The Calgary Underground Film Festival
MĀRAMA
New Zealand, 2025: 89 minutes: Alberta Premiere
description
A young Māori woman sets out to connect with her family heritage, but instead uncovers a dark and unsettling reality.
Mary (Ariāna Osborne) travels to a grand English manor in search of her missing parents at the invitation of its owner, Nathaniel (Toby Stevens). Within its dark halls, she is haunted by visions hinting at something sinister and violent beneath the surface. Set in the Victorian era, MĀRAMA has been touted as venturing into "bold new cinematic territory: Māori Gothic". The debut feature of London-based Kiwi Taratoa Stappard, MĀRAMA wrestles with themes of colonisation, Māori oppression and the spiritual realm.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Toronto International Film Festival 2025
Zurich Film Festival 2025
Fantastic Fest 2025
Sitges 2025
Chicago International Film Festival 2025
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2026
Fantaspoa Film Festival 2026
Maryland Film Festival 2026
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Taratoa Stappard was born in Aotearoa and lives in London. He has directed the shorts EIGHT FOR EIGHT THIRTY (1996), STRIP (1998), EUSTON ROAD (2004), GOALIE (16), and EMKHATSINI: BETWEEN (18). MARAMA (2025) is his feature directorial debut.
press for Mārama
"MĀRAMA uses the structure and visual language of Gothic Horror to tell a story of discovery and empowerment, and it’s a phenomenal debut, a confident piece of work that takes a familiar genre and makes it feel perfect for the story its telling."- RogerEbert.com
"The use of genre techniques, in tandem with the ferocity of Osborne’s performance, makes for unsettling and at times chilling viewing."- ScreenDaily
details
First Feature / Narrative / Indigenous / Mystery / Thriller
English89 minutes
credits
Director
Taratoa Stappard
Screenwriter
Taratoa Stappard
Executive Producers
Badie Ali
Hamza Ali
Gal Greenspan
Victoria Dabbs
Jill Macnab
Phil Bremner
Producers
Sharlene George
Rickylee Russell-Waipuka
Rouzie Hassanova
Cinematographer
Gin Loane
Editor
Dan Kircher
Music
Karl Sölve Steven
Rob Thorne
Cast
Ariāna Osborne
Toby Stephens
Umi Myers
Evelyn Towersey
Erroll Shand