NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho have announced the successful applicants for the Te Māngai Pāho / NZ On Air Co-Fund, which opened in December 2023, with a priority for high quality Scripted te reo Māori content – and guess what? They are all WIFT members! You continue to make us proud.
Included in this is the first Warner Brothers Discovery primetime drama with 30% te reo Māori dialogue!
“Research had shown us that around 70% of funding going to Māori production companies from across the screen funding agencies was going towards Non-Fiction productions,” says Amie Mills, NZ On Air Head of Funding. “This year’s co-fund was focused on redressing that imbalance and shining a light on the brilliant, scripted craft of our Māori screen storytellers.”
Tangata Pai, 8 x 44’, Green Sugar Media for viewing on ThreeNow and Three, up to $3,990,000
The first primetime drama for Warner Bros. Discovery to have 30% te reo Māori dialogue. Tangata Pai is the story of five people in the last hour of their lives when a bomb is detonated at a Māori protest.
Dead Ahead, 6 x 22’30”, HiMama for viewing on TVNZ+ and TVNZ 2, up to $2,893,133
Dead Ahead follows the Wharekoa whānau as they return to Aotearoa after a decade abroad. Kiri Wharekoa inadvertently disrupts the delicate balance between the physical and spiritual realms, unleashing four kēhua into the Wharekoa household.
Rapunga The Hunt, 6 x 26’, Cinco Cine Film Productions for viewing on Māori+ and Whakaata Māori, up to $2,185,920
Inspired by true events, Rapunga the Hunt follows an eclectic group of urban Māori who find themselves in the middle of the remote far north. Some are there by choice, others have no other options, but all are completely out of their depth.
Kupu X, 6 x 15’, Adrenalin Group for viewing on Whakaata Māori, TikTok and YouTube, up to $951,280
Produced by, for and about rangatahi, Kupu X is a drama series where Kahu Smith debunks local mysteries on TikTok as a front for her investigations into her mother’s disappearance. Her research leads her to the town of Urutomo, where she meets Tomai Stone, her polar opposite and possible key to the truth.
Congratulations everyone. We wish you all the very best with these productions!
A reminder, as leaders in the industry who are at the helm of producing content, do what you can to fill your teams with talented women. We have 1300 incredible women in our membership with a vast array of industry skills. If you need connections, we can help!