Kay Ellmers
Executive Director Ngā Aho Whakaari – Māori in Screen
Kay Ellmers is of Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, and English descent.
She was recently appointed as the Executive Director of Ngā Aho Whakaari – Māori in Screen, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering, promoting, and celebrating Māori voices and stories in the screen industry.
With over three decades of commitment to Māori storytelling, Kay has made significant contributions as a producer and director. Her extensive body of work spans documentary, factual series, and children's programming, delivered in both te reo Māori and English.
In addition to her creative roles, Kay has worked as a screen consultant across a wide array of projects, including the recent feature film We Were Dangerous.
She previously served as Co-Head of Fund for Te Puna Kairangi (Premium Productions for International Audiences) at the New Zealand Film Commission and has consulted for media funding agencies NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho (Māori language media fund).
Kay’s experience in the broadcasting sector also includes commissioning roles at Whakaata Māori, RNZ and TVNZ.
Kay has been awarded a Māori Language Commission Award for her contributions to the revitalization of te reo Māori through broadcasting, and the Mana Wahine Award from Women in Film and Television for her significant impact on the Māori screen sector.
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