The Mountain

Sam, a fearless young girl raised outside of her Māori culture, is determined to fulfil her mission of connecting with her mountain in the hope they can heal her from the cancer she battles.

New Zealand Production

Feature 2024 Family, Drama 89.00 minutes

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Sam, a fearless young girl raised outside of her Māori culture, is determined to fulfil her mission of connecting with her mountain in the hope they can heal her from the cancer she battles. Along the way she meets some misfits and new kids in town – Mallory, hoping to find friends, any kind of friends - and Bronco who claims to be a runaway from his dad who is too busy to notice him. As they make their way through the difficult “off the beaten track” route, they learn the true spirit of adventure and the magic of friendship.

2024: Sydney Film Festival – In Competition

First Nations Award

Schlingel International Film Festival for Children and Young Audience

Winner CIFEJ Award

Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People

Winner Centre International du Film Pour L'Enfance et la Jeunesse (CIFEJ) Prize

Hellenic Parliament Human Values Award

Toronto International Film Festival – Centrepiece

LUCAS International Children’s Film Festival

Hawai’i International Film Festival

Asia Pacific Screen Awards – Nominated Best Youth Film

2025: Palm Springs International Film Festival

Birrarangga Film Festival

Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth – International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category

Giffoni Film Festival

Directors

Rachel House

Producers

Desray Armstrong

Morgan Waru

Screenplay Writers

Rachel House

Tom Furniss

Executive Producers

Carthew Neal

Taika Waititi

Paul Wiegard

Cast

Elizabeth Atkinson
Sam

Reuben Francis
Mallory

Terence Daniel
Bronco

Troy Kingi
Tux

Byron Coll
Hugh

Fern Sutherland
Wendy

Sukena Shah
Peachy

Crew

Tom Furniss | Based on an Original Story by

Matt Henley | Director of Photography

Cushla Dillon | Editor

Carly Turner | Editor

Andy McLaren | Production Designer

Troy Kingi | Music

Arli Liberman | Score

Martin Hill | Visual Effects Supervisor

Te Ura Hoskins | Costume Designer

Mataara Stokes | Costume Designer

Frankie Karena | Hair and Makeup Designer

Eryn Wilson | Casting Director

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