Transmission Films says Ka Whawhai Tonu is the highest-grossing Aotearoa film this year after its first four weeks in cinemas.
“Ka Whawhai Tonu is an incredibly poignant film, and an absolute credit to the entire filmmaking team,” Transmission Films general manager Mark Chamberlain says.
“We have all been delighted to see the response from audiences flocking to the cinemas to embrace this film. We believed in the film from the outset and it’s affirming to see the results thus far.”
When the film premiered, producer Piripi Curtis told Te Ao Māori News about the significance of watching the film in the opening week.
Curtis said then that the numbers attending the opening week for films were added up to indicate the success of a film, and the success of Ka Whawhai Tonu would make a business case for Māori stories told by Māori in te reo Māori.
“If there’s more money around, we can train young Māori and use the film to grow our capacity as Māori productions,” Curtis said.
Curtis is also chairman of Ngā Aho Whakaari (the Māori Screen Directory) and said it had changed the policy that defines Māori content. Previously the criteria included having two of the three being Māori - director, writer and producer.
Now, Māori content is defined as being Māori-owned, as often what the directory found were films that were deemed Māori didn’t have Māori producers, which Curtis said was where the control lay as the owner of content.
The new strategy aims to foster story sovereignty, encourage Māori to tell their stories and, by supporting Māori stories, open up the doors for others.
Now the film has screened nationwide distributed by Transmission Films through New Zealand and Australia and represented by sales agent Locomotive Entertainment (London).
Almost at $800,000, it has overtaken films such as The Mountain and The Convert.
The next box office target is $850,000.
New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Annie Murray says the commission is delighted with this result for Ka Whawhai Tonu.
"This Māori language film is timely, has obviously resonated with New Zealand audiences, and we look forward to seeing it continue to reach audiences across various platforms locally and globally for many years to come.”