Indigenous Screen Office joins Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab

Press Release

February 26, 2026

The Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab (MICL) continues its international expansion, with the Indigenous Screen Office now joining the programme as a key partner for 2026.

The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) will support one Indigenous filmmaking team from Canada to participate in this year’s Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab, strengthening creative pathways between Aotearoa and Canada.

The partnership builds on long-standing relationships between Indigenous filmmakers in Aotearoa and Canada. Canadian Indigenous storytellers have had a strong and consistent presence at the Māoriland Film Festival each year, contributing films, industry leadership and creative exchange. Members of Canada’s Indigenous screen community also served as mentors and advisors for the inaugural 2024–2025 Co-Lab.

“The Indigenous Screen Office is pleased to join the Maoriland Indigenous Co-Lab as a key partner,” said Melanie Nepinak Hadley, Vice-President, Industry Partnerships and Growth at the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO). “This collaboration reflects ISO’s commitment to advancing Indigenous narrative sovereignty by creating tangible pathways for Indigenous creators to access international markets and build and maintain meaningful, long-term relationships between Indigenous filmmakers of Canada and Aotearoa.”

The announcement builds on the recently launched 2026 programme, which also welcomes support for a Western Australian project supported by Minderoo Pictures, alongside longstanding partner New Zealand Film Commission.

Delivered by the team behind the Māoriland Film Festival, the world’s largest Indigenous film festival, the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab supports Indigenous writers, directors and producers with feature film projects ready to enter advanced development.

Structured around three interconnected pou – the Māoriland Indigenous Script Accelerator (MISA), Pitch Packaging, and the Director’s Lab – the programme equips each team with:

An advanced draft feature script
A complete pitch package
A professionally produced proof-of-concept scene

These are key assets for financing, co-production and international market engagement.

Grounded in Puritia, Māoriland’s kaupapa Māori framework for the screen sector, the Co-Lab centres Indigenous values, rangatiratanga and collaboration, ensuring Indigenous storytellers retain ownership and control of their stories while strengthening Indigenous-to-Indigenous creative networks.

“The Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab is about creating the conditions for Indigenous stories to thrive, creatively, culturally and economically,” says Māoriland Charitable Trust. “This partnership honours the strong relationships between Aotearoa and Canada and builds a shared future for Indigenous feature filmmaking.”

Applications for the 2026 Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab remain open and have been extended to 3 April 2026.

Applications close: 11:59 pm NZT, 3 April 2026

For programme details and application information, visit puritia.maorilandfilm.co.nz

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