PONIPONI is available from Friday 2 December exclusively on MĀORI+.

Produced by Nicole Hoey of Cinco Cine Film Productions Ltd and funded by Te Māngai Pāho, PONIPONI is a 10 episode short form, live action series written by Stacy Gregg, author of many children’s books, including the hugely successful Pony Club Secrets series.

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Screen and stage legend, Te Atamira Ward-Lealand, plays ‘Nan’ in the series, as well as sharing directorial duties with award winning director, Puti Simich-Pene.

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PONIPONI tracks the adventures of ‘Māia’ who, on her 10th birthday receives the most extraordinary gift - the power to talk to ngā kararehe (animals).

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She is joined by her cousin ‘Wairua’, and a cheeky little mini pony named ‘Puti’.

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Māia must prove herself worthy of a taonga gifted to her by her nan, which has been handed down through generations of her tūpuna. She earns a feather for her korowai by showing herself worthy of her newfound abilities.

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Māia can also draw on the guidance of ‘Matua Romeo’, her kaumātua (and who also happens to be a talking horse).

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And, she also receives assistance from a magical, and very forthright, television set (voiced by Turia Schmidt-Peke of popular tv series Ahikāroa), who delivers messages along the way, ‘Straight From The Horse's Mouth’ so to speak.

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Watch Māia fulfil her destiny - with a little help from her ngā kararehe  in this fun and imaginative ten part series. He PONIPONI tēnei! (This is PONIPONI!)

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COMING UP ON PONIPONI:

EPISODE 1: On her tenth birthday Māia gets a big surprise when she discovers she can talk to horses. Life quickly gets complicated when Wairua, her cousin from the city, arrives on the farm, and they discover a pony named Puti has run away from Bad Man.

EPISODE 2: Māia and Wairua hide Puti in the newly built Te Whare Hei, and learn more about the mysterious korowai her Nan has passed on to Maia for her birthday.

EPISODE 3: It’s a sad day when one of the farm’s horses has to leave, balanced by Puti’s amazing discovery in Te Whare Hei.

EPISODE 4: When Māia complains to Wairua that her special gift is driving her crazy, Puti misinterprets her words and runs away. But wise words from Matua Romeo calms the situation.

EPISODE 5: Puti decides to become a show pony, and Māia earns another feather to add to her taonga.

EPISODE 6: Māia and Wairua have a sleepover in Te Whare Hai. But while Straight From the Horse’s Mouth entertains them with the story of Hineahuone, Puti has a big problem.

EPISODE 7: After Māia and Wairua fail to teach Puti how to show jump, Puti turns the tables and has them jumping out of their skins.

EPISODE 8: Bad Man arrives to take away Puti, and Māia and Wairua do their best to hide her – but they have to tell Nan the truth.

EPISODE 9: In her mind Māia hears Puti calling to be saved, so she and Wairua plan a daring rescue.

EPISODE 10: Māia, Wairua and Puti review their adventures together, and what they have learned as their friendship developed.

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