Catalyst Lights the Spark for Short Films from Ratana and Luping

DEGANZ members Te Waiarangi Ratana and Jo Luping are attached to projects that have received funding from the latest round of the New Zealand Film Commission’s He Kauahi Catalyst. The fund provides up to $90,000 to local filmmakers to create exceptional narrative short films, including animation.

Te Waiarangi is working with Anahera Parata and Ben Bamford on the live-action action/adventure, Thieves of Te Rā. Evil forces hunt a Māori artifact with the power to command the sun. Two Māori heroes stand in their way.

Jo has teamed up with Paula Whetu Jones, Tainui Tukiwaho, and Kirk Torrance on He Tohu – The Warning. The animated horror/fantasy short warns against harming the planet. When disease and deforestation threaten the existence of the mighty God of the Forest, Tāne Mahuta unleashes a terrifying force, killing and absorbing every human in a nearby logging town.

Congratulations on the funding success; we look forward to seeing the films when they are completed!

 

Last updated on 2 October 2025

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‘Deathgasm II: Goremageddon’ Coming Soon

The long-awaited sequel to the 2015 Kiwi cult classic Deathgasm is coming soon! Deathgasm II: Goremageddon, edited by DEGANZ member Brendon Chan, celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, in September. It will visit a few more festivals, such as Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain and Monster Fest in Australia, before hitting Aotearoa screens with exclusive screenings at Terror-Fi Fest for Halloween.

The film catches up with Brodie a few years after the last demon apocalypse. He’s washed-up, broke, and stuck in small-town purgatory when he learns that a battle-of-the-bands competition is coming to his town. In attempts to redeem himself, he pulls out all the stops to raise his former bandmates from the dead with musical dark magic. With every chord comes blood, guts, and the kind of apocalyptic chaos only Deathgasm can unleash.

Keep an eye out for the wider theatrical release of Deathgasm II: Goremageddon in local cinemas later this year!

 

Last updated on 2 October 2025

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Film Festivals Galore!

DEGANZ members’ work is being showcased across Aotearoa and around the globe at a range of film festivals. It’s always inspiring to see our members’ mahi, whether drama shorts or documentary features, being recognised and shared with wider audiences.

Join us in celebrating these wins by checking out this list of films from 10 members, in both directing and editing roles.

Blood and Bark

Writer/Director: Agnes Peel-McGregor (professionally known as Bagins)

Agnes’ debut feature Blood and Bark (formerly The Root People) is a quarter finalist for Square Peg Social, the professional development programme from Hollywood heavy hitters Lars Knudsen and Ari Aster. The team behind the wildly popular horror films Midsommar, Hereditary, and more founded the programme to bolster the next generation of filmmakers through one-on-one mentorship and advice from industry professionals.

Devils on Horses

Director: Edward Sampson

After its run in Doc Edge, the feature documentary Devils on Horses screened in the Boston International Film Festival.

Set against the brutal backdrop of the Sinai-Palestine campaigns in WWI, the film reveals the unbreakable bond between soldiers and their horses, who were trusted companions that offered comfort, courage, and connection in the face of unrelenting war. Through rich visuals, raw interviews, and immersive reenactments, Devils on Horses brings to life the emotional journey of men who found strength in their steeds.

Invisible Dragons

Writer/Director: Victoria Boult

Editor: Jack Woon

Following its premiere at the Bend Film Festival in Oregon, Invisible Dragons is heading to the Hawai’i International Film Festival as part of the Pacific Islander Showcase and is nominated for Best Short Film.

In rural Aotearoa, Ayala confronts her estranged, conspiracy-obsessed father, Stephen, in his isolated ramshackle fortress — where he now lives as a self-proclaimed lizard person. With her mother’s ashes in hand, Ayala pleads for him to return to reality. But as the line between delusion and belief blurs, Ayala must face a chilling question: what if he’s not entirely wrong?

Pack Rat

Writer/Director/Editor: Lucy Seuss

This narrative short film is continuing its massively successful festival run, heading to the UK for the 44th Cambridge Film Festival, Germany for the Hofer International Film Festival, and continuing its USA run with the Newport Beach Film Festival. The film has travelled to a wide range of festivals across the globe already, including Aotearoa’s own NZIFF and Australia’s MIFF.

In rural New Zealand, a fifteen-year-old girl fights to keep her place among the pack of boys she has grown up with.

Rice Run

Writer/Director: Pon Torthienchai

Editor: Jolin Lee

Rice Run is celebrating its world premiere at the 20th Tasveer Film Festival and Market, the world’s only Oscar-qualifying South Asian Film festival.

The narrative short follows 9-year-old Tent on his rice run when he encounters three unruly teens who challenge his sense of duty.

Misty Flicks Selections

This year, 20 short films have been officially selected for the Misty Flicks Film Festival, including three from DEGANZ members!

From heartfelt to haunting, playful to provocative, these shorts celebrate the diversity of voices, genres, and perspectives in Aotearoa filmmaking. They’re proof that powerful storytelling doesn’t need long run times – just vision, courage, and creativity.

