Renae Maihi

Renae Maihi (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāpuhi) is an award-winning Māori filmmaker whose storytelling blends powerful Indigenous narratives with bold cinematic vision. She is the only Māori woman director to have had two feature films premiere at an A-list festival—first with the critically acclaimed Waru (2017) and then We Are Still Here (2022) at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

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Her work has earned international recognition and major awards, including Best Screenplay at the NZ SWANZ Awards, the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Narrative Feature at the Asia Pacific Film Festival (LA), and the Telefilm Award for Best Dramatic Feature at the imagineNATIVE Film Festival. We Are Still Here was later featured in Netflix’s Top 4 in 2023, reaching a wide streaming audience.

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A fearless filmmaker and advocate, Renae is committed to bringing Indigenous storytelling to the world. Her bold vision extends beyond cinema—she stood at the forefront of change, winning the landmark Maihi v. Jones case, underscoring her dedication to Māori representation and justice.

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In 2024, Renae was invited to Berlinale Talents, a prestigious program within the Berlin International Film Festival that recognizes bold and visionary filmmakers from around the world. As her global presence continues to grow, she remains an independent creative force and a leading voice in Indigenous storytelling.

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To learn more about her journey, vision, and whakapapa (ancestry), visit the About section.

To explore her body of work, visit the Body of Works section.