MWFF Uplifts Aotearoa’s Women and Gender Diverse Filmmakers
The Melbourne Women in Film Festival (MWFF) is back for 2026, with 5 films from DEGANZ members in the programme.
MWFF aims to inspire and empower emerging and established women and gender diverse screen practitioners from Australia and the wider Pacific. The festival exhibits and celebrates work from collaborative teams of women and gender diverse practitioners working in all facets of screen production to help address the gender imbalance on and behind the screen. Alongside the festival screenings are various industry events for networking and professional development opportunities.
This year, the festival will be held on 19-23 March at ACMI in Melbourne.
Congratulations to all those selected!
Feature Films
Kōkā
Editor: Te Rurehe Paki
Under the celestial guidance of Matariki, Māori kuia Hamo and local delinquent Jo form an unlikely bond on a road trip. Hamo and Jo undertake a spiritual journey together in an old Ford Falcon, heading towards Hamo’s whenua. As they confront past traumas and each face their demons, their shared path becomes a journey of healing, community and reconciliation.
Freshly Squeezed Shorts 1
Womb
Writer/Director: Ira Hetaraka
A young Māori girl in the care of a conservative English couple savours her mother’s weekly visitations, as a custody battle driven by racial bias will ultimately decide their fate.
I See You
Editor: Adam-Luka Turjak
In a world where having the perfect baby is becoming a choice, a young mother is struggling to love and accept her daughter for who she is.
Freshly Squeezed Shorts 2
Open Looks
Co-Writer/Director: Mīria George
Far from their islands in Te Moana-nui-o-Kiva – the South Pacific Ocean – three sisters are raised by their father in a small village in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Rei, Ina and Matilda G share a love of basketball. The sudden death of the eldest sister takes the younger two to Havaiki Nui – the Underworld – where they’re forced to play ball to return home.
The Sea Inside Her
Editor: Adam-Luka Turjak
Fear takes full shape when a loving grandmother is charged with the care of her young grandchild. When their bedtime routine starts to unravel, Grandma grows increasingly frustrated, and her deepest fears begin to take on a physical shape. Desperate to protect her grandchild from the emerging dangers, she fights off the terrors surrounding them both with emotional consequences.
Last updated on 11 March 2026
