Speakers

Wiremu has trained and worked in various art forms. He began his creative career as a carver, moved into stage performance and the visual arts before consolidating his skills in writing, directing and game creation. Wiremu's short film, Turangawaewae, traveled to Cannes and won several awards, his second short film, 'Kehua' was selected for the prestigious Berlinale festival. Wiremu directed, wrote and acted in a Virtual Reality short film called 'Whakakitenga', which featured at the Māoriland and the Imaginative film festivals in 2022. Wiremu's latest Virtual Reality project, Atuatanga, combines Māori storytelling with the latest VR gaming technology. Atuatanga is the first game produced of this type. It is currently traveling to schools and community spaces in the Wellington district. As Director and writer of Atuatanga, Wiremu presented at the 2026 NZGDC game conference, the Wellington Creative Tech Summit, and at the 'Games for Change' conference in Arizona in 2027. Wiremu completed a Masters Degree in Film writing, he studied Film at the Binger film Lab in Amsterdam and has won several writing awards. Wiremu has directed numerous corporate videos, Māori educational resources, advertising, short films and documentaries for Māori Television. Wiremu's exhibition, AUKATI ki te whaiao. A response to colonization, featured at Pataka gallery in Porirua. Dec 12, 2025 to Feb 15, 2026.

Presenting:

• Indigenous Gaming in Education