On our Radar

Aotearoa New Zealand's first-ever hybrid AI short film competition FutureFrames:NZ has officially launched, and entries are now open until 10 May.

Made possible with support from NZFC, NZ on Air, Screen Auckland, SAE, and APRA AMCOS, FutureFrames:NZ invites filmmakers at any stage of their career to explore hybrid filmmaking, with human storytelling at the centre…

The Te Waiwhakaata Wairarapa Film Festival returns and is now on until 3 May 2026 with a rich programme of films, special events, and guest speakers celebrating storytelling through cinema.

This year’s programme includes a Barry Barclay retrospective featuring Wairarapa (1965), and an Annie Goldson retrospective marking 25 years of Georgie Girl. As part of…

48Hours is so stoked and proud to share some monumental news from their 2025 Grand Champions, Positive Barry.

The revamped version of their winning film, Grounded, has been officially selected for the ‘Young Audiences Short Film Competitionʻ at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, the largest animation film festival in the world.

The team's…

Registrations are invited for the inaugural edition of TIFF: The Market (September 10—16, 2026), a seven-day expansion of the Toronto International Film Festival. 

This bold new initiative brings together buyers, sellers, creators, producers, and experts across film, series, and innovation for a truly comprehensive and exciting experience. 

Select the pass type that best suits your…

Join DEGANZ for a special conversation with veteran Country Calendar directors Celia Jaspers, Roz Mason, and Howard Taylor, moderated by fellow factual filmmaker Zoe McIntosh, as they share what it takes to bring the stories of rural Aotearoa New Zealand to the screen.

They'll discuss:

How they build trust with the people behind the stories

Studio West, the long-standing film and television production facility owned, operated and grown by WIFT NZ member Kay Howe and her husband Glenn, has been acquired by Āriki Group Ltd, owned by founders - Jason Momoa, Taika Waititi and Cliff Curtis.

Kay and Glenn have poured their heart and soul into the world class production…

YouTube show Takahoa started as something small and personal, and quickly turned into something way bigger.

In April 2025, WIFT NZ members Monet Bailey Ngatai and Jess Sewell created the pilot script and series outline for Takahoa, a name meaning “to befriend” in Te Reo Māori. Inspired by Monet’s experience of being Māori Pākehā, the story…

The 2026 New Zealand Mountain Film Festival is now open for entries, inviting storytellers from Aotearoa and around the world to share work that inspires, challenges and connects.

If your work explores adventure, environment, exploration, or the human stories shaped by wild places this festival is for you!

Key dates:

• Book Competition entries close 15 March
• Film…

The SMSG is inviting you all to share this exciting opportunity to hear from the industry's very best.

The Sound of Avatar: Fire and Ash brings together three Wellington-based members of the film’s sound team, supervising sound editor Brent Burge, sound designer Hayden Collow, and supervising dialogue editor Martin Kwok, for a conversation on their…

If you're looking to finance your next project, meet the people who can make it happen at this year’s 37°South Market at MIFF.

Applications are now open for the 19th edition of 37°South Market, which brings the global screen-financing marketplace to the heart of Melbourne. The core focus of this selective event is giving producers…

Attention all WIFT filmmakers, NZ On Air is pleased to be hosting a New Music Pan-Asian funding webinar, which they will be holding on Monday 30 March from 5-6pm, ahead of the round opening on Thursday 9 April.

In this informal and interactive online session, the team will be on hand to share some helpful advice…

Content London has opened registration for the 2026 event with a SUPER EARLYBIRD RATE of just £699.

The rate is designed to make the three-day event affordable for ALL in the tough economic climate.

There are a limited number of tickets available at this rate, and the offer ends April 30.

TO GRAB YOURS NOW,…

Screen NZ International are holding industry mixers in city and regional hubs country wide right now and the event will be Christchurch on April 1. 2026

The Screen NZ team is delighted to invite members of the Canterbury screen industry and related screen businesses to join them for a relaxed drink and a short presentation.

