Archive May 2025 2025

A dynamic lineup of scripted comedies led by some of Aotearoa’s most beloved comedians, along with a much-anticipated return of a hit crime series, have received the green light. Massive congratulations to these talented teams—we’re delighted to see such powerful storytelling and high-value productions taking…

During last week’s graduation celebrations for over 3000 students at the University of Canterbury, our WIFT member, and acclaimed filmmaker, Gaylene Preston was awarded an honorary doctorate—more than 50 years after first walking the university’s halls.

Preston, who attended UC in the 1960s but left…

Congratulations to WIFT members Vanessa Wells (director) and Emma Smart (editor) on their feature documentary Mighty Indeed (formerly The Climate Canary) being selected to premiere at the 20th Anniversary Doc Edge Festival!

Mighty Indeed, is a character-driven film set in Antarctica, blending stunning wildlife and…

Congratulations to the creators, and the entire team of n00b, the little series that could, as they’ve been selected for the Short Form section of the Cannes International Series Festival 2025!

n00b is a youth-oriented scripted comedy set in Gore in 2005 that tells the…

Congratulations to WIFT member Rouzie Hassanova, director of Ahi Wānanga (the fires of discussion), a six-part web series exploring what identity, belonging and resilience is to 12 young people from Aotearoa’s Muslim and Māori communities. 

Each episode features a pair of Māori and Muslim young…

Our members, Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi, along with other arts advocates, have been working on options for a tax exemption model designed to build career sustainability in the arts, culture and creative sector.

The latest issue of The Big Idea includes a feature on this proposal…

Congratulations to producer Jazz dos Santos, and editor Sam Small, for their work on Jujulips – Nightwatch Video. They were nominated for Best Video Content at the Aotearoa Music Awards (AMA’s).

Watch the Music Video

RNZ have partnered with the Pan-Asian Screen Collective (PASC) and Pacific Islands Screen Artists (PISA) on a development fund to support this work, and you are invited to submit a pitch.

RNZ is committed to reflecting the diverse communities of Aotearoa as it strives to…

Here’s a reminder that the Tamariki Rangatahi funding round is now open, and the RFP is live on the TMP website. The Whakaata Māori full proposal deadline is the 22 April 2025.

All proposals must be delivered via email to: proposals@whakaatamaori.co.nz

Proposals must include a…

Guidelines for Round Tahi will be out April 23 and an info webinar will be held on April 24. They will be releasing a sign up link shortly to register, so stay tuned into the NZ on Air website about this.

A reminder that Round…

The Activator Screen Business Programme - Bridging the Gap Between Creativity and Business, is an international professional development accelerator for entrepreneurial New Zealand film and television producers. The programme will build leadership skills and expand industry networks through workshops, expert-led training, and international market visits,…

CASTING
Anousha Zarkesh and Tina Cleary give you the latest tips and tricks on how to secure your cast and the process behind it all! Session presented on (TONIGHT) WEDNESDAY 16 APRIL 2025. Sign up here

FINANCING THE REBATE
Get invaluable access to the amazing experts for…

This year, the Italian Film Festival reached an important milestone - its their 10th anniversary! 

In their first year, they started with five cinemas, and this year, they will screen in 28 different cinemas around Aotearoa. They created an itinerant Festival spread over the entire…

According to Deadline, for the first time in history of the BAFTA awards, more women directors, than men, were nominated in the Fiction Category. 

Three of the nominated female directors — Molly Manners (One Day), Nida Manzoor (We Are Lady Parts), and Weronika Tofilska (Baby…

Doc Edge is excited to bring to Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, the 19th edition of the Doc Edge Industry events. 

As an Oscar® qualifying international documentary festival, Doc Edge is acclaimed for its groundbreaking and bold curation of documentary films. In 2024, Doc Edge launched…

Show Me Shorts are offering a fabulous line-up of short film nights this winter. Stay connected to what is being made globally in the short film realm.

