Who we are

Ngā Aho Whakaari is the national representative body for Māori working in film, video and television in New Zealand. Our members range from actors, directors and independent production companies to presenters, producers, technicians, writers and broadcasting students and educators.

Our name, Ngā Aho Whakaari, means the “strands of many visions” and encapsulates our representation of the many Māori who work within the industry, the diversity of our productions and the collective aspirations which we have for our people.

We have as our guiding principle, a proverb - “E kore te Tōtara e tū noa i te pārae, engari me tū i te wao”, or, in other words, The Tōtara does not stand lonely on the plain, but stands in the forest. It is a statement which invokes all members and supporters of Ngā Aho Whakaari to work in unity for the betterment of our people, language, customs and prestige.