Waru was awarded the Grand Jury Award for an Outstanding International Narrative Feature at the 34th Asia Pacific Film Festival in Los Angeles on 10 May.
On awarding the film, festival organisers said, "Waru is an intelligent and honest cinematic gift, worthy of every accolade it receives."
Waru is a portmanteau film written and directed by nine wahine Māori, Briar Grace-Smith, Casey Kaa, Ainsley Gardiner, Katie Wolfe, Renae Maihi, Chelsea Cohen, Paula Jones, Awanui Simich-Pene and Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu.
In the film, eight Māori women are confronted by guilt, pride and defeat but will ultimately risk everything for the greater good of their community following the death of a child.
Waru had its world premiere at the 2017 New Zealand International Film Festival, and has since screened in numerous festivals around the world, including the Toronto International Film Festival , ImagineNATIVE, Seattle International Film Festival, and the Skabmagovat Film Festival.
LA’s Asia Pacific Film Festival ran 3-12 May, and is a part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, which hosts a range of activities in the Los Angeles area.