We're excited to announce this year's Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts finalists.

Congratulations to: A Morning with Aroha (dir: Nicholas Riini), Burning of the Gods (dir: Karin Williams), Perfect Storm (dir: Morag Brownlie), Raids (dir: Jade Jackson), Smog (dir: Alex Liu), and The Difference Between Pipi & Pūpū (dir: Tajim Mohammed-Kapa).

These six short films from Aotearoa and the Pacific were selected by Leo Koziol (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka), Director of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival, and Craig Fasi (Niue), Director of the Pollywood Film Festival and will screen during NZIFF in all festival locations.

The filmmakers will compete for the Wellington UNESCO City of Film award for Best Film ($3000 cash prize), as judged by a jury. This award will be presented at the final Wellington screening of Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts on Saturday 13 August at The Roxy Cinema. Audience members at Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Whanganui-a-Tara screenings will vote for their favourite short to win the Letterboxd Audience Award, a cash prize of $1000, and this will be announced at the Closing Night of NZIFF in Wellington.

On selecting the films, Koziol said, “Every year the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika collection of short films showcases both emerging talent and those at the top of their game working towards a first feature. This year is no exception, with filmmakers of New Zealand Māori, Tongan, Samoan and Cook Island origins. We are excited to present this year’s collection, diverse in genre – drama, thriller, sci-fi, experimental – and diverse in viewpoint. Mauri Ora!”

To read more about these films, click here