The 2020 E Tū Whānau Rangatahi Film Challenge is now open. Young people up to the age of 24 are invited to enter by making a short film using one of E Tū Whānau’s six values. Winners could have their film screened at next year’s Māoriland Film Festival and share in $1000 in cash and prizes.
Rangatahi actors take their places during filming in Ōtaki
It’s six years since E Tū Whānau partnered with the Ōtaki based Māoriland Film Festival for the first Film Challenge. In that time hundreds of young people have let their imaginations run wild to write, direct, animate and act in their own short movie. They’re learning how to control their own visual image and tell stories about the world they live in, in the way that they experience it.
Many came to the kaupapa by attending workshops led by members of Māoriland Trust’s rangatahi leadership rōpū, Ngā Pakiaka. These are young people who’ve taken part in earlier workshops and made films for previous E Tū Whānau Rangatahi Film Challenges.
This year, Ngā Pakiaka members aged between 16 and 22 years shared their enthusiasm and skills with fellow rangatahi at workshops in Ōtaki, Kirkiriroa, Tāmaki Makaurau, Kaitaia, Hokianga and Rotorua
Quality and passion
Luke Moss, who helped facilitate a workshop at a Hokianga kura kaupapa, was blown away by the enthusiasm of the tauira he worked with.
“Those Māori kids were so on to it. They were quality and full of passion. This was not just something that their parents made them sign up for. They were genuinely interested and willing to learn.”
Ngato Zharnaye Livingstone, who also worked on the Hokianga workshop, describes how one ‘standoffish’ tauira opened up when he started operating the zoom and recording sound.
“He was tripping out on how you could hear everything through the mic and his eyes lit up when he realised that he could make his own sound effects as well as a beat for the waiata used in the short film. After this, he was really invested in creating the film, especially when it came to editing. That was cool.”
Tuakana-teina approach
This tuakana-teina approach is a win-win for everyone, says Māoriland Programme Manager Madeleine de Young.
“Ngā Pakiaka whānau grow creatively as they share their skills and the newcomers to the filmmaking kaupapa are inspired. They can see for themselves that the opportunities on offer through working with the Māoriland Charitable Trust are tangible,”
The E Tū Whānau Rangatahi Film Workshop series is co-ordinated by Matilda Poasa and led by 21 year old Aree Kapa who started her filmaking in the workshops before taking part in the ‘ Through Our Lens’ programme. She now works for the Māoriland Charitable Trust as Rangatahi Co-ordinator and works independently as a filmmaker as well.
“Aree is a Māoriland success story,” says Madeleine and just one example of how this fantastic E Tū Whānau Rangatahi Challenge is growing the next generation of New Zealand filmmakers.
Participants at Tāmaki Makaurau workshop
Kirikiriroa filmmaking workshop
