Staff & Board

Tash Christie

President

Tash is the Head of Factual and EP across Greenstone’s diverse documentary and entertainment production slate. With over 25 years screen experience under her belt, Tash has pretty much helmed it all – feature docos, premium factual, kids’ content and some of our favourite reality series. The Women of Pike River, Origins, NZ Opera’s Semele, K-Pop Academy, Border Patrol, Artefact and Go South, New Zealand’s first SlowTV event, are a small snapshot of the content Tash has championed. Telling Aotearoa’s stories lies at the heart of all her work and she is an advocate of collaboration across the industry. Tash has strong relationships with both local and international platforms and funders. Her ssuperpower is maintaining a sense of humour, even in the toughest of circumstances.

Anchali Anandanayagam

Board Member

Anchali is a partner at Hudson Gavin Martin, a corporate and commercial law firm that specialises in media, technology, telecommunications and intellectual property (IP). Over the last 20 years Anchali has advised a range of media clients, including high profile studios, established media companies and production houses, VFX and post-production companies, and independent producers, directors and writers. Anchali’s work includes advising on content production and licensing, IP commercialisation, digital media, subscription video on demand or other ‘Over the Top’ services, supply and services arrangements, and corporate structuring. Anchali is particularly passionate about the intersection between technology and the screen, and the role that technology can play in diversifying the screen sector. Anchali is also a keen advocate of purpose driven organisations.

Samantha Jukes

Board Member

Samantha is a Post-Production Executive Producer/Senior Producer who works across film, television and advertising. She has previously co-run Envy Studios, where she created their video post department, and produced at Images & Sound. 

She is currently on hiatus from producing while spending time with her young children. Samantha continues her work as a voice artist, and occasional actor and presenter.

Since 2012 Samantha has been a contributing WIFT NZ member, having created, hosted and moderated many WIFT NZ events.

Samantha brings steerage skills and experience from her time as Chairperson of Bowel Cancer New Zealand. She considers BCNZ’s most significant achievement during her tenure to be gaining government commitment to roll out a national bowel cancer screening programme.

Sophie Cherry

Board Member

With over 18 years in the film industry, in both live action production and VFX, Sophie is currently a VFX Producer at Wētā FX working with clients such as Disney, Netflix, and Warner Brothers. Liaising with top filmmakers, Sophie is responsible for creating and managing multi-million dollar budgets for films such as Lady and The Tramp and The Batman. Her biggest career achievement to date is producing the Academy Award winning Animated Short film War is Over.

Sophie started her VFX career on the TV show, Spartacus. After working at Wētā Digital, Sophie moved to Vancouver, Canada. There, she worked on various projects including, The Walking Dead, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Thor: Ragnarok, and Antman and the Wasp.

Sophie is experienced in on-set production and as an Assistant Director. She has produced several short films which screened at Claremont Ferrand Film Fest (Experimental Section), Vladivostok, and NZIFF.

Sophie has been a longstanding WIFT member after being awarded the Robin Laing WIFT NZ Scholarship in 2007.

Tammy Williams

Board Member

Tammy Williams works as Director of Photography based in Auckland, New Zealand.

She has participated in numerous short and feature length film productions, tvc’s and photographic projects. 

Her latest feature film Grafted, directed by Sasha Rainbow is currently travelling the international festival circuit, having screened at Sitges in Spain, Hawaii International Film Festival, Chicago Int. Film Fest, NZ Film Fest and more. 

Earlier this year Tammy helmed a block of the German / NZ tv co-production A Remarkable Way to Die, directed by Josh Frizzell and shot in Queenstown, NZ. 

She is also known for her work on Zoë McIntosh’s Stylebender and Stacey Lee’s The Secrets of Hillsong. 

Tammy is passionate about the industry and about creating and supporting further diversity within it. 

www.tammy.co.nz

Kathryn Graham

Board Member

Kathryn Ariana Graham, Ngaati Koroki Kahukura.

Kathryn has worked for Television New Zealand and Whakaata Māori as a commissioner. She was the first commissioner of Māori content at TVNZ and commissioned content for the new Māori Television Service before the channel went to air.  Graham has a long history of championing Māori in the industry and on screen. Her most recent role as Kaiwhakawhanake Hinonga continued this work at the New Zealand Film Commission in the Rautaki team.

Before working for the networks, Graham was a director for shows like Mai Time, produced a local hip hop show for MTV New Zealand, Wrekognize and is the proud mother of three.  

Kathryn is a judge for the International Emmys and regularly judges for the New Zealand TV Awards. 

Sally Campbell

Board Member

Sally Campbell is an experienced producer with 30 years in the industry. She has history as a  Line Producer, Producer and Executive Producer.  She has produced five series of the international television series Power Rangers and Legend of the Seeker , and Line Produced Evil Dead.  More recently Sally has produced four series of the award winning The Brokenwood Mysteries.

From 2001 to 2003, Sally was the Head of Production at South Pacific Pictures and was instrumental in the producing TV drama such as Mercy Peak, Mataku, Being Eve, Shortland Street and the internationally acclaimed film Whale Rider.  Sally served as Executive Producer on Mataku, Being Eve and Shortland Street, and was Executive Producer/Line Producer on Mercy Peak. 

