WIFT NZ News

Cannes-Winner and Oscar-Nominated film Sirāt lands in kiwi cinemas on March 5 and we have FIVE double passes to giveaway to some lucky WIFT members!

A film by Oliver Laxe, Sirāt is described as an 'exhilarating' and 'life-changing' film about a father and his son who arrive at a rave deep in the mountains of…

Kiwi film Holy Days lands in local cinemas Feb 26 and how lucky are we Wifties to get such an incredible insight into this production direct from the director and fellow Wiftie Nat Boltt - enjoy our nourishing Q&A as she dials in from Canada!

So Nat – WOW – what a cast of powerhouse…

WētāFX is cutting a swathe through the international awards season for their stunning work on James Cameron's Avatar: Fire & Ash, winning yet another BAFTA for their Wellington trophy cabinet

They took home this year's BAFTA at the weekend for Best VFX on the latest Avatar, following on from their win at the Critics Choice…

It's happening people - Patricia has opened the doors on her red carpet Wift Awards Wardrobe and her selections for the 2026 fit have begun! And we know how top notch her shoe collection is - will it be Prada again this year or will she mix it up?

ALL will be revealed of course…

Tākitimu Films and View Road are thrilled to announce the completion of development on their powerful new 30-minute documentary debut Grounds For Action.

The production team is now seeking community support through a vital crowdfunding campaign to cover post-production costs and ensure these inspiring Southern New Zealand stories reach a national audience.

Grounds For Action…

Your lucky ole WIFT E-News Editor managed to get the lowdown on this delight of a show from local legend and fellow Wiftie Kate McDermott! You can binge Blue Murder Motel right now on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+. Wiftie Tara Landry produces and there are of course a swathe of WIFT creatives working on and…

In one of the harshest places on Earth, three women from different generations chase a hidden and ephemeral world beneath the Antarctic sea ice. Dr Natalie Robinson leads an expedition to McMurdo Sound, joined by PhD student and microbiologist Jacqui Stuart on her first trip south. Mentoring them from afar is veteran sea ice physicist…

THE EDGE OF YOU is a workshop specifically designed to allow creatives to get beneath your labels, routines, restrictions, and potentially the overwhelming online media infiltrating your world.

It is a place to reconnect, reboot, release, revitalise the most authentic parts of who you are. While it is not an acting workshop, it is definitely…

Nothing says human connection like a celebration of excellence and a celebration of community - and you only need to soak up the joy of this photo to know that the annual WIFT Awards are both those things and so so so much more!!

SO - do not even THINK about missing out on THE…

If you’re serious about working in film and television, The South Seas Film School Level 6 Film & TV Production programme is taking applications.  A hands-on, industry-focused qualification, the course is designed for emerging filmmakers who are ready to take the next step towards a professional screen career.

Proof is in the production pudding. In…

If you're passionate about character-based storytelling, enjoy working collaboratively, and are interested in working on Aotearoa’s biggest show - Shortland Street - your time is nigh! 

This is a highly collaborative role, with the story lining process requiring writers to work with a large group of people, as well as independently when drafting scripts. They're…

Tom Sainsbury's hilarious mockumentary true-crime podcast show Small Town Scandal has landed on Neon and Sky Go.  The beloved comedian and longtime Wiftie plays a disgraced journalist-turned-true-crime podcast host investigating the death of his millionaire uncle in a town filled with eccentric suspects.

New episodes drop Mondays.

Watch the trailer HERE!

We love Free Movies! We have 5 double passes to give away to the Golden Globe nominated film No Other Choice.

This is the latest critically acclaimed film by Park Chan-wook (Decision to Leave, The Handmaiden, Oldboy) and stars Lee Byung-Hun, Son Ye-Jin, Park Hee-Soon, Lee Sung-Min, Yeom Hye-ran and Cha Seung-won.

No Other Choice…

Needless to say you do NOT want to miss the awards party of the year in March - the 2026 WIFT Awards!

Tickets are available right now - Patricia is of course already working on her wardrobe, the fabulous Jazz is practising her dancing, and Kathy is counting the sales coming in! And let's forget…

TENOR: My Name Is Pati, supported by New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), is set to hit a high note at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February, where it will make its world premiere. The documentary headlines a quartet of Aotearoa films screening at the festival, alongside TOITŪ Visual Sovereignty and Invisible Dragons. 

For…

Script to Screen is delighted to announce the 2026 participants FilmUp mentorship programme who will join this growing community of advancing Feature Film practitioners.  

