Make it 16

Rangatahi are ready to make history as they fight to lower the voting age in New Zealand.

‘Make it 16’ is the plea made by youth campaigners in Aotearoa and beyond to lower the voting age to sixteen.

Our film follows a group of inspiring, down to earth young people leading the campaign to create a more inclusive and robust democracy. They are tired of people labelling them as too immature and impressionable to engage in politics. With issues such as climate change, the recovery from Covid-19, housing and inequality affecting their futures, they are standing up and demanding to have their say.

The story gathers momentum as the young ‘Make it 16’ campaigners take their case to the High Court in Wellington, claiming that the current voting age of 18 is unjustified age discrimination, inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act. While the law cannot be changed from this event alone, it represents the monumental first step in initiating this change that echoes powerful suffrage movements from previous generations.

Acknowledgments:
Made with the support of NZ on Air.
A Doc Edge Original commissioned by Doc Edge and Rei Foundation.

Festivals:
Official Selection Doc Edge Festival

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Credits

Starring:
Benjamin McKie (Ngāti Porou)
Ella Flavell
Gina Dao-McLay
Lily Lewis
Sophie Crozier and
Emma Moran
Graeme Edgeler

Directed by Jess Feast
Produced By Ruth Korver
DOP - interviews - Brandon Te Moananui (Ngāti Tameterā)
DOP - Cutaways - Matthew Warmington, Tim Hamilton, Jared Nichols, Ed Davis, Ruth Korver
Production Co-ordinator - Hannah Grun
Production Assistants - Alanna Sulz, Jess Lucht
Editor - Kyle Awa (Waikato Tainui)
Editor (Online) - Tim Hamilton
Colourist - Katie Parkinson
Titles Designer - Baly Gaudin
Animators - Sam Harris, Tim Hamilton
Composer - George Palmer
Sound Editor - George Palmer
Re-recording Mixer - Matthew Lambourn (Ngāti Porou)
Post Production Supervisor - Marie Silberstein
Post Production Facility - POW Studios

Thanks to:

Make it 16 and Alex Sawyer, Alexa Cook, Alice Markwell, Arlo Haig, Awa Films, Bengt Sandin, Bethan-Eloise Punter, Dan Harward Jones, Carine Punter, Cate Flavell, Cheryl Cameron, Clifford A Hart, Everton Hall, Gabrielle Rush, Gary Tennant, Giotto Appierdo, Giuliana Havill, Hannah Grun, Hildegarde Punter, Holly Crozier, Jackie Zhang, James Punter, Jeff Flavell, Jesse Thompson, Jonathan Josefsson, Jonathan Mitchel, Julia Randerson, Kate Aschoff, Liam Barnes, Lily Stelling, Mia Appierdo, Michelle Rush, Nicola Macaulay, North City Mall, Onslow College, Portsmouth, Rachel Averill, Ralph Hall, Rebecca Matijević, Ryan Martyn, Sabrina Bekker, Thao Dao, Thomas Pope-Kerr, Tilly (TJ) Driver, Transdev/ Wellington Station, Travis Mischewski, Vogelmorn Community Group.

Archive:

Courtesy of"Anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist at a Tea Party Express rally" by Fibonacci Blue, Archives NZ, "Capitol Riot", by Tyler Merbler, Flickr Commons, Internet Archive, LSE Library: The British Library of Political and Economic Science, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, National, Library of Ireland, Radio New Zealand (RNZ), State Library of Queensland, Storybox , "Trump/Putin 16" by Joe in DC "Trump, QAnon and The Return of Magic" by katexic

‍Executive Producers:
Rob Appierdo, Storybox
Jess Feast, Storybox
Alex Lee, Doc Edge
Dan Shanan, Doc Edge
Reiko Fukutake, Rei Foundation
‍
Commissioners for The Spinoff:
Amber Easby
Sophie Dowson

Thanks to Shizuka Arao, Rei Foundation

Produced with the kind support of the Doc Edge Rei Foundation Film Fund