WIFT Member Pamela Kaval's youth-led short film The Psychic Arts Academy, produced through production company Wildaval Productions as part of the Waikato-based young filmmakers workshop programme, has been selected for the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (an Oscar-qualifying festival running for over 30 years). The film will screen in the Filmmakers of Tomorrow Youth…

The NZFC will be participating in the Annecy International Animation Film Market (Mifa), running from 23-26 June 2026. 

NZFC @ Mifa 2026

The New Zealand Film Commission will again be hosting a pavilion in the Exhibition Area, from 23-26 June. The pavilion will be a shared space for New Zealanders with tables available for meetings.…

Screen NZ International is seeking industry feedback on the current state of New Zealand’s international screen sector.

As a valued industry member and/or business, you are invited to complete a short survey (3 to 4 minutes) to help inform an evidence-based report on the challenges facing the sector.

The responses they received to their July…

As part of the Wellington Animation Film Festival, the WAFF Industry Dayz Online and In-Person are open for filmmakers. Check the details below and make hastle to register proonto!

WAFF Industry Dayz 2026 — ONLINE

11 March – 2 April

Running across 4 weeknights, 2 Saturdays, over 1 month, WAFF Industry Dayz Online is built…

The wait is over. It’s time to clear your calendars, and start rounding up your crew. We are thrilled to announce that the Vista Foundation 48Hours 2026 will take place from:

7pm Friday,  31 July –  7pm Sunday, 02 August  2026

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran who lives for the creative weekend with friends or…

Enjoy six bold new Italian short films that explore life, love and memory. Passionate feelings, delicious cuisine, the romance of nature and her people burst onto screen.

The 10th annual Italian Short Film Night is presented by Show Me Shorts in partnership with the Embassy of Italy and don't waste time booking to see these Italian…

Win £10,000 to Fund Your Next Project, applications are now open for The Listening Pitch. 

@asffestival and @audible_uk have teamed up to fund documentaries that celebrate the transformative power of storytelling through sound.

Radical Listening is this year’s theme: a call to notice, connect, and truly hear amid the constant noise of contemporary life.

It…

Spada is proud to launch the 2026 Vincent Burke Scholarship, which aims to support the next generation of New Zealand producers by providing a grant of $5,000 to assist the advancement of their projects, companies, or careers.

2026 marks the second year this scholarship is offered with the inaugural 2025 Vincent Burke Scholarship awarded to…

The Wellington Animation Film Festival (WAFF) returns from 19 - 22 to March 2026 at the Roxy Cinema, celebrating the artistry, innovation, and storytelling of animation from around the world. Now in its third edition, WAFF offers an international programme of nine feature films, five short film collections and a series of industry-focused panels, showcasing…

The Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ) is proud to announce the establishment of the Aotearoa New Zealand Screen Editors (ANZSE) Accreditation for the art of editing.

ANZSE Accreditation recognises a master editor with a significant body of work that consistently meets a world-class standard.

The desire to establish ANZSE was driven…

Our friends at The Writers Lab are celebrating their 12th year! Submissions for their 2026 International Lab open February 12th. Please visit Scrybe to apply.

The Writers Lab has generously provided all WIFTI Chapter and Affiliate Members - incluing all of us at WIFTNZ with exclusive discount codes:

• Use code WIF at checkout to receive…

NZFC 2026 CANNES UPDATE

The NZFC will participate in the Cannes Film Market, running from 12-20 May 2026 and will also once again arrange meetings and events in London in the week immediately prior to Cannes (likely dates 6-8 May 2026, TBC).

NZFC @ Cannes 2026

The New Zealand office will again be based in…

Wellington Film Society’s 2026 programme is out! It consists of beloved classics and underseen gems from around the world and in a variety of genres, from action, drama, horror and musical. The programme features directors like Aotearoa icons Merata Mita and Geoff Murphy, Alfred Hitchcock, Lynne Ramsay, Wong Kar-wai, and Mikhail Kalatozov. Plus a bonus…

Scream Like a Girl: Honoring the Trailblazers of Horror

In celebration of Women’s History Month in the U.S, The George A. Romero Foundation (The GARF) is proud to bring back their campaign titled “Scream Like a Girl,” shining a spotlight on the incredible women who have shaped and continue to define the horror genre.