This year marks the twelfth addition of FilmUp and Script to Screen would like to thank the NZFC who have continued to support this kaupapa to continue strengthening and developing Aotearoa’s…

Invitation - Power to Transform!    

“Guidelines for the Sexism-Free and Gender-Sensitive Use of AI in the Film and Media Industries”

As the Venice Berlinale approaches, organisers are very much looking forward to welcoming attendees to Berlin for the global forum for women film organizations @berlinale 2026.

This year will build upon the forum’s previous work…

WIFT International is delighted to announce a further group of outstanding speakers joining the growing programme for the 2026 Women in Film and Television International Summit being held in London next month.

• Clare Cheetham
  Emmy Award–Winning VFX Executive Producer
• Gretchen McGowan
  Emmy Award–Winning Producer & Production Manager | Head of Production, Goldcrest Features
• Gwenllian Gravelle
  Head of Film…

The Actors Studio with Elena Stejko has a January workshop and Term One classes on offer, and Equity members receive a 10% discount

Upcoming Workshop

31 January – Audition Preparation Workshop

The fastest way to prepare for auditions using Michael Chekhov screen acting tools.

TERM ONE CLASS SCHEDULE

Term One runs for 7 weeks, commencing…

This award recognises outstanding achievement in craft in film, television or digital media production, especially those working in the more traditionally male-dominated sectors, between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025, e.g. camera, sound, lighting, grips, stunt work, set design.

The finalists are (WIFT members are in BOLD)

MARIA INES MANCHEGO

One of Aotearoa’s most…

This award recognises exceptional talent in a woman under 30 working in the New Zealand screen industry across any field.

Our finalists are:

AMANDA-JANE ROBINSON

A rising talent deserving of all her success already, this impressive young producer delivered the powerful 2025 short film Womb which was selected for Tribeca, Melbourne, Sydney, BFI and of…

This award recognises a woman who has had a significant impact or achievement in any aspect of television or digital media between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025.

Our finalists are:

RACHEL FAWCETT

Showing phenomenal commitment to the kaupapa of this project, Rachel took her hit web series n00b to TV screens, going on…

This award recognises significant achievement with a short or feature film released in the last two years locally and/or internationally between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025.

The finalists are (WIFT Members in BOLD)

ANAPELA POLATA’IVAO

I dare you to find a single human being who didn’t fall in love with Anapela’s divine Mareta…

This Award recognises exceptional business achievement and is given to a woman who has demonstrated business acumen and entrepreneurial vision in establishing a sustainable financial enterprise, contributing to the future health and viability of the New Zealand screen industry.

Our finalists are (WIFT Members in BOLD):

LISA TAOUMA - TIKI LOUNGE AND THE COCONET TV

This award recognises a woman with an emerging body of work who shows the potential to have a significant career in the industry.

The finalists are (WIFT Members in BOLD):

ROSIE HOLE

The momentum Rosie is building as a future leader is impressive, reflecting her standing in the Aotearoa screen community. Showing her commercial acumen…

This award recognises an outstanding contribution by a Moana Pasifika woman in any field in the Aotearoa/New Zealand screen industry

The finalists are (WIFT Members in BOLD)

ANAPELA POLATA’IVAO

To call Anapela a powerhouse would do her a disservice; her decades-long creative nurturing presence in the New Zealand film industry has sent a vital message…

This award honours long-term contributions behind the scenes which ensure successful projects and provide essential support to colleagues. 

The finalists are:

SARAH CULL

Sarah’s essential and often invisible contributions to building the legal & infrastructure which enables the local screen sector to thrive cannot be overstated. For more than two decades she has been the…

This award honours a production company or individual whose work makes a significant contribution to the increased use and knowledge of Te Reo Māori me ngā tikanga.

And our finalists are:

VIV WIGBY-NGATAI (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui)

Whaea Viv embodies the quiet achiever, devoted to the power of Māori stories and storytellers, very deliberately choosing to…

This award honours long-term outstanding work, generous support for others, and commitment to the growth of the industry both professionally and personally. This award can only be won once and this year's winner will be revealed on the night of the 2026 Wift Awards on March 12!

This award recognises outstanding achievement in creativity in post-production in film, television or digital media between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025.  Nominee job titles include editor, colourist, sound editor, ADR recordist, VFX artist, VFX supervisor, VFX editor, animator, compositor.

