Te Huka o Te Tai

Keeti Ngatai-Melbourne is a filmmaker and journalist from Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Porou. Raised in Te Araroa, she attended Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kawakawa Mai Tawhiti before moving to Auckland to pursue her filmmaking aspirations. Keeti has worked with Māoriland Film, contributing to an indigenous short film program and currently serves as a director's assistant at Mātewā Media. Her goal is to share Indigenous stories that deepen understanding of their experiences and issues.

Matilda Poasa, hailing from Saleaula, Falelatai, Faleasi’u in Sāmoa, is a Writer and Producer at Māoriland Productions. A graduate of Auckland University of Technology, she ventured to Los Angeles to work with the Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program. Since 2020, Matilda has produced numerous short films for Māoriland Productions, and her work has been featured at international film festivals. Passionate about unapologetically telling Māori and Pasifika stories, she leads talent development at Māoriland Productions.

Madeleine Hakaraia de Young, a Ngāti Kapu producer at Māoriland Productions, has been instrumental in the Ngā Pakiaka Incubator Programme, producing eight short films and overseeing additional projects in various stages of development. As the director of Māoriland Film Festival, the world's largest international Indigenous Film Festival, Madeleine prioritizes rangatahi development through Te Uru Maire, nurturing young voices and facilitating the creation of over 200 short films. Her impactful work was recognized at the 2021 New Zealander of the Year awards, where she was a semi-finalist for Young New Zealander of the Year.