Sally returned to SPP as Head of Production from 2019 and has been the Executive Producer on The Sounds, Head High, Educators, Mean Mum’s, Duck Rockers, the last five series of The Brokenwood Mysteries and most recently produced the hit TV series Far North.

Jasmin McSweeney

Board Member

Jasmin McSweeney, Kūki 'Airani - Atiu, Mitiaro

Jasmin is the Senior Manager: Acquisitions for Melbourne based Australian distributor, Umbrella Entertainment and the New Zealand producer for Sanctuary Pictures, the production arm of Umbrella Entertainment.

Jasmin brings a wealth of experience to the WIFT board, having served for over a decade as the Head of Marketing at Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga – the New Zealand Film Commission. In this pivotal role, Jasmin was responsible for the promotion and marketing of New Zealand films both within the country and on the global stage.

Her tenure at the NZFC saw her working closely with filmmakers, distributors, film festivals, and international market partners. Jasmin played a key role in crafting the festival strategies and release plans for all feature films funded by the NZFC. Her influence can be seen in the successful marketing campaigns and theatrical releases of 13 of the top 20 New Zealand films, including iconic titles such as HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, BOY, THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN, SAVAGE, CHASING GREAT, BLACK SHEEP and THE DARK HORSE.

In 2017, Jasmin was the recipient of the New Zealand Motion Industry Council award for excellence and in 2022 Jasmin was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Film. She was a director on the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) Board from 2022 to 2024.

Sharon Menzies

Chair, Producers Professional Programme

Sharon Menzies (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki) — Chair, Producers Professional Programme

Sharon Menzies is a loyal advocate for the screen industry, with more than 15 years of governance experience in chair, board, and advisory roles at a national level across Australasia. She currently serves as Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Film Festival Trust and, in April 2025, was appointed to the board of the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC). Her previous leadership roles include Co-President of the New Zealand Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA), President of Women in Film and Television (WIFT), and Chair of Film Bay of Plenty, Ngā Auaha Whakaari o Te Waiariki.

Widely recognised for her expertise in film and television financing, Sharon’s latest venture, Hinterland, reflects 25 years of experience. Hinterland provides tailored, producer-friendly financing solutions for independent and creative producers in New Zealand and Australia, underpinned by her unparalleled knowledge of local rebate systems. Prior to founding Hinterland, she was best known for building Fulcrum Media Finance, where she oversaw more than AUD $750 million in lending across 450 projects—without a single default.

Her achievements have been recognised with the WIFT Imagezone Entrepreneurship Award in 2020, and Fulcrum’s win as Services and Facilities Business of the Year at Screen Producers Australia in 2016.

Amanda Jenkins

Board Member

With over 30 years in screen as a producer across advertising and drama sectors, Amanda’s company AJFILMS produces with international production partners. She has produced award-winning shorts, notably Closer was nominated for Palme d’Or at Cannes and won Best Short at the NZ Screen Awards. 

Short Sister Josephine  is selected for 2025 Show Me Shorts and 27^th St Tropez Antipodean Film festival. Her Line producer feature credits include We Were Dangerous, Headsouth and Bookworm. 

Throughout 2020-25 she was selected for intensive development programs; Share the Knowledge, ScreenPOD, Script to Screen and Compton Schools prestigious Strength in Numbers and Rainmakers Aotearoa business mentorship with long form projects in development. 

Passionate about enabling networks, talent development, screen sector growth, she established the Christchurch Branch of the Screen Guild of New Zealand, 

a key advocate for the Screen CanterburyNZ Regional Screen Grant, and founding member Co-Chair alongside Anna Canton on regional screen advocacy group

Te Puna Matarau (Canterbury Screen Industry Association). She is also on the board of the Advertising Producers Aotearoa promoting best practices in advertising, as sustainability lead.  Amanda is also a long time member of WIFTNZ and SPADA. 

Anna Canton

Board Member

Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Anna has 20 years' experience in the screen industry and a decade in corporate marketing, brand & leadership. She is a Creative Producer with an affinity for genre film and storytelling that highlights diverse and underrepresented voices on screen. 

As a Producer for Annakey Productions, her recent NZFC-funded short film ‘Homecoming’, was written & directed by transgender filmmaker Grae Meek, with a world premiere at the British Urban Film Festival in London. She is currently in development on a feature film, and Senior Producer on the Episode One Redux series ‘Dead Strangers’ for PASC & RNZ.

She is the Co-Chair of the regional screen advocacy group Te Puna Matarau (Canterbury Screen Industry Association); a Regional Ambassador for the Pan-Asian Screen Collective; and a long-standing member of WIFT.

A confident communicator and facilitator, Anna has spoken on a range of creative, production and cultural topics; and worked closely with Script-to-Screen to co-design the Waitaha Screen Development Incubator programmes. Additionally, Anna is a speaker of Te Reo Māori and integrates this into her professional practice.

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