GRAPHIC/SUPPLIED
This year’s Matariki celebrations in Masterton will include a community screening of an iconic Disney classic – in te reo Māori .
The Lion King Reo Māori will have one free screening at Regent 3 Cinemas on June 25 at 11am. Tickets are limited to 75 and must be collected from the theatre.
When Masterton District Council invited applications from groups and individuals planning community events for Matariki, Film Talks founder Jane Ross immediately applied – with the idea that a free screening would provide “a wonderful whānau-friendly experience as well as a sense of community connection”.
“All applications had to align to one or more of the nine stars in the Matariki star cluster”, Ross said.
“The Matariki star is connected to the health and well-being of our tangata. It also signifies reflection, hope, new beginnings, our connection to the environment, and the gathering of people.
“So, I really wanted to gather the community together around a film event to connect with Matariki.
“After talking with the team at Regent 3, we decided The Lion King Reo Māori was the perfect film to offer.”
The Lion King Reo Māori is being released in cinemas throughout New Zealand this month. The beloved Disney film has been revoiced in te reo, translated by language experts in each rohe [region], with key characters speaking the five different mita [dialects] featured in the film.
Fourteen actors were chosen after hundreds of auditions were submitted across the country. Actors include Ani-Piki Tuari, who will play lead hyena Shenzi, with Jase Te Patu and Antonio Te Maioha playing Banzai and Ed.
Ross, who established Film Talks in 2017, is the organiser of the annual Wairarapa Film Festival – which offers screenings of films with a connection to Wairarapa in all three districts.
She has also organised premiere events for films that have been shot in Wairarapa, such as Milk, Daffodils and Two Idiots and a Tin Whistle.
“A lot of the films I support tell stories about people and the contributions that they have made to enrich our world,” Ross said.
“Every event is unique and offers something special to the audience. The screening of The Lion King Reo Māori is no exception and is a fabulous fit for the Film Talks kaupapa.”
- Tickets for the Lion King Te Re Maori are avialable to collect now at Regent 3 Cinemas, Masterton.
