An initiative of the EU MEDIA Programme with the support of the Italian Government Since 1992 MEDIA Salles has been promoting the European cinema and its circulation at theatrical level
EURO KIDS - SCREENINGS 2003/2004
 
 
 
 
 
 
Whale Rider

Original Title

Whale Rider

Director

Niki Caro

Genre

Drama / Family

Country of origin

New Zealand / Germany

Language spoken

English / Maori

Year of production

2002

Admissions

294,598 (Germany, 14 September 2003)

Box Office

$ 20,772,796 (USA, as at 23 November 2003)

Production

ApolloMedia (D)
New Zealand Film Commission (NZ)
New Zealand Film Production Fund (NZ)
New Zealand On Air (NZ)
Pandora Filmproduktion GmbH (D)
South Pacific Pictures

Domestic distribution/World Sales

BIM Distribuzione [it] (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
Buena Vista (Australia) [au] (2003) (Australia)
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment [us] (2003) (USA) (DVD)
Filmladen [at] (Austria) (theatrical)
First Distributors (H.K.) Ltd. (HK)
Herald Film Company (JP) (Japan)
Icon Film Distribution Ltd. (UK)
Manga Films S.L. (E) (Spain)
Newmarket Film Group (2003) (USA)
Pandora Film (D) (Germany)
RCV Film Distribution (NL) (Belgium)
RCV Film Distribution (NL) (Luxembourg)
RCV Film Distribution (NL) (Netherlands)
South Pacific Pictures
Telexcel (AR) (Argentina)

Domestic release

30 January 2003 (New Zealand)
14 August 2003 (Germany)

Official website

http://iconmovies.co.uk/whalerider (UK)
www.whalerider.de (D)
www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz
www.whaleriderthemovie.com (USA)

Awards

BAFTA Awards 2003 (BAFTA Childrens’ Award – Best Feature Film)
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award 2004 (BFCA Award – Best Young Actor/Actress)
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2004 (CFCA Award – Most Promising Performer)
Chicago International Children’s Film Festival 2003 (Children’s Jury Award – Live-Action Feature Film or Video)
Cinemanila International Film Festival 2003 (Special Jury Prize)
Humanitas Prize 2003 (Humanitas Prize – Sundance Film Category)
Independent Sprit Awards 2004 (Independent Spirit Award – Best Foreign Film)
New Zealand Film and TV Awards 2003 (Film Award – Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film, Best Juvenile Performer, Best Original Music, Best Screenplay, Bes tSupporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress)
Online Film Critics Society Awards 2004 (OFCS Award – Best Breakthrough Performance)
Rotterdam International Film Festival 2003 (Audience Award)
San Francisco International Film Festival 2003 (Audience Award – Best Narrative Feature)
Seattle International Film Festival 2003 (Golden Space Needle Award – Best Director, Best Film)
Sundance Film Festival 2003 (Audience Award – World Cinema)
São Paulo International Film Festival 2003 (International Jury Award)
Toronto International Film Festival 2002 (People’s Choice Award)

Suggested by

 

List of Distributors

Release date

Country

8 May 2003

Australia

15 May 2003

Netherlands

4 July 2003

USA

11 July 2003

UK

25 July 2003

South Africa

25 July 2003

South Korea

14 August 2003

Israel

14 August 2003

Singapore

17 September 2003

France

19 September 2003

Austria

1 October 2003

Belgium

10 October 2003

Portugal

23 October 2003

Argentina

21 November 2003

Italy

28 November 2003

Sweden

26 December 2003

Norway

30 January 2004

Greece

6 February 2004

Brazil

19 February 2004

Czech Republic

12 March 2004

Iceland

26 March 2004

Mexico (Mexico City)

11 June 2004

Spain

27 August 2004

Denmark

SYNOPSIS

On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.