Auckland German Short Film Night
Tue, 29 Apr, 7pm - 8:30pm NZST
The Capitol Cinema Tickets

Wellington German Short Film…

37°South Market is MIFF’s screen content financing and development event, occurring during the opening days of the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Apply now to get your projects in front of influential buyers and financiers. Past attendees include executives from Amazon, AGC Studios, AMC, Bankside, Charades,…

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Congratulations to our WIFT members whose projects have been selected for the Sydney Film Festival, taking place in June 2025!

The Haka Party Incident - On May 1, 1979, the Maori and Pasifika activist group He Taua confronted University of Auckland engineering students over their…

Congratulations to the team behind The Sender on their groundbreaking new series!

We are celebrating the release of The Sender, a bold and innovative teen comedy series co-created by producer Jessica Todd and director Liv McClymont, released online yesterday on Tuesday, 13 May. Watch the…

Congratulations to Joyce Wong, as the first-ever recipient of the Vincent Burke Scholarship for 2025, awarded and announced by SPADA earlier this month. 

The Vincent Burke Scholarship aims to support the next generation of New Zealand producers by providing an annual grant of $5,000 to…

At last year’s NZCS Awards, a glaring truth stood out—few women made it to the stage. Despite a recent rise in recognition, only 17 of 200 entries in 2024 came from women. To help shift this imbalance, WIFT NZ and NZCS, with support from Creamsource,…

We’re spotlighting our amazing WIFT members on our website!

All you have to do is answer this short and fun Q&A about your film journey—what sparks your fire, what you're creating, or what keeps you in the game to be featured.

Let's celebrate what you…

We’re excited to partner with ShowNews, New Zealand’s independent online magazine for the screen industry to offer 10 FREE PRO memberships for 1 year exclusively to WIFT members!

A PRO membership gives you full access to insider news, in-depth features, industry analysis, and exclusive opportunities…

WIFT NZ is deeply concerned by the government's recent amendments to the Equal Pay Act. The decision to discontinue current pay equity claims and introduce new barriers for future ones is a significant setback for gender equity in Aotearoa. The Equal Pay Act has been…

Congratulations to our WIFT board member Kathryn Graham for the successful release of Tukua, a new limited-series podcast that brings together three generations of artists: academic, writer, and activist Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, sculptor Brett Graham, and comedian Kura Turuwhenua. Together, they'll be attending openings, shows,…

WIFT member Lynnaire MacDonald is producing a feature film, Grand Finale: A New York Odyssey in conjunction with Australian-based indie film studio Black Forest Films! They are in the process of crowdfunding via IndieGoGo.

In the vibrant heart of New York City, the clock ticks…

As you may be aware, President Trump has proposed a 100% tariff on “any and all movies coming into our country that are produced in foreign lands.” While the proposal currently lacks detail and certainty, WIFT will continue to monitor the situation closely and assess…

Available for viewing now:
Young Riders S5: They're young, they're passionate, and they're all putting in the hard yards to become New Zealand's best young horse rider. In this season, the riders from the South Island come out of an epic southern winter to get ready…

WIFT member Leanne Pooley has a space available for rent in a shared production office in Ponsonby.

Details:

Separate Edit Suite (or office)

Parking Spot

Shared kitchen, outdoor courtyard, bathroom/shower, storage.

Rent is $500 pw

Includes: Off-street Parking (x1), Power, Wifi, Water, Coffee/Tea

For more…

E TŪ TOI, is brand-new campaign created to support ringatoi Māori in crowdfunding their creative kaupapa through Boosted, Aotearoa’s only arts-dedicated crowdfunding platform. This initiative is the result of the ongoing and growing partnership between Boosted and the Creative New Zealand Māori Strategy and Partnerships…

NZ On Air has published the 2025-26 Funding Priorities: Advance Planning Guide for Scripted and Non-fiction Content : Available here

This document outlines their key priorities and projected funding allocations for the Scripted and Non-fiction content streams for the year.  This document should be read…

The Visual Effects Society NZ, Media Design School, VFX Guild of Aotearoa, and Screen Sound and Music Guild are teaming up to present VES NZ TEQ Talks, a relaxed and insightful night for those working across the VFX, animation, game development, screen music, and storytelling…

The International Format Awards are a co-production between C21Media, FRAPA and EMC, in association with Mipcom. They are the leading awards for the global format business, recognising creativity and excellence across 11 categories.

