For this year's Ngā Aho Shorts programme, applicants must have a pou reo Māori and tikanga Māori as a way of ensuring Reo Māori and tikanga are incorporated into their films.
That's because Ngā Aho Whakaari is looking to capitalise on the success of Māori film-making while also developing tools to better incorporate reo and tikanga Māori into the industry.
Ngā Aho Whakaari raukura/executive director Lanita Ririnui says this is a really good time for Māori filmmakers. "We are in a really fantastic time at the moment, particularly in the film industry where we have amazing kaupapa out in the world, if we use Muru as an example as the New Zealand Film Commission's choice to represent New Zealand at the Oscars, and then come October, there will be the premiere of Te Reo Māori Frozen after just premiering Te Reo Māori Lion King and Matariki. There are two excellent examples of Māori elevating our kaupapa to the world in a way that I think is really inspiring for feature filmmakers."
Ngā Aho Whakaari is supporting three shorts this year, each to receive $15,000.
More Māori incorporated throughout the film industry.
More if te reo Māori used
But if the entire script is in te reo Māori, that will increase to $20,000. Every application must have a team of five that consists of a director, writer, producer, pou tikanga and reo.
Ririnui says it's important for Māori to tell Māori stories.
“Sovereignty has been around for a long time and you know, as a compromised people, we totally understand as indigenous people what it's like to watch colonisers tell your story, and it's never really how you heard it from your people.
"So we're in an amazing time now where our people are telling our stories. And, as you can tell with Muru, that's just a response in a scripted one. But there are a lot of affinities that our audiences will have for that story that was based on reality. Māori have a real affinity with factual kaupapa that has influenced creativity," Ririnui says.
That is reflected in the new requirement for Ngā Aho applicants to include reo and tikanga Māori advisors in their application process.
“Ngā Aho Whakaari is making a shift in whakaaro (thought) and sharing with everyone that value that Māori can give it, Māori magic."
Ririnui also wants to make a safe space for Māori to create Māori stories.
Applications for Ngā Aho Shorts open this weekend for prospective filmmakers.