The festival runs from 18 to 22 March.

The theme is Me Reretau - Be in Balance. It offers stories that seek harmony in an increasingly discordant world.

The seventh annual festival will present over 120 films and 69 events from 92 indigenous nations while hosting filmmakers from communities around the world.

"The programme is packed with New Zealand and southern hemisphere premieres of shorts, features and documentary films that show the exceptional storytelling of indigenous peoples from across the globe," MFF2020 festival director Libby Hakaraia said.

Young Maori film-makers have programmed a Maoriland Rangatahi Film Festival which will show short films made in January during Our Lens workshop in Taiwan and Sápmi.

The festival will open with the premiere of Kiwi-sized blockbuster The Legend of Baron To'a, directed by Tainui filmmaker Kiel McNaughton

The festival will also feature non-screen-based artistry including:

• The visual arts gallery Toi Matarau.
• Tamoko, carvers, weavers, and jewellers will be working around the Maoriland Hub
• A keynote address will be given at Rangiatea church
• NATIVE Minds a series of interactive discussions with guest speakers from New Zealand and abroad will examine how indigenous thinking shapes our existence and our view of the world.
• Maoriland Tech Creative Hub (M.A.T.C.H) will also present virtual reality demonstrations.
• Filmmakers in attendance will be put into groups to plan and produce a film in just 72 hours.

In 2019 the Maoriland Film Festival was attended by 12,500 visitors.

Click here to see the full programme

Click here to purchase tickets. Or call 0508 iTICKET (484 253)

Source

• Supplied
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: festhome.com