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 2026 Spada Conference.
A producer and production all-rounder with an incredible knack for spotting fresh, diverse voices and building collaborations that push creative boundaries, Jazz is hugely respected by her peers - with eight separate nominations for this award - all recognising her ability to balance financial realities with artistic ambition, and to always keep the kaupapa of the project at its heart.
Jazz’s producing credits include two award-winning short films, both made with creative integrity and strong production values, showcasing her commitment to bold, culturally significant storytelling.
Lăo Lao Lăo Le received Best NZ Film, Best Director (Julie Zhu) and Best Actor (Kuaka and Mary Wu) at the 2023 Show Me Shorts Festival, and Best Short Film at the 2025 Melbourne Women in Film Festival; and the recently released I Am Not Your Dusky Maiden Winner of Best Performance Award for Nora Aati at the 2025 New Zealand International Film Festival.
Jazz also produced music videos for artists JUJULIPPS, PONZ and Skilaa, with micro-budget music video Night Shift for JUJULIPPS (directed by Jaya Beach-Robertson) nominated for Best Content at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards. dos Santos co-produced the youth documentary series Sight Unseen, where she championed innovative production practices such as open audio description and the use of an access coordinator – a first for a New Zealand social-first series.
Beyond her producing work, Jazz is a tireless advocate for the community - including WIFT - and she volunteers her time and experience to uplift other emerging artists, both informally and through Black Creatives Aotearoa.
Congrats Jazz!