PUTI - Short Film

Ten years in the making, PUTI is an award-winning short film script written by Aroha Awarau that will start production in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in September. 

LOGLINE

A Māori girl living in the city loses her innocence after she is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice to help her whānau.

WHY IS THIS PROJECT IMPORTANT?

PUTI, written by Aroha Awarau, was named the best short film script at the 2014 Pikihuia Māori Writer’s Award. Judge Larry Parr described the story as “outstanding” and from that moment, Aroha knew that this important short film needed to be made.

PUTI pays tribute to our Māori youth living in the city who are forced to grow up before their time, often making huge sacrifices to help with the household bills. It’s a heartbreaking, but inspirational story that honours the strength of mana wāhine and acknowledges the  resilience and courage shown by our rangatahi.

This project is important because it will showcase the talent of some of our rising stars of Māori acting and will support our local film industry. PUTI will also contribute to the raft of Māori short films that have traveled the world, highlighting the significance of Indigenous storytelling.

This Boosted fundraising campaign aims to boost the funding received from Ngā Aho Whakaari as part of their Ngā Aho Short Films program. The additional funds will go towards offering our cast and crew a competitive industry rate and to help cover the expensive fees and logistics of shooting a film around the inner city of Tāmaki Makaurau.

BACKGROUND

After 25 years working as a journalist and playwright. PUTI will be Aroha Awarau’s directorial debut. As a scriptwriter, his short films Home (2015) and Disrupt (2021) have won awards and traveled to more than 30 film festivals around the world including festivals in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Russia. Puerto Rico and Aotearoa.

PUTI will be produced by Louisa Tipene Opetaia for her company Glorious Inc. This is Louisa’s third short film as a producer, after Native in Nuhaka (2017) and A Father’s Day (2024).

Aroha and Louisa have been friends for more than 15 years and share a passion for Māori films and Indigenous storytelling. This is their first collaboration together and they are excited to be making a film that showcases the best of Māori film talent and will contribute to the growing interest in stories that are unique to Aotearoa.

The Executive Producer is Lanita Ririnui of Ngā Aho Whakaari. Puti has been funded as part of the organization’s Ngā Aho Shorts program. Puti’s Associate Producers are Leaupepe Legaoi Ta’ala Ralph and Sara Jane Elika of ECG, who are producers of the TV gospel show Soul Sessions. 

MEET THE TEAM

AROHA AWARAU (Director/Writer)

Ngāti Maru/Ngāti Porou/Niue/Samoan

Aroha Awarau is an acclaimed storyteller who has enjoyed success in three different writing disciplines – film scriptwriting, playwriting, and journalism. 

His first short film, Home, which received funding from NZ Film Commission in 2013, was nominated for Best Short Film at the 2014 NZ Scriptwriting Awards and made its international debut at the Imaginative Film Festival in Toronto. It has since screened at festivals in Berlin, Moscow, and New Zealand. His second short film, Disrupt, screened at 30 international film festivals and won multiple awards. He was on the storylining team of the second season of the EMMY award-winning TV series Rūrangi.

His play, Luncheon won Best Play at the 2015 NZ Scriptwriting Awards and had the NZ Herald describing Aroha’s work as “the emergence of a distinctive talent“. His second play, Officer 27, was a finalist at the 2015 Adam’s Playwriting Awards and the NZ Scriptwriting Awards. His third play, Provocation, was also nominated for the NZ Adams Playwriting Awards in 2019. 

Aroha is an accomplished journalist, who writes for National Geographic, Listener and was the former News Editor at the Woman’s Day magazine. He’s a former producer/reporter for the current affairs show Native Affairs on Māori Television and a senior entertainment reporter for Stuff.

LOUISA TIPENE OPETAIA (Producer)

Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Sāmoa (Tufuiopa) 

Louisa is an entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in publicity, marketing, media, and tourism. 

Of Māori and Samoan descent, she was born in Aotearoa and moved overseas as a young child - only returning to live in her homeland after almost three decades away. ​ 

She is on a journey of reconnection. Her mission is to use her personal and professional global experiences to empower Māori, Pacific and migrant creatives and entrepreneurs. 

She is a co-founder of Glorious Inc. Her company provides authentic local tour & cultural experiences, publicity, event planning and production services. ​

LANITA RIRINUI (Executive Producer)

Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāpuhi, Kuki Airani

Māori and Cook Island producer and director Lanita Ririnui has made a career telling the stories of youth, women, Māori, and Pacific Islanders. Her extensive CV includes Pasifika youth show Fresh, Māori Television's flagship sports show Code, and interactive website Poi 360. She has recently finished the role of Executive Director for Nga Aho Whakaari, an organisation supporting Māori in the screen industry. 

LEAUPEPE TA'ALA RALPH ELIKA (Associate Producer) 

BA/LLB, MInstD

Sāmoa

Leaupepe has a passion for people, leadership, and innovation which has allowed him to create and maintain a strong network in both the public and private sectors in NZ, the Pacific, and Asia. He has a diverse career, from civil litigation and NZ foreign affairs to business strategy, evaluation, and communications. As a transformational leader, Leaupepe can quickly assess issues and create immediate and sustainable solutions for different clients that are customized for their specific sectors and industries.​

SARA-JANE ELIKA (Associate Producer)

BA(hons),BA/LLB/MInstD

Sāmoa

Sara-Jane is an admitted Barrister and Solicitor to the High Court of New Zealand and a strategic management consultant with a background in media, creative enterprise, and education. For over 20 years her passion for contemporary Pacific music has gained national and international recognition including published academia in ethnomusicology. She values stakeholder engagement and through innovation applies best practices to enhance inclusive relationships and create engaging solutions.