PleasureDora

Director and Editor: Mark Prebble

A glitchy AI love companion from the ‘semi-mature’ range and her lonely final customer confront mortality, second chances, and life on the scrap heap.

The Box

Director: Ashley Pitman

Two police officers must lie in wait to ambush their target; however, their mission isn’t exactly what it seems.

Tomorrow

Writer/Director: Christopher Lambert

Middle-aged Marcus feels he is a failure in everything he does. However, one night, while failing in an attempt to end his life, he encounters a mysterious woman in a bar that will change his life forever.

 

Last updated on 9 October 2025

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Scraped From the Internet

View from the Top banner

I’ve been writing View from the Top almost every two weeks now for the last ten years. With AI such a topical issue, I thought I would task AI to write the blog for me this week to see what it came up with. I gave it one prompt, and here’s what it delivered:

New Zealand Screen Industry: What’s Shifting

  1. Major boost to the Screen Production Rebate / Incentives

In Budget 2025 the NZ Government committed NZ$577 million over four years to bolster the International Screen Production Rebate (now part of the NZ Screen Production Rebate or NZSPR). Mirage News The Beehive The Big Idea

  2. International Engagement & Trade Missions

The NZ Film Commission (NZFC) has been active in supporting NZ filmmakers at international markets and festivals (Cannes, Toronto, India, UK, etc.). New Zealand Film Commission+2New Zealand Film Commission

In parallel, there’s a new International Placement Initiative aimed at emerging‐to‐mid‐career writers, directors, and producers to take internships or placements with overseas companies (Australia, UK, Ireland etc.). Scoop

  1. Domestic Hits with Strong Cultural & Box Office Impact

A recent example is Tinā (directed by Miki Magasiva), a Samoan‐led NZ‐story film, which has done very well locally: wide release, strong ticket numbers, and overtook Whale Rider to become one of NZ’s highest grossing domestic films. New Zealand Film Commission

Also Mārama, a gothic horror with Māori cultural and historic angles, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, showing how even genre work drawing on indigenous narratives is getting international attention. Wikipedia

  1. Co-productions & Treaties

NZ has formal co-production treaties or arrangements with many countries (Australia, Canada, China, UK, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa etc.). New Zealand Film Commission+2The Beehive+2

Official co-productions allow projects to gain “national film” status in both countries, making them eligible for funding or incentives in both jurisdictions, helping with financing, distribution, risk, and pooling of creative & technical resources. New Zealand Film Commission+2New Zealand Film Commission+2

  1. Sustainability & Green Practices Increasingly Material

The organisation Greenlit launched in late 2023 and in its first year has been involved with over 50 productions (domestic and international) helping them embed sustainability practice: mandatory sustainability action plans, employing sustainability managers, measuring emissions, etc. Greenlit+2Greenlit+2

Screen Auckland also released a Screen Sector Emissions Study (“Kua takoto te mānuka”) aimed at helping NZ work toward halving carbon emissions by 2050 in the screen sector. aucklandeconomicdevelopment.com

  1. Challenges: Workforce, Capacity & Stability

Despite the incentives and international successes, there are concerns:

    • Many crew report inconsistent work and uncertainty: surveys suggest that production work has dropped in mid-2025 compared with 2024, with many “crew” not knowing what their work pipeline looks like. Screen NZ International
    • There is a skills / labour supply issue especially in certain crafts, editing, post production, VFX etc., particularly for large international work that expects very high standards. The perception of career pathways is unclear for many. aucklandeconomicdevelopment.com+1
    • Domestic content ‒ even with rebates ‒ still needs stronger creative control, ownership, and infrastructure if local directors and editors are to build sustainable careers rather than rely only on international or co‐production projects.
  2. Policy & Screen Sector Review

The government (MBIE & Manatū Taonga / MCH) has initiated a screen sector review, with goals including:

What This Means for Directors & Editors

Given the above, here are some implications and strategic takeaways.

  • Strong incentive to aim for mid‐to-higher budget projects: The rebate scheme favours “hefty spend” productions (feature films, big TV), and the additional uplift for those that meet specific criteria (sustainability, local economic impact) means that projects that scale up tend to reap greater benefit. Directors who can package projects at that scale (financially, creatively) will find more opportunity.
  • Editing & Post Production Boom Potential: With more international productions choosing NZ (e.g. Avatar sequels etc.), there is growing demand for domestic post‐production, visual effects, sound, color grading etc. Editors who maintain high technical standards, familiarity with international workflows (e.g. remote collaboration, VFX pipelines, etc.) will be in demand.
  • Co-production is a lever: Projects structured as official co-productions can unlock more funding, access new markets, hire specialists, etc. Directors and editors can benefit from these through broader teams, varied crew, and cross‐border collaborations. Knowing the treaties (which ones NZ is signed with and what their criteria are) is valuable. New Zealand Film Commission+1
  • Sustainability is no longer optional: The rebate rules increasingly require sustainability plans / metrics if you want the uplift. Editors and directors need to be able to plan for greener production and post-work (e.g. power usage, travel, etc.). Understanding what a Sustainability Action Plan looks like, measuring emissions, etc., will increasingly be part of the workflow. Greenlit
  • Domestic storytelling is being rewarded: Films like Tinā show that local stories, especially from underrepresented communities, can succeed both critically and commercially. For editors and directors, authenticity, community connection, and strong local voice have value — and may help with funding, distribution, audience draw.
  • Need for clarity in career pathways: For editors in particular, the uncertainty of work and the competition from larger international projects can create unpredictability. There’s opportunity in becoming specialised (genre, VFX editing, color, remote collaboration) and staying current with tech and standards. Also, networking via NZFC trade missions, placement initiatives etc. helps. Scoop

