{{short description|New Zealand film director}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Renae Maihi | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Director, writer, producer | alma_mater = | years_active = 2009–present | spouse = | children = 1 | website = https://www.renaemaihi.com/ }}
'''Renae Maihi''' is a New Zealand film director and screenwriter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/renae-maihi|title=Renae Maihi|website=nzonscreen.com|access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref><ref name=teaomaori>{{Cite news |url= https://teaomaori.news/maori-filmmaker-takes-global-international-film-festival-circuit |title=Māori filmmaker takes to Global International Film Festival Circuit|website=teaomaori.news|access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref> She is best known for her work on the films ''Waru'' and ''We Are Still Here'', both of which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 and 2022 respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/waru/1560336451716|title=Waru|website=sbs.com.au|access-date=2022-09-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tiff.net/events/we-are-still-here|title=We Are Still Here|website=tiff.net|access-date=2022-09-06}}</ref>
==Life and career== Maihi was born in Auckland, New Zealand. She is Māori of the Ngāpuhi and Te Arawa tribes as well as Pākehā.<ref name=teaomaori/>
In 2009, Maihi made her writing debut with ''Nga Manurere'', starring Keisha Castle-Hughes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10576464|title=Review: Nga Manurere at TAPAC, Western Springs|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=2019-10-01|date=4 June 2009}}</ref> In 2010, she made her screenwriting debut with short film, ''Redemption'', which premiered at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebigidea.nz/news/industry-news/2010/dec/78429-nz-short-films-selected-for-sundance|title=NZ short films selected for Sundance|website=thebigidea.nz|access-date=2019-10-01|date=8 December 2010}}</ref> Her play, ''Patua'', about child abuse won Adam NZ Play Award for best play by a Maori Playwright 2013, and her directorial theatre debut garnered critical acclaim in New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.thebigidea.nz/connect/media-releases/2013/apr/129784-patua-written-directed-by-renae-maihi|title=PATUA written & directed by Renae Maihi|website=thebigidea.nz|access-date=2019-10-01|date=29 April 2013}}</ref> She subsequently wrote and directed the short film, ''Butterfly (Purerehua)'', funded by the New Zealand Film Commission.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/films/purerehua|title=Purerehua|website=nzfilm.co.nz |access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref> Butterfly premiered as part of the ImagineNATIVE Film Festival Māori spotlight in 2013 and screened in a programme alongside Taika Waititi’s ''Two Cars One Night''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/imaginenative/docs/2100_in_catalog__2013_|title=2013 imagineNATIVE Catalogue|website=issuu.com|access-date=2022-12-04}}</ref> In 2015, her short film, ''Mannahatta'', premiered at ImagineNATIVE Film Festival in Toronto.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nyfa.edu/film-school-blog/award-winning-nyfa-grads-newest-film-tackles-native-americans-struggle-in-mannahatta/ |title=Award-Winning NYFA Grad's Newest Film Tackles Native Americans' Struggle in "Mannahatta" |website=nyfa.edu |access-date=2019-10-01|date=December 2016 }}</ref> ''Mannahatta'' was later selected as a finalist for "Best Short Film" at the New Zealand International Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theweeklyspoon.com/uncategorized/new-zealand-short-stories-screen-nziff-2017/|title=New Zealand Short Stories On Screen at NZIFF 2017|date=2017-06-01|website=The Weekly Spoon|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref> During 2015, she worked on series 2 of My Kitchen Rules NZ as the Talent coordinator.<ref>{{cite news |last1=de Graaf |first1=Peter |title=Chance to show region's kitchens rule |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11406261 |accessdate=14 February 2020 |work=The Northern Advocate |date=23 February 2015}}</ref>
Maihi's feature film, ''Waru'', which she co-wrote and co-directed in collaboration with 8 other Māori women filmmakers was made up of a series of vignettes which addressed the widespread issue of child abuse in New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/edinburgh-festivals/film/waru|title=Waru review: powerful portmanteau film - The Skinny|website=www.theskinny.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/waru-uncovering-new-zealands-epidemic-child-abuse/|title=Waru: Uncovering New Zealand's Epidemic of Child Abuse|last=Pringle|first=Gill|date=2017-11-22|website=FilmInk|language=en-AU|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metromag.co.nz/arts/arts-film-tv/waru-the-new-zealand-film-you-need-to-see|title=Waru: The New Zealand film you need to see|website=www.metromag.co.nz|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref> The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vendettafilms.co.nz/News/tabid/728/post/nz-film-waru-to-screen-at-toronto-international-film-festival/Default.aspx|title=NZ Film WARU to Screen at Toronto International Film Festival - Vendetta News|website=www.vendettafilms.co.nz|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref> won the audience award at Seattle International Film Festival and the grand jury award for an outstanding international narrative feature at the 34th Asia-Pacific Film Festival in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/98027844/waru-the-nine-female-maori-filmmakers-united-in-their-passion-to-start-a-conversation|title=Waru: The nine female Maori filmmakers united in their passion to start a conversation|website=Stuff |access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iexaminer.org/award-winning-movie-waru-plays-at-siff-elevates-maori-wahine-voices/|title=Award-winning movie "Waru" plays at SIFF, elevates Maori wahine voices|website=iexaminer.org|access-date=2019-10-01|date=11 June 2018}}</ref> It was also screened at the Wairoa Māori Film Festival, where it won the Indigenous Rights award.