What Awa Films does

Awa Films Ltd is a private, Māori-owned independent film and television production company headquartered at 127 Park Road, Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand. Operating with approximately nine employees, the company produces both scripted dramas and unscripted documentaries centred on Māori storytelling, New Zealand history, and Te Reo Māori language revitalisation. Its portfolio spans short films, feature films, episodic series, and documentary series across formats and lengths.

The catalogue includes completed works such as the comedy series Takes a Village, the period series Colonial Combat, the language-revitalisation series Te Reo Rangatira, the three-season prison-music series Songs from the Inside, the documentary The Stolen Children of Aotearoa, and the seven-part reality/documentary series Life in the FFN. The slate also includes post-production feature Kōkā and an active development pipeline (I am Māui, Tangata Inc). Distribution flows through Whakaata Māori and the Māori+ streaming platform as the primary partner, with secondary reach via NZ On Screen and the company's own YouTube channel for global audiences.

Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed but are inferred to derive from a combination of Te Māngai Pāho government funding for Māori broadcasting, broadcaster/streaming commissions, and licensing fees. The go-to-market operates through the New Zealand screen industry ecosystem rather than direct-to-consumer pricing, with select content made globally available via YouTube and streaming platforms. Founder Julian Arahanga functions as principal creative lead across productions, supported by a small in-house producer team.

Name

Awa Films

Legal name

Awa Films Ltd

Website

https://awa.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Awa Films Ltd is a Māori-owned independent film and television production company in Wellington, New Zealand, producing scripted dramas, documentaries, and Te Reo Māori language series for broadcasters, streaming platforms, and cultural audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film and Television Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB), Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)

Keywords

• Independent film production
• Television production services
• Documentary production
• Scripted drama production
• Cultural content production

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Awa Films is an award-winning independent film and television production company based in Aotearoa New Zealand. It produces both scripted dramas (feature films, short films, comedy and drama series) and unscripted content (documentaries, factual series, art series) for broadcasters, streaming platforms, and cultural audiences, with a distinctive focus on Māori stories, Te Reo Māori language content, and New Zealand history and cultural preservation.

Product overview

Awa Films is an award-winning independent film and television production company based in Aotearoa New Zealand. The company produces both scripted and unscripted content across multiple formats including feature films, short films, TV series, and documentaries. The scripted portfolio includes completed works (Washday, Laundry, Hinekura, Zero, Takes a Village, Colonial Combat, Kōkā) and projects in development (I am Māui, Tangata Inc). The unscripted offerings span documentary series (Songs from the Inside, Te Waiora, Behind the Brush, Te Reo Rangatira), feature documentaries (River of Freedom, The Stolen Children of Aotearoa, Dancing in the Sky, Pixie, Turangaarere, Beyond the Battalion, Mending the Makotuku), and reality/documentary series (Life in the FFN). Content focuses on Māori stories, New Zealand history, and cultural preservation, distributed through platforms including Māori+, YouTube, and NZ On Screen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Laundry

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Whakaata Māori / Māori+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMāori Television Service and its streaming platform Māori+ serve as primary broadcast and distribution partner for Awa Films productions including Life in the FFN and The Stolen Children of Aotearoa.
• NZ On ScreenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for content distribution through NZ On Screen, New Zealand's screen heritage collection. Turangaarere excerpts available on the platform.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• South Pacific Pictures: New Zealand independent television production company producing hit scripted series (Outrageous Fortune, Westside) and feature content for local and international broadcasters. Most comparable NZ peer given overlapping TV series production model and local broadcaster relationships.
• Blackfella Films: Australian Indigenous-owned production company producing First Nations scripted and documentary content (Redfern Now, Total Control). Closest cross-Tasman peer in terms of indigenous-owned cultural storytelling, format mix, and broadcaster commissioning model.
• Great Southern Television: New Zealand independent production company producing drama, factual, and entertainment programming. Operates with similar commissioning-based business model serving NZ broadcasters and international partners, making it a direct comparable in scale and category.
• Natural History New Zealand (NHNZ): New Zealand-based factual and documentary production company producing nature, science, and cultural programming for global broadcasters. Closest peer for Awa's unscripted/documentary work given overlap in factual content production and international distribution.
• Screentime NZ: New Zealand production subsidiary of Banijay producing drama, factual, and entertainment content for local broadcasters. Comparable peer as a NZ-based independent production house operating with similar commissioning economics.
• Magpie Pictures: Australian Indigenous-led production company producing scripted drama and documentary content with cultural storytelling focus. Comparable peer as a culturally anchored independent producer operating in a similarly sized market.

Broad incumbents

• Television New Zealand (TVNZ): New Zealand's largest free-to-air public broadcaster and commissioning buyer. Relevant incumbent peer as a major potential commissioning counterparty shaping the demand environment for NZ independent producers like Awa.
• Whakaata Māori: Māori Television Service and operator of the Māori+ streaming platform, which is Awa's primary distribution partner. Included as a broader incumbent that commissions, distributes, and shapes the Māori content ecosystem in which Awa operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@awafilmsnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awa-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Awa Films