The Waimate Conspiracy

Longtime policeman Stef Harris jumped into moviemaking with this feature-length adaptation of his 1999 novel The Waikikamukau Conspiracy. When he failed to get funding for his tale of a Māori land claim in small town South Canterbury, it was shot as a mockumentary in just six days. As George Kepa, Jim Moriarty manages to be endearing in his determination to regain his people’s land at any cost, while Mark Hadlow lampoons the judicial system, and Helen Pearse-Otene struggles to do what's right. The film won multiple awards — including Best Digital Feature at the 2007 NZ Screen Awards.