Draft:Awa Puna

Te Awarangi Te Roera Puna (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Tūhoe), better known as Awa Puna (born 4th May, 1999) from Wellington, Kapiti coast, Aotearoa. Puna is a director, writer, producer and actor.

Biography
Born and raised in Kapiti Coast of Wellington, Aotearoa, Puna is a sibling of 4 with mother Caroline and father Te Roera. Puna has always been a creative person ever since she was little, writing stories or embodying different characters. Inspired by a variety of things, from acting as film and tv cartoon characters to researching and creating costume pieces.

Later in life, at the age of 10 Puna started writing and exploring more deeper stories, that included a tale entitled: 'Charlie the dog that wanted to be a cat'. The use of metaphors and underlying messages was seen in the style of her writing, as it gradually moved to becoming scripts and short films with the help of neighbourhood friends.

At the age of 14 Puna experienced some challenges of self-conflict and struggle of coming out as a transgender girl, the signs of her pain exposed to attempted suicide as she found anti-anxiety pills to relieve the pain and suffering.

Since the incident parents of Puna, Caroline and Te Roera, booked counselling sessions and seeing medical specialists to have a better understanding of what it means to be transgender. Both Caroline and Te Roera accompanied Puna to start the process of her transition, and by 2014 Puna began her hormone treatment.

End of her second year of college, Puna came out as transgender, not by choice but was outed by someone she trusted. Since her coming out she felt well supported by family and friends, Puna felt comfortable and happy in who she is. The last year of college nobody didn't question Puna was transgender or not, and later created a Youtube channel that help people understand her story better entitled - 'I am transgender: This is me'. The impact of her videos helped 3 other students come out and start their transition.

After high school, Puna starred in the short movie Black Dog, that she also co-wrote, produced and directed about a boy going through depression. This film won awards at student film festivals, including the supreme prize at the Roxy5 Short Film Competition.

Puna was also later named 'Most Inspiring Young Person of the Year' at the Wellington Pride Awards, becoming a powerful respresentive for the LGBT community, especially transgender youth in the following documentary, Born This Way: Awa’s Story, produced by Nigel Latta’s film company; with the huge succession winning three New Zealand Television Awards, follows her journey as a transgender through trials and tribulations.

In 2018 Puna started her territory education at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama school, and graduated in 2020.

Puna is an advocate and activist for the trans community, leading a large march in Auckland of the LGBT community in retaliation of British anti-trans activist Posie Parker in March, 2023. Puna has experienced transphobia to the extent of hair pulling and being spat on but continues to lead and advocate for trans rights.

Film
A graduate from the New Zealand school of drama Toi Whakaari, Puna's success includes Best Director at the TVNZ Awards for her co-creation of Born This Way: Awa’s Story; nomination for Queer Maori Representative of the Year at NZ’s LGBT awards for her activism in the trans community; and an Emerging Talent Award at the 2021 NZ International Film Festival for her short film Tūī.

Her acting work extends in many short films and tv series including:

2021 - Vegas; Hands; and Ahikaora till 2023

2022 - Wahina; Byond the veil; Way south; and Shortland Street till 2023

2024 - The boy, the queen and everything in-between

Puna is also a writer for Rūrangi S2 and Warner Brothers project, The Bishop.

Puna since little has been a creative person and acted on stage, including big and small screens. But she has a stronger admire for the art of directing, at the age of 16 she took part in The Roxy5 Short Film Competition. The Courtenay Creative and Capital E initiative gave the opportunity for year 7 to 13 students around Wellington region to create a five-minute film; with Puna winning the award in 2016 with her film ‘Black Dog’.

2024 Puna's short film Tūī is premiered at the Maoriland film festival in Otaki, Aotearoa.