Funding announced for new motherhood anthology series and inaugural Matariki children’s project

Irirangi Te Motu | NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho have announced funding for a new motherhood anthology series and landmark Matariki children’s project.

The motherhood anthology series, which is the second TVNZ Scripted anthology series funded by NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho, explores motherhood from the perspective of different cultures. The first anthology was a supernatural series, Beyond The Veil, that screened on TVNZ in 2022.

The motherhood anthology series is a selection of five individual projects – three funded by NZ On Air and two by Te Māngai Pāho.

Mother Hood follows fa’afafine Māori and Pasifika characters as they prepare for and present at a Vogue Ball, an event where teams of people from the LGBTQIA+ community compete in fashion and performance categories in front of a live audience.

Give Me Babies follows an Indian-Chinese MMA fighter as she tries to escape mounting pressure from her family to start a family, while Amah is a story about a career-driven Malaysian Chinese mother who employs the help of an AI nanny to raise her son with traditional Chinese values.

The other two in the series are Rule Of Mum, a story of a loveable man-child who decides to take charge of his own life after overcoming the biggest obstacle standing in his way - his Māmā; and Ahi & The Stars, which follows a Māori boy from the Coast seeking answers to his Mum’s disappearance after their move to Auckland.

“We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with our colleagues at NZ On Air on this second anthology series,” says Larry Parr, Kaihautū of Te Māngai Pāho. “The projects will deliver unique cultural perspectives on motherhood, and we look forward to seeing these stories come to life.”

As part of NZ On Air’s new children’s content strategy released earlier this year, a groundbreaking collaboration between NZ On Air, Te Māngai Pāho, Whakaata Māori, Te Reo Tātaki (TVNZ) and Prime/SKY will be piloted in 2023. Its aim is to be an ongoing cross-sector initiative to create children’s content that celebrates Matariki each year and is released simultaneously across all platforms.

This year, a one-off special has been funded, Island Of Mystery – Te Wā o Matariki, to be aired on TVNZ 2, Prime and Whakaata Māori. Two seasons of Island Of Mystery have been previously funded for TVNZ and this one-off special extends the animated mystery adventure series. It centres around Josh, a time traveler, and a group of young adventurers who set out across early Aotearoa to restore the balance and meet the people of early Māori settlement.

“We are so happy to be supporting Island Of Mystery – Te Wā o Matariki as the first project in what we hope will become an annual tradition for our tamariki to allow them to explore and celebrate Matariki,” says Amie Mills, Head of Funding for NZ On Air.

Funding Details

Motherhood Anthology – NZ On Air funding details
Mother Hood, 1 x 23 mins, Koha Productions for TVNZ 2, up to $515,000
Give Me Babies, 1 x 23 mins, Singh Sang Collard & Co for TVNZ 2, up to $514,999
Amah, 1 x 23 mins, The Hot House/MHM Productions for TVNZ 2, up to $515,000

Motherhood Anthology – Te Māngai Pāho funding details
Rule Of Mum, 1 x 24 mins, HiMama Productions for TVNZ 2, up to $500,000
Ahi & The Stars, 1 x 23 mins, Caravan Carpark Films for TVNZ 2, up to $517,000

Matariki RFP
Island Of Mystery – Te Wā o Matariki, 2 x 24 mins, Adrenalin for TVNZ 2, Prime and Whakaata Māori, up to $346,855