We congratulate our members, Becs Arahanga, Ella West, and Erica Cassidy who are the recipients of Seed and Seed Advanced for Round 1 2025!
Seed remains one of the most competitive writer-only grants for feature film development in Aotearoa.The NZWG received an outstanding 115 Seed and 27 Seed Advanced eligible applications.
Black Ferns & Sweetgrass from Becs Arahanga
When a star Māori rugby player from New Zealand's Black Ferns is side-lined by injury, she reluctantly takes a coaching gig on a remote Canadian reserve, only to face her toughest team yet: a ragtag crew of Indigenous women chasing a shot at nationals and ready to fuck shit up, a community full of heart and history, and a group of local boys forming a cheer squad that fuses Pow Wow and haka.
Moon Child (Night Vision) from Ella West
A young farm girl unable to be in the sun and a jaded city cop afraid of the dark are the only witnesses to a murder which forces them to lie to discover the truth.
Breath & Bone from Erica Cassidy
Breath & Bone is a dystopian Gen-Z drama about Lue, a 16 year old diving prodigy who survives a near death experience only to find that her new life is not what it seems.
We are excited for the development of these personal and unique stories!
If you submitted to this fund, and didn’t receive funding, be sure to check out this special note from the judges:
The level of craft demonstrated in this round – across both Seed and Seed Advanced – was extraordinarily high. It was, quite simply, very, very difficult to choose. The difference between the top 10 Seed applications and the final funded group was razor-thin. Likewise, the top four Seed Advanced applications were near impossible to separate.
What we’re seeing is a real evolution in storytelling, structurally sophisticated scripts, rich with voice, character, and theme. Writers are thinking deeply, daring to take risks, and demonstrating a clear mastery of their tools.
To all applicants: keep going. Seek out feedback, rewrite with purpose, and hone your craft. Every part of the application – from formatting and proofreading, to your logline, synopsis and treatment – contributes to the impression of a writer ready to take their story all the way to screen.
Professional presentation reflects professional intent.
We are inspired by your resilience and excited for what’s to come.