Discover the rising talents of new and established directors in this collection of short films from Aotearoa New Zealand. The films are loosely themed around the Te Ao Māori concept of Te Ōhākī - meaning cultural and identity reclamation. Find here stories of people from many different cultures who are feeling displaced or disconnected, and seeking their place in the world. Be that place the family home, out on the streets, inside a quarantine facility or astride a stage for drag queens.

Total length: 100 min

Rating: M Violence, domestic violence, offensive language & drug use

The Films are:

What's the Disabili-Tea: Misty Frequency

Documentary, 8 mins, New Zealand

Drag icon Misty Frequency's kaupapa is to celebrate autistic and takatāpui excellence. They are looking to storm the stage at the Drag Wars competition with a cash prize up for grabs.

Dir/Prod: Justin Scott

Prod: Robyn Paterson, Robyn Scott-Vincent

Daughter of God

Drama, 11 mins, New Zealand

When an arranged marriage is sprung upon an Iranian-Kiwi daughter, she must either dishonour family tradition or lose the woman she loves.

Dir/Writ: Maza White

Prod: Jen Huang

Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le

Drama, 15 mins, New Zealand

A young boy is left home alone with his increasingly unwell grandmother and is forced to come to terms with her deterioration.

Dir/Writ/Prod: Julie Zhu

Prod: Jazz dos Santos, Puteri Raja Ariff

Plastic - A love letter to the estranged

Documentary, 14 mins, New Zealand

This short documentary explores the plastic identity crisis faced by the pacific diaspora.

Dir/Writ: Va'a Magalogo

Anu

Drama, 13 mins, New Zealand

When a recent widow moves to New Zealand from India, she's forced to confront her grief by completing an ordinary ritual in an extraordinary circumstance: quarantine.

Dir/Writ: Pulkit Arora

Prod: Rachel Fawcett

Buttons and Dumplings

Documentary, 17 mins, New Zealand

The heartwarming migration story of a Chinese family, takeaway food, mahjong and the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Dir: Calvin Sang

Dir/Writ/Prod: Mei Ling Lee

World Premiere

Find Where I Belong

Drama, 14 mins, New Zealand

Life on the streets of Auckland for two homeless men: The older seems used to this and at home here, while the younger, Marquesan, dreams of returning to his island.

Dir/Writ: Kahu Kaiha

Prod: Carrisse Uta'i

Te Whakawhitinga

True Story, 12 mins, New Zealand

Hine re-accounts the story of her father, Pāpā, and his eagerness to join the army shortly after the end of World War II.

Dir/Writ: Jeremy Leatinu'u

Contact the host of Aotearoa Te Ōhākī - Show Me Shorts Film Festival