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1806/S00247/best-of-wairoa-maori-film-festival-to-be-showcased.htm|title=Best of Wairoa Māori Film Festival to Be Showcased |date=June 25, 2018|website=www.scoop.co.nz|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref>
In 2018, she was awarded the NZFC Maori Screen Excellence Award and Whakapapa Film Festival of Italy Award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1806/S00215/best-of-wairoa-maori-film-festival-showcased-in-auckland.htm|title=Best of Wairoa Māori Film Festival Showcased in Auckland|website=scoop.co.nz|access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref> Her films were screened as part of a retrospective on Māori filmmakers at Auckland's first Māori Film Week and the New Zealand International Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teaomaori.news/aucklanders-invited-citys-first-ever-maori-film-week|title=Aucklanders invited to the city's first ever Māori Film Week|website=Māori Television|language=en|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
She directed one of the segments of the anthology film ''We Are Still Here'', which premiered as the opening film of the 2022 Sydney Film Festival and had its North American premiere in the Contemporary World Cinema program at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.<ref>Sandy George, [https://www.screendaily.com/news/indigenous-anthology-feature-we-are-still-here-to-open-sydney-film-festival-2022/5170090.article "Indigenous anthology feature ‘We Are Still Here’ to open Sydney Film Festival 2022"]. ''Screen Daily'', 4 May 2022.</ref> ''We Are Still Here'' won Best Dramatic Feature Film at the 2022 imagineNATIVE Film Festival in Toronto.<ref name=povmagazine>{{Cite web|url=https://povmagazine.com/imaginenative-announces-award-winners-for-2022-festival/|title=imagineNATIVE Announces Award Winners for 2022 Festival|website=povmagazine.com|access-date=2022-12-04}}</ref>
=== Bob Jones v Renae Maihi === For Waitangi Day in 2018, Bob Jones wrote an opinion piece calling for an annual "Māori Gratitude Day", where among other things he suggested that Māori serve breakfast in bed to Europeans as Māori owe their existence to British migrants. The opinion piece was published in the ''National Business Review'' on 2 February and caused so much outrage that it was soon deleted from their website.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/07-02-2018/bob-jones-and-nbr-divorce-over-maori-appreciation-day-column/|title=Bob Jones and NBR divorce over 'Māori Gratitude Day' column|date=7 February 2018|work=The Spinoff|accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref> In response, Maihi started a petition calling for Bob to be stripped of his knighthood (received as a Knight Bachelor in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours) and on 27 March 2018, the petition (with then 68,000 signatures) was presented to parliament and received by MPs Kiri Allan and Willie Jackson.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sherwood-O’Regan|first1=Kera|url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/28-03-2018/the-petition-to-strip-bob-jones-of-his-knighthood-has-been-delivered-will-anyone-listen/|title=The Bob Jones knighthood petition has been delivered. Will anyone listen?|date=28 March 2018|work=The Spinoff|accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref> In a seven to four majority decision in April 2018, the New Zealand Media Council did not uphold a complaint about the opinion piece, but noted that the ''National Business Review''{{'}}s decision to no longer publish columns by Jones was an "appropriate response to the justified public outrage".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/354275/sir-bob-jones-maori-gratitude-day-column-complaint-not-upheld|title=Sir Bob Jones 'Māori Gratitude Day' column complaint not upheld|date=6 April 2018|work=Radio New Zealand|accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mediacouncil.org.nz/rulings/mel-whaanga-against-national-business-review|title=Mel Whaanga against National Business Review|publisher=New Zealand Media Council|accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref>
