It’s time for NZ Web Fest once again! This year, 15 selected projects are from DEGANZ members, with 12 as finalists for an array of awards. Of the selections and nominations, several DEGANZ members are being recognised for their talent and skills in direction, writing, and editing.
Since its inception in 2015, the virtual festival has been curating and celebrating online entertainment from around the globe. This year, the festival is running from 7-17 November and includes a series of Creator Convos, covering both fiction and factual podcasts, series, and films.
If you’re keen to check out this year’s festival and watch all the selected podcasts, short films, and series, you can register for free here.
Congratulations to all the DEGANZ members below!
Short Films (Fiction)
A supernatural short film about love after life.
Writer/Director: Jayde Hudson
* Nominated for Best Film NZ Short Fiction, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Editing & Best Performance NZ Short Fiction (Caitlin Mactavish)
On a harsh, burnt-out planet that is rapidly dying, a young couple roam the land in search of a way to buy their survival.
Writer, Director & Editor: Joe Murdie
* Nominated for Best Film NZ Short Fiction, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Editing & Best Performance (Jordan Rivers)
Short Films (Student Fiction)
After spending three years in prison for the manslaughter of his best friend, a young man is released and knocks on the door of his best friend’s parents, desperately seeking forgiveness.
Writer, Director & Editor: Benjamin McQueen
Short Films (Documentary)
For 15 years, Winter Games NZ has shaped the careers of elite winter sports athletes, setting the stage for Olympic dreams and redefining winter sports in the Southern Hemisphere. Through the voices of those who lived it—athletes, organisers, and visionaries—this documentary dives into the evolution of a competition that turned New Zealand into a proving ground for the world’s best
Director, Cinematographer & Editor: Joe Murdie as Bunker Street Film Co.
* Nominated for Best Short Documentary & Best Directing Short Documentary
Music Videos
The official music video for ‘Lambs Aren’t Waking Yet’ by Keira Wallace.
Produced by Joe Murdie as Bunker Street Film Co.
The official video for ‘VENDETTA’ from the forthcoming debut album by Powder Chutes.
Director: Joe Murdie
* Nominated for Best Music Video
Web Series (Factual)
Breaking Silence investigates what New Zealanders need to know to curb our shocking domestic abuse statistics.
Series Director: Karen McKenzie
* Nominated for Best Editing NZ Factual Series & Best Host NZ Factual Series
No matter where we come from, how we identify ourselves or what we’re into, the desire to find connection is universal. Over the next six months, a diverse group of young New Zealanders will take part in a dating conversation via a new social media project, d8talk. Simply put, d8talk is people talking about dating.
Director: Joe Canham
* Nominated for Best NZ Factual Series & Best Editing NZ Factual Series
From a dahlia farm to a house bus, six families find their own ways of educating their children.
Director, DOP, and Editor: Chris Pryor
* Nominated for Best NZ Factual Series & Best Editing NZ Factual Series
K’ Road Chronicles delves into the gritty reality of those living within the margins of society, shining a critical eye on overlooked issues and sharing deeply personal stories of hope and inspiration from our street communities.
Editor: Brendon Chan
* Nominated for Best NZ Factual Series, Best Editing NZ Factual Series & Best Host NZ Factual Series
Kaputī with the Cousins follows Jade Lee-Walker and Kura Turuwhenua as they deal with kaupapa Māori in the way they always do: with a kaputi and a kōrero.
Online Editor: Jack Woon
* Nominated for Best NZ Factual Series & Best Host NZ Factual Series
Blind rangatahi highlight their (un)sensationalised day-to-day lives, and their honest, funny, silly and serious conversations.
Directors: Julie Zhu & Sheldene Seth
Web Series (Narrative)
17-year-old outsider Niah is surrounded by spoiled rich kids after somehow ending up at Camp Be Better, a cushy alternative to community service for the offspring of the rich and famous.
Co-director: Chye-Ling Huang
* Nominated for Best NZ Narrative Series, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Performance (Louise Jiang), Best Score, Best Ensemble, Best Editing & Best Cinematography NZ Narrative Series
True is the most iconic b*tch you’ve ever met, but on the cusp of graduating from high school, she died in a tragic accident (note: it wasn’t an accident). On the night of her graduation party, True’s ghost uncovers her death was the least f*cked up thing that happened that year at Gilchrist Grammar.
Directors: Victoria Boult and Gwen Lin
Editor: Brendon Chan
* Nominated for Best NZ Narrative Series, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Performance (Kirana Asmarani), Best Score, Best Ensemble, Best Editing & Best Cinematography NZ Narrative Series
When six school prefects sneak away to a remote bach for a night of underage drinking and questionable decisions, they expect a chill evening—not total social annihilation. At 10 P.M., their phones light up with messages from @thesender, an anonymous account sending scandalous photos that could destroy their carefully crafted lives.
Director: Liv McClymont
Editor: Ben Chesters
* Nominated for Best NZ Narrative Series, Best Directing, Best Score, Best Ensemble, Best Editing & Best Cinematography NZ Narrative Series
Last updated on 19 November 2025
