WIFT is saddened to hear that Melissa Wikaire died last week in Auckland. Of Ngati Hine, Melissa began working in the film industry under the guidance of greats such as Don Selwyn in the 1980s and 90s.
She worked on numerous films over the years including Once Were Warriors and Crooked Earth, and television programmes such as the Topp Twins series, Ma Tatou and Tau Ke.
She went onto become a Commissioner for Maori Television and commissioned some of the station's most successful programmes such as Stories from the Inside, Kaitangata Twitch and Whare Maori to make a few.
Melissa, 42, died on May 8 at her home in Orakei after losing her battle with cancer. She leaves behind her loving husband Neil and their two sons.