Eleven years after winning Te Tauira Whaimana (Best Emerging Filmmaker) in the first E Tū Whānau Film Challenge, Isaac Te Reina used his well-honed camera skills to capture the optimism, ideas and energy of E Tū Whānau-inspired rangatahi at the Peaceful Action Leadership Movement (PALM) Symposium.
In June this year, he was Director of Photography for a short documentary film about the fifth biennial PALM Symposium.
PALM 2025 highlights
“These rangatahi are impressive – confident, respectful, empathetic to elders and others. Their manaakitanga and openness to us was outstanding. They welcomed us as whānau and that’s really empowering for creatives,” Isaac said of his time at PALM 2025.
Isaac knows from experience how important encouragement from role models can be to young people starting out in life. He was a 20-year-old film student when he won Te Tauira Whaimana (Best Emerging Filmmaker) for Tamanui, a short film about rejuvenating traditional Māori parenting practices in urban contexts.
“Winning that first Te Tauira Whaimana award was so encouraging. I got to meet local legends like Temuera Morrison and other people who were working in different parts of the industry. There was respect for my work from people who mattered.”
Isaac Te Reina, filmmaker
Isaac is now a seasoned and busy filmmaker with a string of music videos, documentaries and a web series behind him.
Rangatahi rise to the filmmaking challenge and shine
Isaac and the other PALM film crew members, Director Jaimee Poipoi and Sound Operator Tahuaroa Matatu Cherrington, are also tuakana to rangatahi in E Tū Whānau filmmaking workshops. Through these wānanga, which are delivered by Māoriland, mentors work directly with rangatahi to craft authentic stories and develop creative skills that resonate far beyond the screen.
“Kaupapa like the E Tū Whānau Rangatahi Film Challenge and workshops support rangatahi as artists and leaders. The ripple effect goes far beyond what we see on the screen.”
Madeleine de Young, Māoriland Film Festival Director
She points to graduates of the E Tū Whānau Rangatahi Film Challenge and workshops who have found work within the film industry. Many others have developed valuable networks with local and international Indigenous filmmakers through their exposure to the Māoriland Film Festival team.
The Māoriland rangatahi leadership group, Ngā Pakiaka, which developed out of the E Tū Whānau Film Challenge, now runs the Ngā Pakiaka Incubator Programme. Works by graduates of Ngā Pakiaka, who gained early filmmaking experience in an E Tū Whānau filmmaking workshop, have been screened in the Māoriland Film Festival.
Madeleine says that the confidence and communications skills gained through the E Tū Whānau filmmaking workshops have taken some rangatahi in unexpected directions, including local government representation and starting up businesses. They are all role models to the teina coming up behind them.
“We’ve learnt that when you hand the camera to rangatahi, they rise to the challenge. Their stories are bold and raw and filled with potential to transform their communities. The key is to provide a safe, culturally ground environment where they feel seen and heard.”
Peaceful Action Leadership Movement (PALM)
- Since 2017, hundreds of rangatahi of diverse ethnicities who are actively engaged with the E Tū Whānau kaupapa and who are emerging kahukura, or leaders within their communities, have attended PALM.
- Over 80 rangatahi Māori, rangatahi Pasifika and rangatahi tauiwi from Afghanistan and Vietnam attended PALM 2025.
- 82% of rangatahi surveyed left PALM 2025 inspired to transfer learnings back to their communities, while 72% reported increased motivation to contribute to their whānau and communities because of PALM 2025.