International Comparisons & Risks to Watch

  • Other countries (Canada, UK, Australia, parts of Europe) continue to compete aggressively with generous incentives, often tied to tax credits, foreign spend, content quotas etc. NZ has been boosting its game but must keep the rebate scheme competitive. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • Trade and policy shifts matter: e.g. proposals in the U.S. for high tariffs on foreign films could ripple out to affect demand and how international productions allocate budgets. NZ is already taking that into account in policy. Reuters
  • Global supply chain and labour issues remain: cost pressures, inflation, exchange rates, travel restrictions, location access can all have impact. Editors and directors might need to plan for contingencies.

Strategic Tips for Directors/Editiors

Here are some suggestions (based on the context) to take advantage of current dynamics:

  1. Build projects knowing rebate / incentive criteria from the start.
    If you want the international rebate with uplift, or want your production interpreted as a co-production, structure your creative, budget, location, crew etc. to satisfy those requirements (e.g. sustainability, percentage of NZ content, etc.).
  2. Plan for post-production excellence domestically.
    If editors can be involved early in planning (workflow, VFX, color, remote collaboration tools), you’ll have more control over quality, schedule, budget. Also, consider scaling up editing VFX partnerships since NZ’s reputation is strengthening in these areas.
  3. Engage with co-production partners.
    Identify treaty countries that align creatively. Co-productions may also allow you to use crew, facilities, subsidies abroad. This may allow flexibility in where some parts of editing or post workflows happen, or bring in additional talent.
  4. Invest in sustainability literacy.
    Learn what a sustainability action plan includes; keep track of emissions; consider production decisions (travel, local vs overseas VFX, power usage etc.). Being ahead of this curve may help your project get the rebound uplift & also prepare you for wider international standards.
  5. Network internationally, use placement & trade mission opportunities.
    NZFC’s new placement initiative, trade missions etc. are chances to build global contacts. For editors, working occasionally with international teams or on co-productions (even remote) can widen your experience and reputation.
  6. Stay alert to domestic content demand.
    While big international work is good, there is increasing appetite (from funders and audiences) for stories rooted in NZ culture, indigenous perspectives, underrepresented voices. Finding ways to tell local stories with strong editing, directing could lead to both funding & audience success.

 

ChatGPT for Tui Ruwhiu, Executive Director

Last updated on 18 September 2025

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Reflections of A Wave in the Ocean at Venice

This year, seven short films from Aotearoa screened at the Venice International Film Festival in a dedicated tribute programme to Jane Campion’s A Wave in the Ocean (AWITO) film school. Of the seven, three include work from DEGANZ members.

The programme ran in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington across 12 months under the tutelage of industry legends Jane Campion and Phillipa Campbell. As part of the programme, the selected participant directors received funding to create an original short film.

With the festival come and gone, we reached out to our involved members for a reflection on the experience of having their work screened at such a prestigious event.

DEGANZ member Eleanor Bishop wrote, directed, and co-edited her film Girl Time. Inspired by how childhood trauma lives on inside us, the film follows Marianne as she gets ready for a dreaded family dinner. But she is interrupted by two mysterious young girls who appear and ask her to play with them.

It was such an honor to have ‘Girl Time’ screen at Venice and I was so proud to be screened alongside my other Wave in the Ocean filmmakers. It was an inspiring experience seeing brilliant work by other amazing filmmakers and taking part in invigorating conversations with filmmakers and audiences.

 

Fellow member Brendon Chan edited A Very Good Boy. In the film, a temporarily unemployed father and husband has a visitor while his wife is out of town. A decision he makes to ensure his son’s silence costs him more than he would like, changing their lives forever.

I’m so proud to have been part of something screening at Venice, but honestly, I’m really excited about where filmmaking in Aotearoa is heading. The films have such a confident authorship and if this programme keeps running beyond the two years its had so far, it’s going to have a massive impact.

 

Wrapping up the DEGANZ cohort is Sam Small, who edited Kurī  for writer/director Anya Chaya Scotney. The titular Kurī hasn’t been back home to the rainforest, Te Urewera, since she was bitten on the face by a dog as a child. But after the death of her father, she must return and face the uncertainty of grief — whether she is ready to or not.

I’ve always really believed in Ana’s artistic vision, so when she told me her idea for a short film about  a girl who was kind of like a dog – I knew I really wanted to work on it! No matter what sort of accolades are acquired along the way, I think I am always most interested in integrity of story, and AWITO is helping to tell these stories at a level that isn’t seen often in NZ, especially not in short films.

 

 

Last updated on 18 September 2025

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