A selection of 18 inspiring short films and documentaries will be featured at the first Wao Film Festival in Wānaka next month.

A film inspired Wao co-founders Arna Craig and Monique Kelly to create the sustainability-focused non-profit in 2018 and Arna told the Wānaka App the transformative power of film inspired them to create the new festival.

“Film truly is the best medium for education and inspiration,” she said.

The three-day festival, taking place between May 18-21, will combine screenings with guest speaker events.

Wao co-founder Arna Craig says film is the best medium for education and inspiration.

Critically acclaimed films include ‘Whetu Marama’, an exploration of the ancient wisdom of celestial navigation, and ‘Honeylands’, a quiet and poignant look at the last female bee-hunter in Europe and her age-old Macedonian beekeeping practices.

There’s also Flee, which provides an intimate look into the world of an Afghani migrant in Europe, and Inhabitants, which follows five Native American communities as they restore their traditional land management practices in the face of a changing climate

Arna said she was most excited for audiences to watch ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’, which follows Malawian farmer Anita Chitaya as she sets out on a journey to persuade Americans that climate change is real.

The films cover social, ecological and economic issues.

“We think that together they paint a genuine picture of what sustainability really means,” Arna said. 

The Wao Film Festival will take place from May 18-21 at the Lake Wānaka Centre. 

Tickets start at $15 and attendees can see a single film or, if they like, the whole programme.

Find more information here.

PHOTOS: Wao