Members Announced as Recipients of Competitive Seed Grants

The NZWG announced the recipients of the second round of Seed and Seed Advanced for 2021 late last year, with many of our members’ faces among them!

Well done to David Hay and DEGANZ Incubator alumniย Nahyeon Lee andย Stella Reid, who are all recipients of Seed grants. One of the most competitive writer-only grants for draft feature film scripts in NZ, this round of Seed received 148 applications.

Congrats also goes to member Jesse Griffin who is one of only two recipients of the Seed Advanced grants.

Nahyeon Lee – Vile Abjection

David Hay – Shadowboxer

Stella Reid – The Band of the True Prophet

Jesse Griffin – Childish

Congratulations to all our members again!

See the full list here

Last updated on 3 June 2025

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Short Film The Finding by Rebecca Tansley Garners More Festival Selections

Congratulations to DEGANZ member Rebecca Tansley whose film, The Finding, has garnered a further three more film festival selections. The Finding is in the Oscar qualifying Silver Princess Competition for Best Fiction Film at the In The Palace International Short Film Festival in Bulgaria (February 26-March 5).

The Finding will also screen at the upcoming Dam Short Film Festival in Boulder City, Nevada (February 10-14), and the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival in California (April 6-13).

Written and directed by Rebecca Tansley, The Finding follows a teenager’s efforts to reconnect with her estranged father, forcing them both to confront a dark secret from their past.

Find out more about the film and watch the trailer here

Last updated on 27 January 2022

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DEGANZ Alumna Receives NZFC Catalyst Funding

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DEGANZ Incubator alumna Marina Alofagia McCartney has received funding for her project The Return. The short film follows Lupesina who answers the call from her ancestors, and must prove her worthiness as a Samoan woman or stay stuck in the in-between.

Congratulations, Marina! She is the first woman writer/director of Moana Pasifika heritage to secure Catalyst funding in over a decade and the majority of the creative HOD’s on The Return are of Moana Pasifika descent too.

Catalyst He Kauahi supports NZ filmmakers to progress their talents to the next stage and make exceptional, high end narrative short films. The NZFC have funded three teams a total of $100,000 each ($90,000 towards their short film and $10,000 towards development of the feature film concept). Marina’s team are currently developing a feature that will continue the poetic character exploration of a NZ-born Samoan woman’s identity journey.

Last updated on 18 March 2022

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Mark Hunt: The Fight of His Life in Cinemas February

After premiering at NZIFF last year, Mark Hunt: The Fight of His Life is set to release in NZ cinemas on February 3. Directed by DEGANZ member Peter Brook Bell, this compelling documentary follows one of New Zealand’s sporting superstars, kickboxing and MMA fighter Mark Hunt, and his rags-to-riches story.

When making any documentary, trust between the subject and filmmaker is important. In an interview with Flicks, Peter explained that the biggest challenge of filming was building that trust between himself and Mark, so that he would open up on camera. Time that was well spent. Catch Mark Hunt: The Fight of His Life in theatres next month.

 

Last updated on 24 January 2022

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Watch Annie Collins Speak About Her Work on PATU!

Legendary film editor and DEGANZ board member Annie Collins spoke to Ngฤ Taonga Sound & Vision about her work on PATU!, collaborating with trailblazing Mฤori filmmaker Merata Mita.

Annie recalls the unique challenges when it came to editing the documentary film, which records the anti-Apartheid protest that took place in New Zealand during the 1981 South African rugby tour. She explains that Merata Mita was certain that she wanted PATU! to serve as an historical document.

Annie also speaks about her own history in film and how she began her career as an editor in Aotearoa.

Watch the full interview

Last updated on 24 January 2022

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