Maori women in spotlight at world film conference

By PETER CALDER

The women achievers of the New Zealand film industry are in the spotlight in Auckland this week as they and their international peers gather for a conference.

But it's the voices of Maori filmmakers that will be attracting attention in some of the week's key discussions.

About 200 members of the organisations that make up Women in Film and Television International begin a summit conference at the Carlton Hotel today and local names feature prominently in the four-day programme.

The biennial conference - the organisation's fifth and the first held in the Southern Hemisphere - is attracting large delegations from London, New York, Los Angeles and European cities.

New Zealand women filmmakers are prominent in many of the sessions. Whale Rider director Niki Caro; the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings screenwriter Philippa Boyens; the producer-director team Robin Laing and Gaylene Preston will all feature as panellists.

And Maori voices will be contributing to a discussion of one of the global industry's hottest topics: indigenous storytelling. Maori filmmakers Merata Mita and Don Selwyn will join two Canadian aboriginal filmmakers to talk about the challenges and opportunities presented by the international appetite for indigenous stories.

The runaway success of Whale Rider focused attention on the potential of indigenous stories to resuscitate a global film industry which is now cannibalising 60s television for storylines.

The summit finishes on Saturday with an awards ceremony acknowledging the achievements of New Zealand women.