Throughout…

The applications deadline is fast approaching for Rob Sarkies' Workshop series The Approach (see what I did there? ;))

This inspiring workshop series is for NZ Directors, Writers and Producers approaching production of their first dramatic feature. 

Developed and led by Rob Sarkies (Out of the Blue/Pike River) the series has been designed to help…

Book your ticket NOW for our next upcoming Professional Respect Workshop!

AUCKLAND

Friday 20th February 2026

8.45am - 5pm

HAWKES SEA SCOUT HALL

Cox's Bay (opposite Cox's Bay Reserve)

Herne Bay - Auckland

ScreenSafe's Professional Respect Training Project was developed to support WORKSAFE's health & safety guidelines around harassment.

The course will address predominately sexual…

We’re pleased to announce the return of the Māoriland Indigenous Co-Lab (MICL) - a Māori-led feature film development lab supporting Indigenous feature film projects to move confidently toward production and the global screen stage.

Following the success of the inaugural Co-Lab delivered in 2024–2025, applications are now open for the 2026 programm

MICL supports Indigenous…

Film Otago Southland is pleased to be offering two regional scholarships to enable two regional industry practitioners to attend Big Screen Symposium on 3 – 4 July 2026 in Auckland.

Big Screen Symposium brings the screen practitioners of Aotearoa New Zealand together for debate, discussion, information and inspiration and is brought to you by Script…

The inaugural M.D.M.A — Modelmaking, Diorama & Miniature Arts exhibition lands at Fishcube Gallery this February, celebrating the craft of miniature world-building — where storytelling, design, and technical precision meet at human scale.

Exhibition: 20 Feb – 6 Mar 2026 | Fishcube Gallery, Wellington

Running from 20 February to 6 March 2026, the exhibition brings…

The NZFC funding team will be hosting morning teas in February in Auckland and Wellington and they would love to see you there! 

•       Auckland: Thursday 19 February, 10am-midday, RSVP here. 
•       Wellington: Tuesday 24 February, 10am-midday, RSVP here. 

They are also excited to launch a dedicated rail on their NZFC YouTube channel featuring short films funded…

An inspiring workshop series has been launched for NZ Directors, Writers and Producers approaching production of their first dramatic feature. 

Developed and led by Rob Sarkies (Pike River) The Approach has been designed to help bridge the gap for emerging feature filmmakers between experience on small or short-form productions and the demands of larger scale…

International film industry analyst Stephen Follows has published a two-part data deep dive into the film industry and what that data tells us about what may lay ahead - and it makes for insightful (and sobering!) reading.

We'd like to point you in his direction with intro's to both pieces which you can then link…

Kia orana anau,

And happy new year to you all! Team Boosted is officially back on the tools from today onwards and here to support your crowdfunding needs and our first task is to bring our fellow creatives back up to speed on Boosted X Moana and E Tū Toi 2026.

We are deeply grateful…

The DocPlay Indie Booster initiative has been announced and added to this year’s AIDC (Australian Internatonal Documentary Conference), which takes place in Melbourne from 2-5 March, 2026.

Debuting as part of the AIDC 2026 Cut to the Chase meetings marketplace, the selected project teams will pitch to DocPlay for the opportunity to secure up to…

SAE Auckland has launched a new Graduate Diploma in Creative Business – a Level 7, one-year programme designed for creatives with a degree or industry experience who are ready to turn their practice into a sustainable career.

The programme is built around four flexible, eight-week courses, combining an intensive three-day, in-person workshop with online learning…

We’re pleased to let you know that Registrations for the 2026 round of the Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR) has opened.

GDSR Registration is the first step in applying for the rebate. Even if you have applied in previous years, you still need to complete this step. Once registered, you will then receive a letter…

Calling Bay of Plenty Producers!

