ROQUEFORT PACIFIQUE

Wairoa Maori Film Festival will be present at the Rochefort Pacifique Cinema & Literature in France next month. Held from 25 to 29 March in the town of Rochefort, France, the festival is an ongoing celebration of Pacific film and literature.

Literary luminaries who will be present include Witi Ihimaera, who has had three novels made into films - Whale Rider, Nights in the Garden of Spain, and White Lies. Witi Ihimaera's Patriarch/Bulibasha is currently in pre-production with Lee Tamahori tagged to direct.

A special programme of Maori-made and Maori-themed short films will be presented at the Rochefort Pacifique festival, alongside feature films including WHITE LIES, BOY and THE PA BOYS.

The Maori short film programme at Rochefort Pacifique is curated by the Wairoa Maori Film Festival:

URU by Hiona Henare (Maori)
AHI KA by Richard Curtis (Maori)
PUMANAWA by Poata Eruera (Maori)
TOHUNGA by Rebecca Collins (Maori)
IN THE RUBBISH TIN by Riwia Brown (Maori)
INC'D by Darren Simmonds (Pakeha)
BUTTERFLY by Renae Maihi (Maori)
FOOTSTEPS by Lennie Hill (Maori) (Filmed in Cook Islands)

Representatives of the Wairoa Maori Film Festival will look to strengthen ties with the film industry in France whilst at this festival, including to the CLERMONT-FERRAND FILM FESTIVAL where OW WHAT? by Mike Jonathon is currently screening.