On Saturday 3 August we hosted the premiere of Ngā Whanaunga Māori and Pasifika Shorts 2024 at Roxy Cinemas in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington and announced the Jury Award winners of the short films after the screening during the Aotearoa Film Focus Weekend at ASB Waterfront Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on Satruday 17 August.
Six short films from Aotearoa and the Pacific were selected by curators Leo Koziol (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka), Director of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival, and Craig Fasi (Niue), Director of the Pollywood Film Festival where they have and will continue to screen during NZIFF in all festival locations.
The winners were:
Letterboxd Audience Award: Chatterbox dir. Tainui Tukiwaho.
Wellington UNESCO City of Film award for Best Film: The Red Room dir. Alex Liu & Butterfly/Bataplai dir. Veialu Aila-Unsworth
Photographer credit: Abigail Dell'Avo