‘Still Here’ at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards

The Voyager Media Awards has announced the 2023 winners with Still Here taking home the Best Video Documentary Series title. Congratulations to DEGANZ members Josh Yong and Frangipani Foulks who are credited as editor and assistant editor respectively. Josh was also the series’ associate producer.

Still Here tells stories of Pasifika communities residing in Auckland’s Ponsonby, Herne Bay, and Grey Lynn suburbs. The four-episode documentary series captures the families’ lifestyles that keep their traditions alive. By remaining in their family houses, they fight rampant gentrification daily. In each episode, the intergenerational community stories debunk the myth that ‘all the islanders have left.’ They are still here and visible.

As the judges of the awards said,

These intimate portraits (of the locals) are a rich intersection of the past and present that conveys with nuance what it means to be Pacifica in New Zealand.

The Voyager Media Awards acknowledges the best of New Zealand’s journalism. The awards, formally known as the Qantas Press Awards and the Canon Media Awards, aim to celebrate the work of journalists, reporters, feature writers, columnists, cartoonists, reviewers, photographers and video journalists.

All four episodes are out now on TVNZ+.

Last updated on 8 June 2023

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Feast Your Eyes on DEGANZ Members at Vision Feast 2023

DEGANZ members Sophie Black, James Fink-Jensen, Eva Fulco, and Brian Gill have been nominated at this year’s Vision Feast 2023. 

Vision Feast is an annual short film and music video festival that acknowledges filmmakers with a creative passion, technical skills, and what they call a ‘stroke of madness’. The festival accepts both domestic and international submissions. This year’s international entries are from the USA, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Canada, and Europe.

Vision Feast nominated Sophie’s project Believing is Seeing in two categories – Best Aotearoa Project and Best Documentary. The short film features Dr Robert Bartholomew who debunks myths about ‘psychogenic illness’, a stress response caused by social media. 

Strangers, a short directed by James, is nominated for the Emerging NZ Filmmaking Talent. The film explores the struggles of a young and awkward journalist to make a lasting impression on a first date. Despite hopes of a romantic cafe date, it unavoidably all goes wrong. From the unconfident protagonist to the impatient waitress, all the characters undergo an emotional roller coaster ride in just 5 minutes.

Brian’s short film Solitaire and Eva’s Buona Notte, Mio Amore are in the Best New Zealand Student Work category. Solitaire is about a lonely security guard who plays a card game only to witness the cards come alive to keep him company. Meanwhile, Buona Notte, Mio Amore explores a romance during World War II.

You can grab seats for the festival’s evening screening at Academy Cinemas in Auckland now. Congrats to the selected filmmakers!

Last updated on 8 June 2023

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