WIFT NZ Events

This is a moment we all hope for. 

Chelsie Preston Crayford, actor, writer, and force of nature, has made her debut feature film, and we're celebrating! Join us for a special WIFT screening of Caterpillar (2026), bubbles in hand, followed by a Q&A with the women who brought it to life. 

Set in an early-2000s Wellington household, Caterpillar follows three generations of women navigating love, ambition and change. Single mother Maxine (Marta Dusseldorp) is chasing her filmmaking dreams on a shoestring. Teenage daughter Cassie (Anaïs Shand) is figuring out who she is. And grandmother Huia (Lisa Harrow) quietly faces a dementia diagnosis, retreating into a tender fascination with monarch butterflies as her mind begins to shift. 

If you've ever juggled a creative dream with the demands of family life, this is guaranteed to hit close to home.

Telling a female-led story wasn't enough, Chelsie built a female-led production behind the scenes to match. That's a commitment worth celebrating.

The first week of a NZ film's release is everything. Ticket sales in week one determine how long it stays on screens. Come out and make it count.

After the screening, stay for a Q&A with power-house director herself Chelsie Preston Crayford, alongside Georgina Condor (Producer), Lisa Harrow & Anaïs Shand (Lead Actors), Maria Ines Manchego (DOP) and Heather Hayward (Production Designer)

Bubbles. Cozy cinema. Stacked panel. Start your week off right, and we will see you there. 🥂

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A TICKET VIA HUMANITIX

$20 for WIFT members, $25 for non-members

See film trailer here:

What's the 'Drama' with 'Vertical'?

Are there opportunities for vertical microdramas in NZ?

The vertical microdrama format has taken the world by storm. Short, punchy, shot for mobile, and built for binge-watching, it's generated extraordinary revenue in markets like China and is quietly gaining ground here in Aotearoa. But what is it? Where do we find them? Who's watching? Are there revenue opportunities?

Join us for a panel conversation that brings together producers, funders, and an international perspective to dig into the real story behind vertical content in NZ.

Whether you're already working in the short-form space, curious about where the funding is heading, or wondering how overseas models might translate here, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Our Panellists

• Amie Mills - Head of Funing at NZ on Air
  Amie is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and has overall responsibility for the Scripted, Non-Fiction and Platforms streams of funding, and the Game Development Sector Rebate. Amie has worked in the media industry in Aotearoa and abroad, in a range of creative and digital production roles.

• Abba-Rose Vaiaonga-Ioasa - Producer for "I Got You"
  Abba-Rose (Samoan, villages of Toamua, Puipa'a) specializes in taking the path less travelled to tell the stories rarely told. Co-founder of Pacific Islands Screen Artists, producer of feature films, Three Wise Cousins (2016), Hibiscus & Ruthless (2018), Take Home Pay (2019), Mama's Music Box (2020). And factual series Sik Fah Lah (2022), online vertical series I Got You (2022).

• Daniela Shaw - Executive Producer
  Daniela works in film and television production with a focus on cross-border content, having produced reality programs and screen projects across international markets. Today, she is focused on micro drama as a high-growth format, where short-form storytelling meets global distribution and mobile-first audiences.

• Jessica Todd - Producer for "The Sender"
  Based between Ōtautahi Christchurch and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Jessica has been working across the media industry in Aotearoa and the UK for 10 years. As as independent producer, she works in production for long form drama projects and TVCs. Most recently, she produced NZ On Air Funded microdrama The Sender (2025).

Drinks and nibbles from 6pm, panel from 6:30pm.

Free for WIFT members | $20 non-members