And our finalists are (WIFT Members in BOLD):

SHWETA BHATNAGAR

A truly gifted layout…

What a magificent way to end the year, two New Zealand films have been accepted into the Sundance Film Festival, the very last Sundance to be held at Park City before it relocated to Boulder, Colorado.

The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) is proud to announce that Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant and Big Girls Don’t…

An enormous congratulations to wonderful Wiftie and Sky NZ CEO Sophie Moloney, who took out the prestigious Chief Executive of the Year at the Deloitte Top 200 Awards.

The award recognises exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to business performance and people, reflecting the impact Sophie has made across Sky.

Leading Sky TV through…

Shocking absolutely NOBODY, our beloved WIFT NZ matriach Patricia storming the internet this year was a true joy. Turns out Patricia is made for the camera (again, shocking nobody expect Patricia ;))

To celebrate, the brilliant WIFT office wonder woman Jazz compiled a blooper reel!! And you are SO welcome.

PATRICIA'S BLOOPER REEL CLICK HERE

The Hollywood awards season has of course shifted up another gear with Oscar hopefuls globally vying for contention - and among them, WIFT filmmaker Vea Mafile’o's fabulous short Lea Tupuʻanga (Mother Tongue).

Written by Luciane Buchanan, the short follows a Tongan speech therapist who exaggerates her fluency in her native language to secure a job,…

New Zealand film from Wiftie Vanessa Wells Mighty Indeed is in Oscars contention for Best Documentary

Mighty Indeed was the winner of Best Feature (New Zealand) and Best Director (New Zealand) for Vanessa at Doc Edge Awards 2025.

The film explores one of the harshest places on Earth, through the eyes of three women from…

What can we say - we just LOVE Christmas and with thanks to all the distributers and filmmakers for their kind support we have not one, not two, but THREE movie giveaways in our final bumper issue of WIFT E-News!

So - whether you want to sing along with kiwi music icon Don McGlashan, laugh…

Shortland Street fans have we got a festive treat for YOU!

The 1995 Christmas special is seasonal, peak Shorty melodrama (truck crashing through the clinic!) and about to turn 30!

The lovely folk at SPP has delivered this unto us for our Xmas viewing pleasure: and enjoy!

And that's not all - the Shortland Street…

We thought we would bring some festive cheer and remind us all of the power of our storytelling past and present thanks to our WIFT NZ cohort over the years!

And one sure-fire way to feel festive? Cue The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls..

From Wifties Leanne Pooley and Arani Cuthbert this 2009 collaboration with two…

Longtime Wiftie Antonia Prebble won herself a 2025 New Zealand Screen Award last month for Best Actress for her role in Double Parked and we thought we would celebrate that with this little treat: young newbie Antonia in The Tribe!

Take a trip down memory lane with this episode from Season 2, and enjoy!

The New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho commissioned NZIER and Verian to analyse the role of screen production in shaping New Zealand’s economy and culture. This work forms part of Mahi Tahi, an initiative by the three agencies to strengthen and grow the screen sector in Aotearoa through shared insight…

What a swathe of new members to WIFT NZ for the second half of 2025 - nau mai haere mai and welcome one and all!

Here are all the newly minted Wifties who have joined our ranks since July and here's to welcoming many more in 2026 :)

NEW WIFT NZ MEMBERS

Maisy Dow, Tū…

As 2025 comes to a close, let's celebrate the collaboration, contribution and community of the WIFT screen queens (and kings!) with an insight into all the storytellers who received funding from the New Zealand Film Commission. Whether it be for Script Development, Documentary Development, Production Investment or Finishing Grants, look at all these worthy recepients!…

Script to Screen has announced the filmmakers and their projects selected for Story Camp Aotearoa 2026, giving a huge mihi to their funders Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission for continuing to support this development kaupapa for Aotearoa’s Screenwriters. 

And among those selected is a cohort of Wifties!

• Kate McDermott with her project…

WIF (Women In Film) and ReFrame have released the WHO TO WATCH: 2026 FILM FYC GUIDE, highlighting women and gender diverse people who are eligible for awards categories.

As part of WIF’s mission to advocate for change, this year’s Film FYC Guide serves as a go-to industry resource for voting bodies, amplifies the work of…

As 2025 draws to a close, NZ On Air would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been another incredible year for game development in Aotearoa. The industry continues to grow in creativity, capability and global reach, and they are genuinely proud to play a small part in supporting that journey. 

As…

Day One Shorts are excited to announce the eight teams commissioned for 2026 and amonf the recipients are some top notch WIFT NZ filmmakers.

Each documentary team receives $15k and each scripted team $20k, plus development support and mentoring.

