It's the 1960s, on the East Coast of Aotearoa, New Zealand, Two Māori sheep-shearing families are longstanding enemies and commercial rivals. 14-year-old Simeon Mahana, the youngest son of the youngest son, is in conflict with his traditionalist grandfather. As Simeon unravels the truth behind the longstanding family vendetta he risks not just his own future prospects but the cohesion of the entire tight-knit society.
Source: Lee Tamahori
This profound and enduring tale of rural family life has been selected to officially commence the on Thursday 10th November in Sydney.
Mahana is just one of the 33 curated works featured in the program announced this week that focus on the theme ‘From the Four Directions’. The festival kicks off on the 10 November and will include 14 Australian premieres, 1 World premiere, feature films, feature documentaries, short films and short documentaries.
We hope these stories help to show the richness of our cultures and the growing voice of Indigenous filmmakers
Winda Film Festival Artistic Director Pauline Clague said she is proud to have a wide collection of Indigenous Films from around Australia and the world in the festival.
“From gritty drama to comical storylines the chosen films show a strength and vitality of stories that affect our Indigenous peoples,” Pauline said.
“The international films resonate with our own struggles and stories, giving us insight into the connection of the universal storylines of Indigenous nations. We hope these stories help to show the richness of our cultures and the growing voice of Indigenous filmmakers in the cinema and digital landscape.”
Launched by the Wurhu Darhuy Foundation and New Horizon Films in partnership with the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, the Winda Film Festival is a new and exciting film festival focused on Indigenous film from across Australia and the world.
Documentaries, feature and short films from all corners of the globe will be screened in Sydney this week.
Films from Hawaii to Central Australia, New Zealand and Norway are part of the very first Winda Film Festival.
The organisers say it offers Indigenous filmmakers from around the world a new platform to showcase their work
Winda means ‘stars’ in the Gumbaynggirr language from the north coast of New South Wales.
In Aboriginal Astronomy, we look to the stars for guidance, creation and for our ancestors.
The logo is a star trail of the Milky Way which is seen across the Southern Hemisphere and also inspired by The Emu In The Sky dreaming as one of the creation stories that crosses the nations of Australia.
With a growing scope of Indigenous films, the team at Winda Film Festival Executive Director, Medika Thorpe says it’s important to give a voice to Indigenous stories and recognise the growth of the industry.
Source: NITV News
"We look forward to the first-ever Winda Film Festival as we welcome filmmakers and audiences to a celebration of Indigenous works,” she said.
“From Roebourne to Russia we showcase stories from many nations, countries and some in language. We hope you enjoy as we come together to celebrate Indigenous films and filmmakers under the Milky Way,” she said.
"We hope to get audiences from all walks of life to experience quality Indigenous films that speak to our narratives and to get a glimpse of our perspectives," said Ms Thorpe.
Winda Information:
- Opening Night: Thursday 10 Nov, 7pm with at .
- Festival Screenings: Friday 11, Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 Nov at .