In June 2018, Jones filed defamation papers with the Wellington High Court, seeking a ruling that the language used in Maihi's petition defamed him.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/104512816/sir-bob-jones-files-defamation-papers-against-filmmaker-renae-maihi|title=Sir Bob Jones files defamation papers against filmmaker Renae Maihi|date=7 June 2018|work=Stuff|accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref> Also in June 2018, community campaigner Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira started a crowdfunding campaign for Maihi's legal costs.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hurley|first1=Sam|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12073089|title=Givealittle page launched for film-maker Renae Maihi's legal fees in defamation battle vs Sir Bob Jones|date=18 June 2018|work=The New Zealand Herald|accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref> The court hearing was set for 10 to 21 February 2020. In his initial cross examination, Jones admitted that he had never read the petition that he claims defames him.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnsen|first1=Meriana|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/409294/sir-bob-jones-didn-t-read-petition-he-claims-defamed-him|title=Sir Bob Jones didn't read petition he claims defamed him|date=11 February 2020|work=Radio New Zealand|accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref>
On 14 February 2020 Jones withdrew the case.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnsen|first1=Meriana|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/409517/sir-bob-jones-withdraws-defamation-case-against-filmmaker-renae-maihi|title=Sir Bob Jones withdraws defamation case against filmmaker Renae Maihi|date=14 February 2020|work=Radio New Zealand|accessdate=14 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/currently-social-issues/sir-bob-jones-what-really-happened-in-renae-maihi-case | title=What really happened in the Sir Bob Jones v Renae Maihi defamation case? | access-date=23 February 2020 | archive-date=23 February 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223201659/https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/currently-social-issues/sir-bob-jones-what-really-happened-in-renae-maihi-case | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12310232 |title = Lizzie Marvelly: Renae Maihi and Sir Robert Jones defamation case threat to free speech|newspaper =The New Zealand Herald |date = 21 February 2020}}</ref>
==Personal life== Maihi has been in a relationship with emerging First Nations Canadian filmmaker Judith Schuyler since 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://muskratmagazine.com/a-maori-opinion-why-indigenous-canadians-lives-didnt-matter-to-michelle-latimer/|title=A MĀORI OPINION: WHY INDIGENOUS CANADIANS LIVES DIDN'T MATTER TO MICHELLE LATIMER|website=muskratmagazine.com|access-date=2022-12-04}}</ref>
==Filmography== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title ! Writer ! Director ! Producer ! Note |- | 2010 | ''Redemption'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| | Short Film |- | 2013 | ''Butterfly (Purerehua)'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | Short Film |- | 2015 | ''Mannahatta'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | Short Film |- | 2016 | ''Ka Puta, Ko Au'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| | Short Film |- | 2017 | ''Waru'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| | Feature Film |- | 2022 | ''We Are Still Here'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| | Feature Film |}
===Theatre=== * ''Nga Manurere'' * ''Patua'' * ''Good Medicine''
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable" |- !Year !Result !Award !Category !Work !Ref. |- |2017 |style="background: #ddffdd"| Won |New Zealand Writers Guild Awards |Best Feature Film Script |rowspan="4"|''Waru'' |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzwg.org.nz/swanz|title=SWANZ Awards|website=nzwg.org.nz|access-date=2022-09-06}}</ref> |- |rowspan="3"|2018 |style="background: #ddffdd"| Won |Asia-Pacific Film Festival |Grand Jury Award |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vcmedia.org/latest-news/congratulations-to-our-2018-los-angeles-asian-pacific-film-festival-winners|title=Congratulations to our 2018 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival winners!|website=vcmedia.org|access-date=2022-09-06}}</ref> |- |style="background: #ddffdd"| Won |Seattle International Film Festival |Audience Award |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iexaminer.org/award-winning-movie-waru-plays-at-siff-elevates-maori-wahine-voices/|title=Award-winning movie "Waru" plays at SIFF, elevates Maori wahine voices|website=iexaminer.org|access-date=2022-09-06}}</ref> |- |style="background: #ddffdd"| Won |Wairoa Māori Film Festival |MANA WAIROA FESTIVAL PRIZE |<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://maorimovies.com/news/2018/12/16/wairoa-maori-film-awards-2018|title=Wairoa Maori Film Awards 2018|website=maorimovies.com|access-date=2022-09-06}}</ref> |- |2022 |style="background: #ddffdd"| Won |imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival |Best Dramatic Feature Film |''We Are Still Here'' |<ref name=povmagazine/> |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|3773291|Renae Maihi}} * {{Official website|https://www.renaemaihi.com}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maihi, Renae}} Category:Living people Category:New Zealand women film directors Category:New Zealand film directors Category:New Zealand screenwriters Category:New Zealand women screenwriters Category:New Zealand bisexual women Category:New Zealand LGBTQ screenwriters Category:New Zealand Māori writers Category:New Zealand Māori women Category:Māori-language film directors Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Ngāpuhi people Category:Te Arawa people Category:Mass media people from Auckland Category:New Zealand LGBTQ film directors