories in over 80 films screening at the MFF with award-winning feature-length drama and illuminating documentaries, to a diverse collection of short films.
“Pre Covid-19, international filmmakers and screen industry reps were coming in bigger numbers every year to the festival.
“When the borders closed our Aotearoa filmmaking community was brought closer together at Ma¯oriland,” she said.
“Now there’ll ¯be an even bigger reason to celebrate as we welcome our friends from overseas back to Otaki to share their films.
”O¯ taki will be the place to be this winter.”
The full programme for the MFF2022 will be announced on May 18.
While the MFF2022 is on, the month-long Matariki Ramaroa will also debut, creating a double celebration for the Ka¯piti region.
Ma¯oriland Film Festival director Libby Hakaraia said, “In 2003 I published the first of three Matariki themed books.
Ma¯ oriland is nine years young and the largest in-person international indigenous film festival in the world. Madeleine Hakaraia de Young
“At that time I knew very little about the constellation, I was travelling around the country asking people what they knew.
“Twenty years later we are about to celebrate with a public holiday and are part of the organising team behind two festivals.”
Matariki Ramaroa runs through July with the Ma¯oriland Film Festival, theatre and art exhibitions before ending with the closing weekend of the light sculptures at O¯ taki Beach on July 15-17.
Matariki Ramaroa festival producer Dylan Herkes said, “I’m excited that Ka¯piti proudly supports the special tradition of Matariki — celebrating together, making space to remember loved ones, being inspired and engaged and having important conversations together,” he said.
The Matariki Ramaroa programme will be announced in May.