NZ On Air And Te Māngai Pāho Combine To Bring Māori Language Programmes To Prime Time

Six compelling new factual series are set to bring more te reo Māori into prime time, after securing over $3.6m funding through a NZ On Air / Te Māngai Pāho Māori Factual Co-Fund.

Made for a variety of audiences, the stories aim to engage individuals in an informative and inclusive way, using a range of levels of te reo to widen audience’s understanding of te ao Māori.

National Treasures is a multi-platform series that invites New Zealanders to upload pictures of their personal and family taonga to a purpose-built National Treasures website. The owners of selected taonga will then be invited to one of four filmed roadshows (Tāmaki Makaurau, Ōtautahi, Rotorua and Te Whanganui-a-Tara - Auckland, Christchurch, Rotorua and Wellington) where 60 taonga will be selected for a special exhibition at Te Papa.

Ake Ake Ake! tells the story of a new generation of protest via a deeply personal account of Ihumātao. With behind-the-scenes access to the Save Our Unique Land (S.O.U.L) campaign, this three-part series will provide unique insight and flesh out the wider story of whenua protest in Aotearoa throughout history.

An uplifting new observational documentary series, Kī Mai Āe follows the trials and tribulations of six Māori marriage celebrants. Each episode will feature two celebrants who share their insights into the challenging, varied and humorous weddings they officiate.

One-off documentary The Māori in Me will explore the lives of three successful internationally based rangatahi (youth) who feel displaced from their Māori culture and heritage. The three participants will travel to Aotearoa to visit their rohe (region) and Marae to take part in traditional Māori cultural activities, learning their whakapapa along the way.

Other factual series co-funded include The Walkers, which explores the life of high-profile musician Stan Walker and his whānau, and Hongi To Hāngī: And Everything In Between, an entertaining and insightful guide to understanding Māori customs, concepts and traditions.

“Te reo Māori plays a crucial role in Aotearoa’s national identity. Irirangi Te Motu is thrilled to have partnered with Te Māngai Pāho to support these six excellent projects that will celebrate and normalise te reo Māori during prime time,” said Acting Chief Executive Clare Helm.

Te Māngai Pāho Kaihautū, Larry Parr said he too was delighted with the quality and diverse range of prime time Māori programmes funded in partnership with Irirangi Te Motu.

“We’re excited by the opportunity to provide diverse and original Māori perspectives to broad audiences on mainstream platforms,” said Mr Parr.

NZ On Air / Te Māngai Pāho Funding Details

Ake, Ake, Ake! 3 x 52 mins, Scottie Douglas Productions for Māori Television, up to $697,562

Hongi To Hāngī: And Everything In Between, 3 x 44 mins, Great Southern Television for TVNZ 1, up to $380,502

Kī Mai Āe, 8 x 23 mins, Great Southern Television for TVNZ 1, up to $524,908

National Treasures, 4 x 45 mins, Pango Productions for TVNZ 1, up to $1,230,164

The Māori In Me, 1 x 44 mins, Cabrikaan Productions for Prime, up to $210,712

The Walkers, 6 x 23 mins, Hi Mama for TVNZ 2, up to $623,610

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