THE STARS ALIGN The Kāpiti Coast is the place

Stars THE

Align

COVID-19 HAS CAUSED DISRUPTION to many, many events across Aotearoa and the world, but this year it has also caused the stars to align on the Kāpiti Coast. In late June the Māoriland Film Festival is to be held alongside the Matariki Ramaroa Lights Arts Festival, which means a star studded month of arts experiences - and makes the Kāpiti Coast the place to be this winter!

“The sighting of the Matariki star cluster traditionally signals the beginning of the Māori new year,” says Matariki Ramaroa Producer Dylan Herkes. “It is a time to be with loved ones and to remember those who have passed in the year before, to come together to reflect and celebrate and plan ahead, and the Matariki Ramaroa festival ties together a month of arts events integrating contemporary arts with the traditions of Matariki. There will be world class and pioneering indigenous exhibitions of cinema, sculpture, music, theatre, dance and thoughtprovoking kōrero connecting and celebrating with the people of the Kāpiti Coast.”

Māoriland Film Festival Director Libby Hakaraia says that while having to reschedule the Film Festival was not ideal, it has turned into a happy coincidence that it will now be side by side with the Matariki celebrations.

“This is the second Matariki Ramaroa we’ve organised and it’s exciting that it will run with the Film Festival,” says Libby. “We really wanted to see Matariki have strong foundations in tradition, and we were really blown away by the huge public response we had to the first festival. This is our uniquely New Zealand celebration and with Matariki Ramaroa we are putting the creativity out there and retaining that joy of community celebration rather than a corporate-style event. We’re encouraging people to be a part of the festival, and I think the great thing about combining festivals is that they can see the world without leaving home through the Māoriland Film Festival, and also connect again with the endless possibilities of artistic creativity with Matariki Ramaroa. Art uplifts us, and that’s what we want to shine a light on.”

“There are really so many great things happening it’s very hard to choose where to start,” says Libby, “but for me personally there are a couple of highlights that I think are must-sees.” “A highlight of Matariki Ramaroa last year was the lighting of the beacon – the Ramaroa – on Paraparaumu Beach here in Kāpiti. It was a fantastic way of starting our event and of marking Matariki. This year we are going to have the Ramaroa lighting again, but we are also going to have storytelling around the fire – a really simple yet inspiring part of our culture – and I think this is a part of the festival you really don’t want to miss!”

Visitors will also not want to miss this year’s Māoriland Film Festival. Traditionally held in March, the 2022 Festival will now run over five days from June 29 to July 3 and see filmmakers from around the globe share their stories in over 80 films, from award-winning featurelength dramas to illuminating documentaries and a diverse collection of short films.

Programme director Madeleine Hakaraia de Young says it is great to see the festival going ahead and also that the lifting of border restrictions means the return of international filmmakers to present their films.

“The great thing about combining festivals is that they can see the world without leaving home”

“Māoriland is now nine years young and the largest in-person international Indigenous film festival in the world,” says Madeleine. “Pre-COVID, international film makers and screen industry reps were coming in bigger numbers every year to the festival. When the borders closed our Aotearoa film making community was brought closer together at Māoriland, but now there will be an even bigger reason to celebrate as we welcome our friends from overseas back to Ōtaki to share their films. Relax Unwind Indulge Atahuri awaits

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And we have a really diverse event this year - films, art, emerging technology, industry workshops, the Māoriland Keynote and the Māoriland Red Carpet Party.”

“A highlight of the Māoriland Film Festival is that we have the world festival premiere of The Lion King in the te reo Māori, together with the premiere of a French animated film called ASTRO KID that Māoriland has dubbed into te reo Māori; so we have two feature films back to back that celebrate te reo Māori. Everyone knows the Lion King and ASTRO KID is a movie everyone can follow, so we’re really looking forward to that and to seeing the audience response.”

TE IWA O MATARIKI THE NINE STARS OF MATARIKI

Waipuna-ā-rangi

Hiwa-i-te-rangi

Waitā Ururangi

Waitī Matariki Tupu-ā-rangi

Tupu-ā-nuku

Both festival schedules can be seen on maorilandfilm.co.nz so that you can start planning a trip to the Kāpiti Coast now. Pōhutukawa

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