The awards are open to any show that first went to air…

Share The Knowledge are offering their final producing workshops over the month of May and June. Be sure to follow up with these tangible skills presented in digestible 60 min Zoom workshops!

These courses are for anyone who wants to produce a feature film.

SUCCESSFUL…

F.O.L.A. [AKL] is full of the kind of art that starts movements and shapes the future. It is your gateway drug to the wildest, most exciting Queer and BIPOC artists in Aotearoa and beyond. In 2025, they are taking over Auckland’s Basement Theatre for four…

The 20th Anniversary Oscar-qualifying Doc Edge Festival has officially launched its 2025 programme, now live and on sale at docedge.nz.

This milestone edition features an unmissable and genre-defying line-up of 49 feature films, 29 short films, and 12 immersive projects that expose, educate, and entertain.…

Script to Screen presents Big Screen Symposium, one of Aotearoa's most significant annual screen industry events. Early bird tickets are now available, so grab one before 29 May 2025 or while stocks last.

Early Bird Prices:

• Student* – $200 + BF
• Industry Concession** – $270…

This is a reminder to ALL screen industry workers to take the time to participate in this valuable industry mental health survey from Screensafe. 

Industry-Wide Impact – Your feedback will help paint a clear, evidence-based picture of mental health in the screen sector.

Better Resources,…

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Earlier this year, After the Party was nominated for the prestigious BAFTA Television Awards, an incredible achievement.

Congratulations to the entire team on reaching this remarkable milestone. The series was produced by Helen Bowden and Liz DiFiore, whose dedication and creative vision helped bring this…

At the 2025 Global Production Awards in Cannes, our members have been acknowledged for their major contributions.

Māoriland Productions and Film Festival won the Economic and Social Impact Award. This award is presented to a film commission, production or a studio that demonstrates commitment to…

The film I Of The Water, produced by WIFT member Marilyn McFadyen, originally pitched at Hot Docs 2023, has been retitled Before The Moon Falls and will have its world premiere at the Doc Edge Festival 2025 in New Zealand on June 28, with screenings…

Announced last week, NZ on Air will receive an additional $1.6million per year from 2025/26 for four years, directed towards supporting local journalism – particularly reporting on local democracy and justice matters. They will call for applications in Round Rua which opens on Thursday 21…

The New Zealand Television Awards are undergoing a major evolution this year, expanding to become the New Zealand Screen Awards (NZSA), now celebrating excellence across all screen content, including both television and film. 

The exciting transformation will acknowledge content exhibited theatrically, in addition to programmes…

Congratulations to the team behind Poppy, which received recognition at the prestigious 3rd Down Syndrome International Film Festival in Palm Springs.

We are especially proud to acknowledge WIFT member Linda Niccol, who was awarded Best Screenplay—a well-deserved honour that highlights her exceptional writing and the…

Congratulations to Lisa Taouma for her win in the 2025 Voyager Media Awards for Myths & Maidens, in the category of Best Current Affairs (long) or Documentary. 

This Coconet TV original, hour-long documentary delves into the sticky issues of colourism, fat-phobia, and how our societies…

The 2025 New York Festivals Film & TV Awards winners have been announced, and we're thrilled to see WIFT member productions among the honourees.

Congratulations to South Pacific Pictures for securing three awards for Far North, The Brokenwood Mysteries (Series 10), and The Traitors New…

Congratulations to the entire team behind Greenstone TV’s hilarious new series Don’t, a hilarious and refreshingly new 3-part series chock full of surprising information, looking at whether the status quo of marriage, buying a home and having children is still relevant in this day and…

We are delighted to have KŌKĀ coming to cinemas June 19, and we have 5x double passes on offer exclusive to our WIFT NZ members. Watch the trailer below, answer the question and send your answer to: office@wiftnz.org.nz

KŌKĀ is a powerful relationship drama following…

We have an exclusive discount code for WIFT members for IMDB Pro. Members can save 30% on IMDbPro Premium, the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals! Email us at the office for the code. 

