The Highs and Lows of NZ’s Screen Industry

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Last weekend was the latest iteration of the Big Screen Symposium, and it was full of highs and lows.

Great speakers, great sessions, and some interesting sneak peeks at tantalising, upcoming  NZ films, but some sobering statistics from NZ On Air.

In their latest stakeholder survey, 78% of respondents say their levels of pessimism have increased over the last two years. Only 35% of respondents agree that NZ On Air makes the right funding choices, while 43% feel it is focused on funding the right things. In these two areas, the trends have been against NZ on Air’s decision-making across the last five years.

One of the biggest questions that has been plaguing me and many others  around the screen industry is why are so many people out of work in the domestic screen sector when the levels of production funding are only down at NZFC?

Some say that it’s actually the more established workers who usually work for established companies that are unemployed, while NZ On Air funding flows to more projects with emerging companies and workers.

I took a look at the July 2024 – April 2025 funding announcements for Non-Fiction and Scripted. Just over $85 million went out during that period; $33.6 mil. to Non-Fiction and $51.7 mil. to Scripted.

Of that total $85 mil., at least $55.5 mil. (about 63%) went to long-established production companies, while at least 55% of the Non-Fiction funding and 68% of the Scripted funding went to long-established companies.

At first look, then,  the ‘emerging’ hypothesis doesn’t seem to make sense. Unless the established companies are hiring more emerging workers than established workers. That could well be the case. Or there could be other reasons. It’s a conundrum that is doing the rounds at the moment. It’s going to take somebody willing to dig a lot deeper than I have to proffer some robust thoughts on the matter.

One thing is absolutely clear, though: while the domestic production industry flounders, the serviced production industry is facing dire peril with no concrete projects in place apart from the two international productions here right now. Everybody will be hearing more about this shortly, and not just from me.

 

Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director

 

Last updated on 10 July 2025

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‘Mighty Indeed’ is Indeed Mighty, Winning Doc Edge Best NZ Feature and Best Director Awards

Congratulations to director Vanessa Wells (DEGANZ) and editor Emma Smart (DEGANZ) on the success of Mighty Indeed at the 2025 Doc Edge Awards! The film won both the Best New Zealand Feature and the Best Director awards, making it eligible for consideration for the 2026 Academy Awards.

The Doc Edge jury praised the film for its,

quiet strength, emotional depth, and clear directorial vision [which was] gracefully executed.

Spanning four decades, Mighty Indeed follows three women working in Antarctica as they explore science, climate, and survival in one of the world’s harshest environments. By weaving personal stories with rich archival footage and groundbreaking science, the feature offers an intimate and deeply human portrait shared with grit, wit, and surprising warmth, set against the immense scale of Antarctica.

The Best NZ Feature’s Special Mention went to fellow member Edward Simpson‘s Devils on Horses.

You can catch Mighty Indeed in cinemas in Ōtautahi Christchurch on 16 and 18 July and in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington on 18 July.

 

Last updated on 10 July 2025

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‘Let’s Settle This!’ Fights its Way to Fantasia

Let’s Settle This!, written, directed and edited by Jack Woon (DEGANZ), continues its successful festival run by celebrating its North American premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival. This follows the film’s international premiere at the Bucheon International Film Festival in South Korea and being in the run for NZ’s Best at Whānau Mārama NZIFF this year.

The rom-com short follows two kung fu masters who turn to martial arts to settle scores.

Fantasia’s Rupert Bottenberg describes the film,

Two Chinese New Zealanders meet up for a blind date, and as family histories are revealed over dinner, a longstanding rivalry is revived. Better get the dishes safely out of the way, because kung-fu, comedy, and romance are about to collide!

Fantasia is North America’s largest genre film festival, hosting sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and action films from across the globe. It’s earned notoriety as one of the top festivals in the industry for emerging and established filmmakers alike by juxtaposing pop and alternative cultures in its programming.

Congrats, Jack and the team!

 

Last updated on 10 July 2025

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McClymont Signs to Supernormal

DEGANZ member Liv McClymont is the newest director signed to the local independent production studio Supernormal.

Liv has been building her portfolio over the past few years with documentaries I Stand for Consent and The Man Outside and, most recently, the dramedy web series The Sender. Commercially, she directed the 2degrees campaign NOtifications to promote digital well-being. Her work tackles the sensitive topics of consent, online abuse, and other social issues with empathy and compassion.

Through her work, she has established herself as a rising, vibrant voice in both the commercial and narrative spaces.

Supernormal Executive Producer Matt McKenzie commented on the news saying,

Liv has a fearless, emotionally intelligent approach to story and a strong sense of style and rhythm. […] She brings a kind of boldness that feels both vital and incredibly watchable and we’re excited to support her across commercial and narrative work.

Congratulations, Liv! We can’t wait to see what comes next.

 

Last updated on 9 July 2025

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DEGANZ Watch List: New Pathways

This week’s DEGANZ Watch List includes stories of new pathways.

In Dead Ahead, edited by DEGANZ member Ben Wildish, a family moves back to Aotearoa and finds themselves on an unknown path that sends their whānau, from the past and present, into a frenzy.

Board member Robyn Paterson‘s company Sweet Productions highlights the path to greater independence for folks living with disability as they learn to drive in Licence to Drive.

Motuhaketanga, co-edited by Cushla Dillon (DEGANZ), follows the paths of three wāhine Māori as they begin the raw process of rebuilding their lives, identities, and futures after incarceration.

 

Dead Ahead

Comedy Drama Series

Editor: Ben Wildish

A high-powered Māori lawyer accidentally unleashes her chaotic tūpuna (ancestors), forcing the living and the dead to navigate their shared legacy.

 

Licence to Drive

Factual Series

Executive Producer & Series Producer : Robyn Paterson

This unique series follows a cast of Kiwi learner drivers – each with a disability – as they navigate the realm of the road. It captures their triumphs, challenges, and occasional mishaps with a generous dose of heart and humour.

 

Motuhaketanga

Documentary

Co-Editor: Cushla Dillon

Motuhaketanga is a 2 x 1 hour documentary that follows three wāhine Māori preparing to leave prison, and the challenges they face once they walk out the prison gates, on the path to creating their own versions of motuhaketanga.

 

Last updated on 10 July 2025

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