Ngā Pakiaka Tātai Tauatanga 2025
Māoriland is proud to announce it will continue Ngā Pakiaka Tātai Tauatanga for Māoriland Film Festival 2025.
Ngā Pakiaka Tātai Tauatanga is our festival succession strategy. It develops rangatahi leaders by placing them as teina in key festival roles, working alongside experienced Tuakana in an applied learning environment.
Māoriland Film Festival (MFF) is an internationally recognised, Māori-led festival celebrating Indigenous storytelling, held annually in Ōtaki. Over the past 10 years, the MFF has showcased diverse Indigenous cultures through films, creative technology, and Māori visual arts. With a focus on inclusivity and cultural exchange, it fosters connections and collaborations between cultures and audiences.
Ngā Pakiaka Tātai Tauatanga is the MFF’s succession plan. Senior festival kaimahi (tuakana) will mentor and train emerging festival producers (teina) as they help deliver the festival. The teina will shadow and support the team to gain a deep understanding of festival operations to develop future festival kaimahi. This tuakana-teina learning model promotes industry skills and pathways in a uniquely Māori environment.
By developing rangatahi talent, fostering collaboration, and creating opportunities for new work, the MFF supports the growth of a sustainable and vibrant Māori arts ecosystem. Our aim is to build a network of skilled and connected arts practitioners who will contribute to the long-term sustainability of Māori arts festivals.
Ngā Pakiaka Tātai Tauatanga was established in 2024 with support from Creative New Zealand and will continue in 2025 as part of Te Uru Maire – Māoriland’s Māori Trades Training Program. Participants will be paid for their participation in the kaupapa.
Ngā Pakiaka
Ngā Pakiaka are the roots of Māoriland. By developing emergent leaders, we support the growth of the next generation of creatives – Te Uru Maire.
Since the establishment of Ngā Pakiaka in 2016, we have fostered many emergent leaders who have distinguished themselves through their abilities, actions, and characteristics that inspire others to follow them.
Ngā Pakiaka – Tātai Tauatanga extends the capability of rangatahi by placing them as teina in key festival positions. They will work alongside Tuakana, experienced festival kaimahi, in an applied learning environment, developing and extending practical skills. This transmission of matauranga is an act of reciprocity whereby participants will develop tangible skills while working on one of Aotearoa’s largest arts festivals while also fortifying Māoriland organisational capabilities and potential to grow.
Ngā Pakiaka – Tātai Tauatanga will:
- Provide opportunities for skill development: Offer training programs, workshops, and mentoring opportunities specifically designed to enhance leadership skills. This covers areas such as communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and teamwork.
- Encourage autonomy and ownership: Allow individuals to take ownership of tasks and projects, and provide them with the freedom to make decisions and take initiative. This helps build confidence and gives rangatahi a sense of responsibility.
- Foster collaboration and teamwork: Encourage cross-functional collaboration and provide opportunities for rangatahi to work in diverse and inclusive teams. This helps develop their ability to work with different personalities, resolve conflicts, and find common ground.
- Offer regular feedback and coaching: Māoriland operates a feedback culture where constructive feedback is provided regularly, helping emergent leaders identify areas for improvement and build on their strengths. Additionally, provide coaching and mentoring support to guide their development journey.
- Delegate responsibility and empower decision-making: Ngā Pakiaka trusts emergent leaders with meaningful responsibilities and decision-making authority. Delegating tasks and authority not only develops their leadership skills but also shows trust in their abilities.
- Promote a growth mindset: Emphasises the importance of continuous learning and development. Encourage emergent leaders to embrace challenges, learn from failures, and seek opportunities for improvement.
- Recognise and celebrate achievements: Acknowledge and appreciate emergent leaders’ achievements and contributions.
About Māoriland Film Festival
Each March, the Māoriland Film Festival brings the world of Indigenous cinema to Ōtaki for five days of screenings, workshops, art exhibitions and special events. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Kāpiti Coast in Ōtaki, nestled between the Tararua Ranges and Tasman Sea with views of Kāpiti Island, the festival attracted over 19,000 attendees in 2024, making it the largest international Indigenous film festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
In this vibrant town where Māori culture thrives, filmmakers and visitors alike revel in its unique environmental and cultural charm. For Indigenous filmmakers, the Māoriland Film Festival is a pivotal event, drawing international industry participation. It provides a warm environment where filmmakers connect deeply with audiences, forge professional relationships, and advance their careers.
Māoriland Film Festival is also one of the leading events on the Kāpiti Coast and wider Wellington region. Its success is evident in the awards it has earned and its consistent growth, contributing significantly to the local community. Since 2017, the festival has directly added over $1.8 million in value to the community every year, establishing itself as a vital cultural and economic force in the region.
Further opportunities will be advertised in early December 2024 for a January 2025 start.
NGĀ PAKIAKA TĀTAI TAUATANGA
Kaiwhakarite Kiriata Teina
Be part of shaping Māoriland Film Festival 2025!
Māoriland is looking for aspiring rangatahi film festival curators to be part of Ngā Pakiaka Tātai Tauatanga – our kaimahi succession program.
Delivered as part of the prestigious Māoriland Film Festival, this program will give you the opportunity to learn by doing—working alongside the Māoriland team to curate films, organise screenings, and help bring the festival to life.
During this paid incubator program, you will:
- Immerse yourself in Indigenous storytelling
- Gain real-world experience in festival planning, film reviewing, and event management.
- Learn from leaders in the film industry and build your professional network.
- Create impactful programs that reflect the diverse voices of Indigenous communities.
Whether you’re interested in curating films, managing events, or just getting started in the film industry, this kaupapa is your chance to be part of shaping Māoriland Film Festival 2025.
Tirohanga Whānui
This hands-on, practical training program, delivered as part of Ngā Pakiaka Tātai Tauatanga, offers rangatahi curators a unique opportunity to actively contribute to the Māoriland Film Festival. Participants will learn by doing, gaining real-world experience in curating films, organising screenings, and managing festival operations, all while upholding the principles of Ngā Pakiaka Tātai Tauatanga — strengthening cultural identity through Indigenous storytelling.
Your role will include:
- Film Festival Programming Training
- Working as part of the Māoriland Programming team to review and select films for MFF2025.
- Build the festival program.
- Engage with filmmakers to confirm films in the festival.
- Write program text and coordinate marketing materials to design the festival book.
- Host screenings and Q&As at the festival.
- Report on your experience
Key Information:
- Program Duration: November 2024 (start date is flexible) – April 4 2025
- You will be contracted to deliver a body of work to deadlines with flexible hours outside of the following key dates when you will be required to be in Ōtaki
- December 3 – 6 2024
- January 6 – 15 2025
- March 17 – April 4 2025
Outside of these dates, you may work remotely, good communication and time management is critical.
You will be paid a stipend of $9,000 for your work. This will be paid in milestones.