Claim your IMDb page today to manage the display of your…

The job covers the usual Front of house type duties (reception, greeting clients - setting up suites - making coffees etc), plus studio bookings and learning the processes of audio/ video post production, training will be provided. They are looking for someone who is warm…

The New Zealand Government has reaffirmed its support for the International Screen Production Rebate, with Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis announcing a $577 million boost in Budget 2025. The total funding now rises to $1.09 billion over the forecast period, with no changes to the…

Congratulations to WIFT member Tusiata Avia for her invitation to the 35th Medellin International Poetry Festival in Columbia, 05-12 July 2025, and her selection into the Boosted X Moana campaign to support this venture. 

This year Tusiata will be representing both Aotearoa, New Zealand and…

The Close up - Term 3, Actors Studio

“In your close up you must be aware of the two separate tracks - the inner life of the character and the technical work within the frame. Every audition you go to and every role you play,…

Below are WIFT members project available for online streaming. 

Breaking Silence S4

Every person in Aotearoa New Zealand has the right to live free from violence. Only by breaking the silence can we raise awareness, foster understanding, cultivate empathy and begin to shift the minds…

NZFC SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR ATTENDING THE BIG SCREEN SYMPOSIUM!!!

Thanks to the generous support of Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga NZ Film Commission, there are now an additional 30 scholarships available for filmmakers to attend the Big Screen Symposium.

The following organisations have 5 scholarships each…

DEGANZ have joined together with Equity NZ and NZWG to bring you the Creative Power workshop series.

Creative Power is a dynamic, interactive workshop designed to help Writers, Directors, Editors, and Performers, deepen their understanding of creative rights, unlock the benefits of the Screen Industry…

The CinemaStreet Women’s Short Screenplay Competition invites women screenwriters to submit short dramatic scripts of any genre (20 minutes and under) to CinemaStreet Pictures for production consideration. The winning screenwriter will receive a Blackmagic 6K cinema camera and $1,000 for the option to produce the…

The deadline for MIFF’s 37°South Market is almost upon us! Final Round applications will close on Monday 2 June, in less than one week!

This year will see IFC Films/Shudder, Federation Studios’ Ginger & Fed, Global Constellation, New Europe Film Sales, Capture and SC Films…

DEGANZ and Film Otago Southland welcomes emerging filmmakers based in Tāhuna Queenstown to this Director's Toolkit taught by director Josh Frizzell.

Across the weekend, Josh will delve into his experience and insights into directing fast turnaround television, with specific reference to the TV show Friends…

Join for a laid-back evening with cinematographers DJ Stipsen NZCS and Bevan Crothers as they share their experiences working on the Emmy-winning comedy series What We Do in the Shadows — a show where mockumentary meets mayhem, and prepping for chaos is just part of…

Now in its 26th year, MediaXchange’s acclaimed Showrunner Exchange Week returns to Los Angeles this September, offering creatives the chance to gain first-hand insight into the U.S. television industry and the evolving role of the Showrunner.

The Exchange is ideal for mid- to senior-level creatives…

WIFTI, with the support of WIF LA, has released the Survey Report that has yielded important information about WIFT chapters and affiliate organisations.

This report presents the findings from the Women in Film and Television International(WIFTI) Survey on the structure and functioning of WIFTI chapters…

Behind the Scenes NZ - Te Oranga Hinengaro, Mental Health Survey 2025 is a vital initiative designed to gather real, industry-wide insights on mental health. The findings will highlight the biggest challenges screen workers face today and ensure that mental health resources, policies, and support…

If you have been a professional cinematographer in any field for a minimum of 8 years — including at least the last 3 years as an NZCS Cinematographer member — it might be time to consider applying for NZCS Accreditation.

You’ll need to have achieved…

Video Content Producer
TVNZ 

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NZME

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NZME

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Pan-Asian Screen Collective

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