Equity NZ, the national actors union, says Māori film and TV producers are being funded unfairly.
By Bronson Perich
“Last year, the Government allocated $23.4 million to NZ On Air and the New Zealand Film Commission for the Screen Recovery Fund,” Equity NZ president Jennifer Te Atamira Ward-Lealand said.
“But Te Māngai Paho, which funds many of the smaller budget Māori-specific content - particularly for Māori Television - has received no top ups.”
Ward-Lealand said the funding shortfall has made a bad situation worse.
“Te Māngai Paho is already funded at a much lower rate than NZ on Air.”
The net result, she said, is that Māori creatives have a smaller funding pool to draw from than those who can access NZ On Air or NZ Film Commission funding.
Ward-Lealand said Equity NZ supports Māori screen sector union Ngā Aho Whakaari's call for fairer funding.
The Directors & Editors Guild (DEGNZ) have issued a statement in support of the union.
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