The support of rising talent and capitalising on Wairoa's food, cultural and tourism potential are just two things the town's film festival principle organiser, Leo Koziol, wants locals to think about. To encourage people to contribute to the long-term strategic plan for the event, organisers are giving away a double passto the festival, next scheduled for Queen's Birthday Weekend 2006. Backed by a range of sponsors and supporters, the inaugural festival included some of the best footage from the country's archives, and from new and emerging Maori and international indigenous film-makers. Organisers have released a discussion document entitled Towards A Sustainable Wairoa Maori Film Festival on the website www.manawairoa.com. It is both a stocktake of what the festival has achieved and an opportunity for stakeholders, including all Wairoa residents, to have some input into the future direction of the festival, Mr Koziol said. Questions that needed to be settled included whether it be held in winter as a Matariki event, or to celebrate the glorious East Coast summer, how it could support the Maori film and television industry, and involve the community. "Should this be an annual event, and place itself on the international indigenous film festival calendar? Or should we make the festival that bit more 'special' - something to wait for," Mr Koziol said. Mr Koziol said perhaps an annual festival was too much to ask of a small community situated halfway between Whale Rider country to the north and Hawke's Bay Wine Country to the south. "Or perhaps an annual festival could become an event that 'defines' the town, much as the annual Wild Food Festival in Hokitika does for the tiny burg there," he said. Three scenarios were posed: making it a community-based event; as a film industry, and Maori and indigenous film-makers' support event, or as an event to maximise economic benefits to local and regional businesses.
