SUBVERTING STORY STEREOTYPES: Global Filmmakers, Global Genres, Global Goals

These filmmakers are expanding the borders of genre moviemaking and redefining what Indigenous stories look like for a modern audience. A candid chat about subverting expectations and chasing great yarns.

Kath Akuhata-Brown (Ngāti Porou) is a writer, director, and producer whose work challenges dominant cinematic narratives through a distinct Māori lens. A graduate of the Binger Film School in Amsterdam, she has created acclaimed shorts including Washday and Purea, reframing indigenous representation with cultural authority and emotional depth. Her debut feature Kōkā, told in the Ngāti Porou dialect, continues her commitment to storytelling that centres on ancestral knowledge, resilience, and spiritual presence. Through her role as an industry leader Kath champions indigenous-led storytelling and the subversion of imposed story stereotypes.

Vincent Grashaw
Vincent Grashaw first gained recognition producing Bellflower, a Sundance 2011 hit that earned two Spirit Award nominations. He wrote and directed Coldwater (SXSW 2013) and And Then I Go (92% Rotten Tomatoes). His acclaimed What Josiah Saw (91% Certified Fresh) was released by Shudder and named among 2022’s top horror films. His follow-ups include Bang Bang (Tribeca, Locarno, Deauville 2024), starring Tim Blake Nelson, and Keep Quiet (Locarno 2025), starring Lou Diamond Phillips, which won Oldenburg’s “Spirit of Cinema” Audience Award. Grashaw is currently in post-production on Bruton, starring Theo Rossi, Aya Cash, Tammy Blanchard, and Tony Hale.