+ Silver Lining

• Harriett Maire – Director

+ Lest We Forget

• Meg Robinson – Producer

+…

The revamped New Zealand Screen Awards was held on November 21 and what a nourishing, fun and inspriring collective celebration of the entire screen industry it was!

Among the many highlights of the evening was hearing and feeling the emotional tributes to the late Lee Tamahori from so many in the room who knew him…

The successful applicants for NZ ON AIR funding have been announced and the list includes a large swathe of hard-working and talented Wifties. Congrats to all the below!

FUNDING RECIPIENTS

Te Māngai Pāho Co-Fund

Dead Ahead 2, 6 × 22.5’, Hi Mama for TVNZ+, up to $1,449,496

End Of The Valley 2- The Price of…

This year’s Spada Emerging Producer of the Year goes to our very own WIFT wonder woman - WIFT Events and Membership Manager - Jazz dos Santos!

This award is sponsored by the New Zealand Film Commission, and Jazz takes home a cash prize of $4,000, a one-year Spada membership and a complimentary registration to the…

Congratulations to the Wiftie creatives who have been announced among the latest recipients of the Screen Canterbury Production Grant.

Four diverse productions have secured support, and collectively the round is projected to inject $2.95 million into the local economy, employing 193 crew, 50 Canterbury-based screen businesses, and 57 additional local suppliers.

Move Fast and Break…

The awards show wins and nominations keep on coming for Three’s hit series Happiness.

Fresh from a big Best Supporting Actor win for Peter Hambleton at the recent New Zealand Screen Awards, the show has been announced as a finalist for Best Comedy in three major global awards:

• Asian Academy Creative Awards (Singapore)
• C21 International…

Myths & Maidens unpacks the stereotype of the Pasifika woman. Since the 1800s the ‘hula girl’ has been used to sell the Pacific to the Western world. Alongside ideal beauty standards have come expectations of certain behaviour; peaceful, happy and non-resistant.

Click here to watch the full documentary.

After selling out theatres across the country at Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival, the micro-budget feature film, Notes from a Fish, is set for a limited theatrical release.

The screwball-comedy-mystery follows a would-be novelist’s creative drought which turns chaotic when his muse, a psychic fish, disappears and drags him into a journey of…

For those of us who grew up watching "A Dog's Show" on the telly every week, some excellent news!

Principal photography has begun on the feature film of the same name, and inspired by, A Dog’s Show.

The film stars Graham McTavish (Outlander, The Hobbit), David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings, Lion), and acclaimed…

We are lucky enough to be giving away x5 double passes to Dead Of Winter!

Starring Academy Award winner Emma Thompson like you’ve never seen her before, DEAD OF WINTER is a 5-star, edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller – in cinemas November 27.  Recently widowed fisherwoman Barb interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl while travelling alone…

Filmmaker and Wifite Brydie Morton has an work experience opportunity on her new feature film beginning next year.

The team is looking for a marketing manager to oversee all marketing, a role which will entail managing socials and driving film promotion. They are looking for someone with a creative eye who enjoys creating captivating content…

By popular demand November 22nd or 29th, this intensive workshop from Elena Stejko is designed for actors who want to feel prepared, professional and inspired.

Actors Studio Elena Stejko - AUDITION PREP WORKSHOP 

NOVEMBER 22ND or 29TH 

10:00 - 2:00 pm

AUCKLAND

Price: $200

Click here to register : actorsstudio@gmx.com

Dame Gaylene Preston’s GRACE: A Prayer for Peace selected for Hiroshima International Film Festival 2025

Dame Gaylene Preston’s latest feature, GRACE: A Prayer for Peace, has been officially selected for the Hiroshima International Film Festival (HIFF) 2025.

The screening will take place in late November 2025, with Dame Gaylene travelling to Hiroshima, Japan, to personally…

We here at WIFT Central - and like all of you - know the true value of a mentor.

So when filmmaker and Wiftie Zoe McIntosh shared with us this incredible tribute to her own mentor, Costa Botes, we begged her to allow us to share it with you all.

Costa Botes is fighting prostate…

Congrats to Greenstone TV for the selection of Happiness as Comedy-Drama Series finalists in the C21’s International Drama Awards!

These awards are voted for by the world’s leading scripted commissioners and buyers from more than 500 entries across 11 categories.

The winners will be announced at the International Drama Awards Ceremony December 4th UK time…

We ADORE movie ticket giveaways here at WIFT and what a film we have on offer: Die My Love

Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson under the spell of visionary director Lynne Ramsay and producer Martin Scorsese? Sign us up!

