The Māoriland Film Festival kicks off in Otaki later this month and we think you will want to be there!! Running from 23-27 March, the festival is the largest indigenous film festival in the Southern Hemisphere and will feature films from the Marshall Islands, USA and Canada, while also showcasing Māori cinema from Aotearoa. You can see the list of feature films and the film schedule here and follow the festival blog here. My pick for the festival is Three Wise Cousins; check out the trailer below!

Well-known New Zealand films The Dark Horse and The Deadlands both featured in the 2015 Māoriland festival and are both available at the library:

The dead lands / a Matthew Metcalfe production ; a Toa Fraser film.
After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, Hongi, a Maori chieftain’s teenage son, must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious Warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.

The dark horse / Four Knights Film in association with The New Zealand Film Commission [and six others] present ; a film by James Napier Robertson.
The Dark Horse is an emotionally-charged and inspiring drama about a man who searches for the courage to lead, despite his own adversities – finding purpose and hope in passing on his gift to the children in his community.