A big round of applause to writer /director Matasila Freshwater who has won the 2019 SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year!
Freshwater (pictured left) started out in the film industry as a consistent finalist in the 48 Hours Film Festival, she won best female director for her film, Rare Arctic Firefly (an animation) in 2014.
She made her professional short film debut with animated dark comedy, Shmeat in 2016, which was selected for over 20 festivals, including being a finalist in NZ's Best in 2016 (and a close runner up for the grand prize). Freshwater's award, one of three prestigious awards offered by SPADA, was announced at the annual SPADA (Screen Production and Development Association) Screen Industry Awards for 2019 at the 27th Anniversary SPADA Conference in Auckland last week.
Principal Sponsor of the Award, Park Road Post Production, provides the recipient with post-production services worth $20,000, which Freshwater will put towards her NZFC funded live-action short film Chalk.