We have five double passes to giveaway to the first five Wifties who email us at…

Iconic Production House TOYBOX is for sale for the first time since it was founded.

TOYBOX was founded over 35 years ago under Flying Start Pictures, a live action and post-production house with a reputation for quality work delivered on time and on budget servicing the Australasian advertising market.

TOYBOX has evolved into a diversified…

Wifties Megan Jones (co-producer) and Stacey Murdoch (co-producer) have had their short film Breath of Life selected as one of ten in the world for the mental health grant and festival "Voices with Impact". The grant is $7.5k USD

Their short doco is about how New Zealand athlete Mea Motu used her experience of escaping…

From director, producer, actor and Wiftie Acacia O’Connor comes a new play called Tales of a City by the Sea, a story we all know of love and longing – set against the backdrop of Gaza in 2008.

With a creative crew lead by Tāmaki Makaurau’s Palestinian community, supported by people from all over the…

Filmmaker and Wiftie Cathy Garcia-Sampana is delighted to screen her new Filipino film Meet, Greet & Bye.

WIFT Winners at the Vista Foundation 48 Hours Film Comp 2025!

Tied Runner Up: “Maybe Daddy” by Jovial Entertainment
Members part of this team: Isla McLeod, Malinna Liang, Renaye Tamati

Grand Finalists:
        

• Baby Girl by Pixel Pixies
  Members part of this team: Francesca Mackenzie

• iTROLL by Permanently Confused
  Members part of this team: Hweiling Ow, Sara Chen
  
  
• The…

You don't need me to tell you that the wonderful WIFT Award's Nominations are open for business - and if you don't take my word for it, then obviously you'll take the indomitable WIFT Executive Director Patricia Watson's!

Patricia has entered the Instagram chat on the @wiftnz account with her non-nonsense reels, stories and posts…

“It needed to be captured”. That's what debut feature director and longtime Wiftie Chelsea Winstanley knew deep in her heart when she began to document the Toi Tū Toi Ora exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery. That journey would take her all the way to the Venice Biennale where the Mataaho Collective won the prestigious…

Join the upcoming NZFC webinars to ask questions and share feedback on funding pathways. The team will review recent changes to funding guidelines—what's working and what’s not—and share updates, including information about our new production grants and our innovation strand.

Head of Funding, Ainsley Gardiner and Development Lead, Esther Cahill-Chiaroni will be at these webinars…

CEO and producer Nicole Horan of Hi Mama Productions has won the MWDI Māori Businesswomen’s Overall Supreme Award 2025.

This highly coveted accolade celebrates outstanding achievements, innovation, and leadership within te ao pakihi Māori (the Māori business world).

Hi Mama Productions, a leading Māori-owned film and television production company, was awarded Te Tohu Aorangi Overall…

We’re delighted to congratulate Fiona Samuel MNZM, announced as the 2025 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellow! 

An award-winning writer, director, and 2012 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate, herwork has shaped the way women’s stories are told on stage and screen. Her film Pike River has just been released in NZ cinemas, going straight to…

You’re invited to the next virtual NYWIFT Masterclass Series The Documentary + Docu-Series Masterclass: From Seed to Stream: The Art and Architecture of Non-Fiction Storytelling. This dynamic three-night virtual program led by award-winning filmmaker Yvonne Russo will guide participants from the heart of an idea to a streamer-ready pitch.

Over three immersive sessions, filmmakers will…

Time to book the last weekend actors intensive workshop with Vicky Yiannoutsos for the year, in Wellington!

The workshop will be held on the weekend of November 22-23 and Vicky will work on:

• Strengthening acting muscles
• Deepening authentic connection
• Improving sight-reading skills

This weekend workshop trains actors to create believable characters and emotionally connected relationships…

Congrats to both our Wiftie winners at the fabulous Show Me Shorts - in a sea of men they shine out.

NZ on Air Best Music Video: Jessica Todd for Aua Atu Rā – Marlon Williams

Script to Screen Best Screenplay: Alex Farley for Wild Nights, Wild Nights!

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE AWARD WINNERS

We have a WIFT Ticket Giveaway - Your chance to win one of 5 double passes to see a fabulous film hitting cinemas on November 13 called Familiar Touch.

A triple award-winner at the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons Competition, Familiar Touch is a coming-of-old-age story that belongs to us all.

Amid the haze of fading…