Tauihu Media’s short Pūmanawa: The Gift scores its latest festival success with official selection for the International Short Film Festival in Drama, in Greece.

Rated by Raindance as one of the top 50 festivals worldwide for short films, Drama has selected Pūmanawa to appear alongside 54 other international films from around the world.

The festival programme plays from 15 – 20 September, with Pūmanawa screening in the 4 – 6PM programme on the 16th.

Drama makes the 3rd international festival selection for Pūmanawa following imagineNATIVE and Dreamspeakers, and the 5th festival selection overall, having screened domestically in the Wairoa Māori Film Festival and the Ngā Whanaunga strand of the New Zealand International Film Festival.

Pūmanawa: The Gift

Pūmanawa: The Gift was directed by Poata Eruera,  written by Marie Thompson and Wayne Te Tai, and produced by Tui Ruwhiu and Poata Eruera. It it one of four films developed through Ngā Aho Whakaari’s short film initiative Aho Shorts.

The film tells the story of of a young woman who is serious about a Christian boyfriend. Her mother fears it will threaten a spiritual gift both women have inherited. She takes her daughter back to her own tragic past to show how loneliness, hope and faith can turn love into turmoil. Finally, the daughter must consider the meaning of love and the value of her precious gift.

Drama International Short Film Festival

The Drama International Short Film Festival is Greece’s leading short film festival, and the annual meeting place for filmmakers and industry professionals. Based in Drama, Greece the festival runs a six day schedule in September and its main venues are Municipal Conservatory and Olympia Cinema.

The festival is the leading Greek and South-Eastern European gateway to the world’s most prestigious short film awards, and nominated filmmakers qualify for the European Film Awards.

The festival presents an annual International Competition showing the best new films from Greece and around the world, as well as parallel events including interviews, book presentations, panels and networking for filmmakers and professionals.

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