Mārama, the debut feature from writer-director Taratoa Stappard (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), has been selected as New Zealand’s Official Submission for Best International Feature Film for the 99th Oscars®
It’s the latest milestone for a film that’s been travelling internationally since its world premiere in the Discovery programme at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025.
Set in Victorian-era Yorkshire, Mārama follows a young Māori woman who is summoned from Aotearoa New Zealand to England, where she uncovers the devastating truth of her colonial heritage. Blending horror, history and Māori storytelling traditions, the film has established Stappard as a distinctive new voice in New Zealand cinema.
Since Toronto, Mārama has played to audiences at festivals including Zurich Film Festival, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, AFI FEST and Palm Springs International Film Festival.
The film has also received significant festival recognition, including the Official Competition Grand Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival, the Dramatic Feature Award and Audience Choice Feature Award at imagineNATIVE, Best Fantastic Feature Film at the Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam, and the Audience Award for Best Film at Abertoir International Horror Festival in Wales.
“Mārama is my Māori gothic love letter to our land, our ancestors and the stories that live in the shadows. To have it chosen to represent Aotearoa New Zealand is huge,” said Stappard. “I made this film to reclaim our history through a Māori lens: boldly, unapologetically and on our own terms. After seeing audiences around the world embrace Mārama, I’m incredibly proud that this distinctly Māori story now has the chance to stand on the world stage.”
Annie Murray, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Film Commission, said the selection recognised the craft and ambition of Stappard’s filmmaking.
“Mārama is fearless filmmaking: culturally grounded, cinematically ambitious and unmistakably from Aotearoa. Taratoa has brought a powerful Māori perspective to the screen with confidence and originality. We are immensely proud to select Mārama as New Zealand’s Official Submission for Best International Feature Film for the 99th Oscars®.”