KEY POINTS:
Opening a Maori gateway to the silver screen is what directors hope the New Zealand Film Commission's injection of $600,000 over three years will do.
Last night at the Rialto in Newmarket the commission signed a deal with Nga Aho Whakaari - the organisation that represents Maori working in film and television.
NAW will appoint six members to Te Paepae Ataata, whose job it will be to generate more feature films from Maori directors and screenwriters.
Industry veteran Paora Maxwell said the initiative would cause new talent to emerge.
"The idea is if you have a Maori door then Maori are likely to come through it.
"I believe that it will release a torrent of Maori writing talent into the industry."
The commission, which receives $22 million in Government and Lottery Grants Board funding, doesn't make grants but instead invests in films as a business proposition. Every year, it aims to back four feature films and nine short films.
Mr Maxwell said getting projects developed to a point where the commission would support them is the focus of the group's work.
He said the start of Maori Television had seen an explosion of production houses that were producing for that medium but films hadn't yet filtered out to the market - that was because of the cost and the fact that the production houses did not have the economic base to develop films.
But there was a critical mass of people working in the industry who could support more Maori films, he said.
Broadcaster and producer Tainui Stephens said the development was also about bringing Maori methods of doing things to films - that meant including karakia, hui and being aware of the spiritual issues.
Mr Stephens said it was encouraging a new film generation of producers and directors, including Chelsea Winstanley, Te Arepa Kahi and Rhonda Kite, knew that there was a place for them in New Zealand film.
"They've got Maori mohio [knowledge] and Pakeha clever. You mix those things and you've got magic."
Commission chief executive Ruth Harley said: "What we want in New Zealand cinema are more voices - different voices."
