Premium, bilingual content coming to more Aotearoa screens

Successful projects from the latest Te Māngai Pāho and Irirangi Te Motu/NZ On Air co-fund have been announced.

A total of $4 million has been awarded to nine applicants, which will see varying levels of te reo Māori used across a wide variety of programme genres.

The second co-fund opportunity for the funding agencies sees a focus on innovative, premium content that engages Aotearoa audiences with a diverse and alternative Māori perspective.

“Our collaboration with the team at NZ On Air enables us to support premium content that we would not otherwise be able to fund” says Kaihautū of Te Māngai Pāho, Larry Parr.

“The partnership provides an opportunity for Māori content creators to extend themselves and reach wider audiences.”

Irirangi Te Motu/NZ On Air’s Chief Executive Cameron Harland agreed. “Collaboration across our sector has never been as important as it is now. It’s been a joy to once again partner with Te Māngai Pāho to fund content that works toward our common goal of authentically reflecting Aotearoa.”

"The projects funded in this round will bring an incredible variety of new stories to Aotearoa’s screens as well as, crucially, normalising the use of te reo during prime-time,” he continued.

NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho will soon issue a second request for proposals that support the revitalisation of Māori language content, to be funded from an underspend in this round. If you would like to stay informed about this RFP, please sign up for the NZ On Air newsletters NZ On newsletters here, and Te Māngai Pāho pānui here.

Funded projects

Gowns and Geysers: Follow contestants of Miss Rotorua 2021 as they prepare for one of Aotearoa's most controversial pageants. Led by the King of Controversy himself, Kharl Wirepa, these Te Arawa beauties are no ordinary queens.

The Untold Tales of Tūteremoana: This trilogy of tales draws on parallel stories that cover six generations of oral stories of the Ngāi Tara people, centred around the great chief Tūteremoana.

Duality: Duality is a raw look at mixed-whakapapa young Māori, between the ages of 18-32, who are on a journey to find their identity.

Hui Hoppers: Hui-hopping half-sisters-come-professional hui caterers, Fran and Kura use their prowess in the kitchen to grandstand as self-appointed leaders of their marae in this scripted comedy.

Meng: This bilingual documentary unpacks one man’s determination to promote the rights of tāngata whenua, while negotiating what this means for himself as tauiwi hainamana with influence in Aotearoa.

Supernatural Anthology Series: Four of six episodes funded through the Te Māngai Pāho and Irirangi Te Motu/NZ On Air co-fund. This new prime-time scripted initiative for TVNZ is a curated anthology of supernatural half-hour dramas. For more details, please read the separate Anthology media release here.

Funding details

Gowns and Geysers, 8 x 12 mins, Te Noni for TVNZ OnDemand and Māori Television, up to $569,580.

The Untold Tales of Tūteremoana, 3 x 26 mins, Sweetshop and Green for Māori Television, up to $294,675.

Duality, 6 x 22 mins, Fire Fire for RNZ and Māori Television, up to $234,488.

Hui Hoppers, 7 x 10 mins, Three Feathers Productions for TVNZ OnDemand, up to $567,318.

Meng, 1 x 52 mins, Uhz for Māori Television, up to $199,831.

Supernatural Anthology Series, 4 x 22 mins, Steambox Collective Charitable Trust, 10000 Company, Sweetshop and Green, and Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions for TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand, up to $2,055,218