Applications are now open for the Regional Producer's Accelerator (RPA). 

This is an 8-month mentorship and professional development programme with Matthew Metcalfe and workshops with leading industry experts on finance, contracting, distribution and festival strategy, plus up to $2000 support for travel, accommodation and project preparation.

Spaces are limited —…

Time to celebrate all the phenomenal females delivering films for the world's viewing pleasure in 2026! 

Check out these feature films directed by women - including NZ filmmakers and Wifties - scheduled for cinematic release in 2026 (Compiled by WIFT, Sourced from FLICKS NZ)

Female-Directed Films to Look Forward to in 2026

28 Days Later:…

This is the FINAL Creative Power workshop of 2025 and is your last chance to learn more about your rights as a writer, director, editor and/or performer and how to build sustainable careers in the screen industry.

This is more than a workshop – it’s a chance to connect, learn, and be part of the…

Many have heard the news that we lost another loved member of our film community, Anthony Nevison. Ant was a talented sound recordist and mixer, a creative musician, and a kind, generous person.
 
The Screen Guild paid tribute to Ant:

"He was always available to give advice on music, surfing, golf and life - he…

Australia’s premier forum and marketplace for documentary and factual storytelling - the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) - has launched its theme and first confirmed guests for AIDC 2026, taking place 2-5 March at ACMI in Melbourne / Narrm, and followed by an online international marketplace 11-12 March.

In 2026, AIDC foregrounds the solidarity and…

Tis the Season, and Film Otago Southland is teaming up with Southern Filmmakers Collective and the Screen Guild to host a Queenstown festive gathering for the local film community!

DETAILS:

When: Friday, 5 December 2025

Time: 5pm - 8pm

Where: Gantley's Tavern, 172 Arthurs Point Road, Arthurs Point, Queenstown

What: Platters for snacking and your…

NZ On Air has officially launched a new YouTube hub for Kiwi kids’ content - KIDOGO and KIDOGO Junior – two new channels which provide another way to find wonderful local children’s content.

These channels were created to address the growing discoverability problem for local children’s content. The latest Where Are The Audiences Children’s Media…

A new film screening is set to highlight a bold chapter in Aotearoa’s cinematic history -  showcasing short films from talented Black creatives living in New Zealand. The collection reflects the rich tapestry of African and Caribbean experiences and creativity within Aotearoa’s growing arts scene.

Obsidian & Seen: Black Films in Aotearoa is an 80-minute…

A day of celebration for new kiwi filmmakers! 

The Day One New Filmmaker Awards 2025 will be held at the Academy Cinemas in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on Saturday November 29th.

This will be a whole day of celebrating young filmmakers through an awards ceremony and a screening of short films. The day will be split…

TE PUNA MATARAU proudly presents the Canterbury Short Film Spotlight!  This is a celebration of locally made short films, documentaries and music videos for 2024/2025.

EVENT DETAILS:

Wednesday | November 26

6:00 PM

Bernhardt - Lumiere Cinema

26 Rolleston Avenue Christchurch 

Doors Open 5pm :

Networking in the Bijou Bar Lumiere Cinemas 5-6pm

Drink (1x)…

Year in Review 2024-2025

Each year NZ On Air is required to report to Parliament on their activities and achievements as a crown entity. This is done through their Annual Report.

This year, with new instructions from Government, the Annual Report is a very simple word document. But because they are a cultural entity, responsible…

It’s just under three weeks until the 30th Spada Conference, with screen sector discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities across Thursday 20 and Friday 21 November. 

Spada is delighted to share more detailed information about speakers and sessions for this year’s anniversary event at The Pullman Hotel in Auckland - and don’t miss the two opportunities…

Content London has published its full agenda, which is set to showcase opportunity across the global entertainment business, with more than 200 speakers in 80 sessions over four days.

You can view the agenda by CLICKING HERE.

This year’s event will continue to focus on how delegates can navigate, survive and thrive in The New…