# He Pounamu Te Reo Māori Feature Film Initiative

He Pounamu Te Reo Māori Feature Film Initiative is a grant offered by New Zealand Film Commission (Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga) (NZ).
It has no fixed deadline.
Funding or payment: Up to $2,500,000 NZD (Production Investment); up to $1,500,000 NZD (Innovation ambition); up to $500,000 NZD (Post-Production Investment).
It is free to enter.

**Disciplines:** Film & Video
**Career stage:** All stages

He Pounamu Te Reo Māori is a dedicated feature film fund from Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), supporting bold and authentic dramatic feature films where te reo Māori is the predominant language (more than 50%) and Māori creatives lead the kaupapa.

The fund offers two types of investment:
- **Production Investment**: up to $2,500,000 NZD (or up to $1,500,000 NZD if your primary ambition is Innovation)
- **Post-Production Investment**: up to $500,000 NZD

Eligible films include scripted or documentary features between 75 and 110 minutes long that are well-developed and have a clear audience strategy.

**Who can apply?**
You must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, acting as the lead New Zealand producer, with a film of significant New Zealand content or an official co-production structure. Your filmmaking team must have appropriate experience, and you'll need an established NZ distributor attached, plus an international sales agent for budgets over $1 million. Māori creative roles (writer, director, producer) must be commensurate with the level of the content.

**What are the ambitions?**
Applications must speak to one or two of the following:
- Te Hunga Mātakitaki / Local audience appeal
- Aronga Arumoni / Commercial (strong international sales potential)
- Kounga Toi / Critical (film festival success and artistic excellence)
- Auahatanga / Innovation (new filmmaking technologies or methodologies)
- Te Pānga Ahurea / Impact (advancement of te reo Māori and Māori storytelling on screen)

**Key materials required include:**
- Bilingual production-ready script (for scripted films), or treatment/vision document (for documentaries)
- Māori Language Plan detailing creative use of te reo, use of mita/dialect, and tikanga integration
- Named cultural advisors (Poutiaki/Poutikanga) with outlined roles and responsibilities
- Evidence of whānau/hapū/iwi consultation and permissions for taonga where relevant
- Full finance plan, production budget, cashflow and recoupment schedule
- Short biographies noting iwi/hapū affiliations and reo experience

**Before you apply**, you must arrange a pre-application hui with the NZFC Funding Team at least four weeks before submitting. Applications are submitted via the NZFC Portal and must be received at least ten weeks before the relevant Board meeting.

Assessment is a two-stage process. Decisions on investments over $1,000,000 are made by the NZFC Board; decisions of $1,000,000 or under are made by the CEO. All decisions are final.

Contact the Funding Team early — they strongly encourage a conversation before you apply.

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Source: https://patronage.nz/opportunities/new-zealand-film-commission-te-tumu-whak-he-pounamu-te-reo-maori-feature-film-initiative (Patronage, patronage.nz). Apply or check the latest details at the organiser's own page: https://www.nzfc.co.nz/funding-support-nz-filmmakers/funding/feature-film-production-investment-2