TOITŪ Visual Sovereignty

Official Selection, 2025 New Zealand International Film Festival

Filmmakers in attendance. Film program will be followed by Q&A.

TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty, the debut directorial feature from Academy Award nominated producer Chelsea Winstanley, goes behind the scenes of the largest Māori art exhibition in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history. Following curator Nigel Borell’s vision for Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art, the film captures both its record-breaking success and the behind the scenes conflicts that arise when Indigenous sovereignty challenges institutional power. Featuring rare access and the voices of celebrated artists such as Taika Waititi, Shane Cotton & the Mataaho Collective, this is a powerful portrait of cultural resilience and authorship. With a collective cultural consciousness always at play, the triumph over adversity culminates in indigenous voices claiming the world’s top coveted art prize and sends a message of hope.

Credits
Writer: Chelsea Winstanley
Producer: Desray Armstrong & Chelsea Winstanley
Executive Producer: Kahungunu Baron-Afeaki
Director of Photography: Mike Jonathan
Editor: Huhana Ruri-Panapa, Cushla Dillon
Composer: Maree Sheehan
Music: Maree Sheehan