Renowned Māori actor and filmmaker Cliff Curtis has been honoured with the prestigious FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations) Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
The event, held on Australia's Gold Coast, celebrated Mr Curtis's outstanding contributions to the film industry, both in front of and behind the camera.
The award recognises Mr Curtis's decades-long career, which spanned iconic roles in Once Were Warriors, Training Day, Whale Rider, and more recently, the Avatar sequels directed by James Cameron.
Speaking about the recognition, he shared his gratitude for being able to represent Aotearoa's filmmaking community and champion Indigenous storytelling.
"It's a huge honour and a massive surprise," Mr Curtis told Stuff.
"I'm humbled to represent the Kiwi filmmaking community, especially in telling Indigenous stories. It's just great there is a home for those stories, an audience for those stories."
Mr Curtis acknowledged the challenges faced by artists in bringing their visions to life, expressing gratitude for the support that has enabled him to give back to other filmmakers.
"It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to raise an artist, to give me confidence that I could do more than just memorise lines," he said.
In addition to his celebrated acting career, he (Ngāti Hauiti and Te Arawa) has taken on a mentorship role, supporting emerging Indigenous filmmakers and collaborating with Hollywood heavyweights like Barrie Osborne, the late Jon Landau, and James Cameron, whom he considers his "Hollywood family".
"They've always been incredibly supportive of me as an Indigenous storyteller and encouraged me to produce," Mr Curtis said.
Currently, he is working on upcoming Avatar sequels. He has hinted at an exciting new project with Jason Momoa, with whom he recently collaborated on the TV series Chief of War.
"We're going to be making some announcements soon off the back of this. I can't say just yet but it's very, very exciting," he said.
FIAPF President Luis Alberto Scalella praised Mr Curtis's ability to connect with audiences worldwide and his commitment to empowering Indigenous voices.
"Cliff Curtis's impressive career has been built on a strong commitment to screen storytelling that truly speaks to all audiences, both within the New Zealand screen industry and internationally." He said.
"His support for emerging Indigenous filmmakers from New Zealand has enabled the production of many compelling films, and he is a producer known for bold and demanding choices in the stories he chooses to tell."
Mr Curtis joins the ranks of previous FIAPF Award recipients, including Australian filmmaker George Miller (Mad Max, Babe) and Lebanese-Canadian director Nadine Labaki (Capernaum).
"I am very blessed and very grateful and very humbled to be a representative of all the great work that everyone else does. It's cool," said Mr Curtis.
The recent ceremony highlighted Mr Curtis's illustrious career, which began with critically acclaimed performances in Kiwi films and blossomed into international stardom. As a mentor and producer, he remains committed to uplifting Indigenous voices and sharing stories that resonate locally and globally.
