When applying for funding, the New Zealand Film Commission states “We fund projects that have significant New Zealand Content”. The dilemma to this eligibility requirement is that even the broadest definition of “New Zealandness” is exclusive, creating altruistic categories of “us” and “them.” Thus, through whimsy and humour, A New Zealand Film engages with issues of national identity, filmic representation, anthropology and critical design to highlight the real, complex, dynamic histories and multicultural factors that make up New Zealand identity. Mata Freshwater is a recent graduate of Design, Film and Cultural Anthropology from Victoria University of Wellington. Passionate about ethnography and speculative design, Mata explores big ideas in entertaining, creative outputs, particularly video production, illustration and photography. Mata recently participated in the 48hours competition that took place on 1-3 May 2015, and is currently working on an animated short film ‘Shmeat’ to be released end of 2015. Mata Freshwater A New Zealand Film 2012 Animation film (2:10 minutes) Coffee & Allah is a film about a young Muslim woman’s appetite for coffee, Islam and a good game of badminton. When Oromo Ethiopian, Abeba Mohammed, moves to suburban Mt. Albert to unite with her sister under the refugee family reunion quota, she has nothing but her faith in Allah, a taste for Ethiopian coffee, and a zest for life to sustain her. From behind her purdah, and no knowledge of English, Abeba struggles to make a connection with the people of her new homeland. Nonu, a Samoan barista at the local coffee shop takes a shine to her. Sima Urale is a Wellington-based filmmaker who has won national and international awards. Her films explore social and political issues and have been screened worldwide. Her accolades include the Silver Lion for Best Short Film at the Venice Film Festival for O Tamaiti (The Children) (1996). Sima is one of the few Polynesian film directors in the world with more than 15 years in the industry, and currently paves the way for emerging filmmakers with her work as Head Tutor of The New Zealand Film and Television School. Sima Urale Coffee and Allah 2007 Short film, colour, 35mm, 1.1:85 (14:00 minutes) Namana (my mother) is a traditional song from Papua New Guinea about children, especially young men, missing their mothers. Having learnt the song from his uncle as a young boy, Omphalus presents an animated music video dedicated to his mother and ancestral homeland. Longing to return to his home in Koge, the animation is a poignant message to his mother in hopes that she understand the unexpected endeavours that require his journey to continue in New Zealand. Omphalus Kua was born in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. As a recent Film and Design graduate of Weltec Wellington Institute of Technology, Omphalus has several design projects in progress in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, while also making arrangements to introduce his son to his parents and home village of Koge. Omphalus Kua Namana 2013 Animation film (4:20 minutes) Heaven’s Gate is a video documentary directed by Coco Solid featuring her latest track of the same title. It features footage of The Fafswag Ball, a South Auckland scene that celebrates Polynesian fa’afafine (transgender) culture through fashion, vogue and dance battles. Where the song is about getting rid of labels, the video is Solid’s homage to a thriving queer pacific community that rejects the gender binary with vigour and pizzazz. Heaven’s Gate has been nominated in the 2015 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards for NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video. Coco Solid - aka Jessica Hansell - is an Auckland bred, Wellington-based artist, musician, writer and thinker of Samoan, Maori and German descent. Self-described as a doer of the damn thing, social sucicide bomber, community uplifter, philosoflygirl, foodini and destabilizing decolonizing contaminator, Coco’s creative endeavours span multiple disciplines, always challenging accepted norms and offering the viewer a unique and subversive perspective on many issues that affect Pacific people and New Zealand in general. Coco Solid Heaven’s Gate 2014 Music video documentary (4:56 minutes) Prometheus is the Greek deity who stole fire from Zeus and bestowed it upon humankind. As a result, Prometheus was sentenced to spend eternity on the ends of the earth where his liver was to be eaten by a bald eagle and replenished everyday. In response to this legend, Remember 9/11 - the party is a subversive exploration of the good and bad implications of continued advances in technology, with a focus on the mass media coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Harboured by geographical distance, it can sometimes be difficult for New Zealand to fathom the extent of mass acts of terror. When images of pain and terror are transmitted via television or computer screen, they are digested together with other information and regurgitated as something else - therein lies the danger for New Zealand. Remember 9/11 – The Party is a new form of cruelty: a carnival of horrors. Chris Ulutupu is a Christchurch-raised, Wellington-based creative and graduate of Performance Design (now Spatial Design) at Massey University. Chris Ulutupu Remember 9/11 - The Party 2008 Performance design/short film via Youtube (9:36 minutes).