Caravan Carpark Films

Wairoa Māori Film Festival 2026 is back and opens today!

Thank you Leo for bringing HOKIA, RAUPĀ and FLAGFALL to the audiences in Kahungunu.

More details below, or check out maorimovies.com
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Wairoa Māori Film Festival 2026

HOKIA, RAUPĀ, and FLAGFALL
📍 Gaiety Theatre, Wairoa
🗓 Saturday, 30 May
💻 Full online program + tickets:

We made it in Nati Link!

Nati Link is the long-running flagship publication of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou, created as a way to connect Ngāti Porou whānau at home and across the world. It’s been part of the iwi’s storytelling and communication for decades, sharing kaupapa, people, achievements and community stories from Te Tairāwhiti and beyond.

So it means alot to see our founder Angela Cudd featured in the latest issue of Nati Link, sharing an in-depth look at her filmmaking journey, the evolution of Caravan Carpark Films, and the work happening behind the scenes to grow Indigenous storytelling in Aotearoa.

Ange will tell you to go check-out the photos of her Mum, Dad and Nan & Papa. Or to go read the tribute to Rangatira Lee Tamahori. Or the nod to Witi Ihimaera. And fair. To share pages with those leaders is a privilege.

But we reckon you should read her article too. It’s part career kōrero, part love letter to the stories that raised her.

Ngā mihi nui to Jasmine Kaa and the the Nati Link team for this important mahi back home.

Grab a Milo, a Toffee Pop and read the full piece online. Link below.

Back into the hub today.

It's round 2 for DON TE HAUTE at the Film Up Lab hui.

We spoke with CCF Founder and DTH Producer, Angela Cudd, to hear what came from the first Film Up Hub session.

Q: What’s one thing that shifted for DON TE HAUTE after the first FilmUp Hub?
A: A big shift forward for us is having access to dedicated mentors active in the industry, who are creating mahi that we aspire to. Mentorship is so valuable but can be hard to access, especially from people whose time is their most valuable consideration.

Q: What feels clearer now - and what is still a work in progress?
A: The power of a proof of concept was clear to me. Another project had a really strong proof of concept that allowed us all to understand instantly what he wanted to achieve with his feature. The fact that we have a proof of concept in post-production for Don Te Haute will help us illustrate our intentions for the feature.

Q: What’s been sitting with you since the first hub?
A: Getting to create is a privilege. And just because you have a story to tell, it doesn't mean you are entitled to support - financial or otherwise. It's on us to be persuasive with our film or scrappy in how we make it.

The other thing I keep coming back to, and honestly think about a lot, is why we don’t talk about audience more. There can be a real resistance to considering the audience, as though they’re somehow a threat to creativity. And sure, if you’re only creating to satisfy other people’s tastes, or beginning with audience as the driving force, the work probably won’t be very good. But if you don’t consider the audience at all, and you’re only making something for yourself, you can’t be surprised if no one else feels compelled to watch it.

Is the balance being bold enough to back your own creative instincts, while being honest with ourselves that the work is eventually going to meet other people? I'm still thinking about it.

Let's see what how things evolve from here!

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Pic: Kirk Torrance, DON TE HAUTE Writer/Director, starring and directing on set for BRO

Tickets are LIVE for the Wairoa Maori Film Festival Inc.!

FLAGFALL screens this month at the Wairoa Māori Film Festival as part of the Native Noir Shorts programme.

Starring Dahnu Graham, this horror/thriller follows a taxi driver navigate his night shift as he is slowly haunted by voices and visions.

More festival details below, or check out maorimovies.com
..

Wairoa Māori Film Festival 2026

HOKIA, RAUPĀ, and FLAGFALL
📍 Gaiety Theatre, Wairoa
🗓 Saturday, 30 May
💻 Full online program + tickets: Wairoa Maori Film Festival Inc.

Takahi Te Ara Whakaari - a one-day acting wānanga for performers who are fluent speakers/matatau i te reo Māori - is now open for applications.
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