Cliff Curtis is not only a world recognised actor but he also is a generous producer. In 2004 he joined up with his cousin Ainsley Gardiner and formed New Zealand film production company Whenua Films. Whenua's mandate is to foster the telling of indigenous stories. With Gardiner, Curtis produced Taika Waititi's short film Tama Tū (2005), about a group of Māori soldiers finding relief during the tension of a WWII battle. In 2007, Curtis and Gardiner produced Taika Waititi's debut feature, geek comedy Eagle vs. Shark, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2007. Later they joined with American Emanuel Michael to produce Waititi's follow-up Boy, which won a Grand Prize in its section at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival, and become the most successful Kiwi comedy on its own soil within four weeks of release.
Whenua Films
Cliff Curtis is not only a great actor but has used some of his earnings to help aspiring directors pay for creating films as a producer.