‘Invisible Dragons’ to Premiere at Bend Film Festival

DEGANZ member Victoria Boult‘s newest short film, Invisible Dragons, edited by Jack Woon (DEGANZ), is heading to the Bend Film Festival in Oregon, USA, for its world premiere in October.

The short is set in Aotearoa’s remote bush and is included in the festival’s Indigenous Shorts collection. Nineteen-year-old Ayala treks to the isolated hideout of her estranged father, Stephen — a man who now lives in a ramshackle conspiracy-theorist fortress wearing a lizard suit. Ayala attempts to reconnect over cockroach stew and heartbreak, revealing the death of her mother and begging him to return to reality. As Stephen refuses to budge, the film examines what happens when belief and grief collide.

The short’s script, written by Victoria, was developed at the Show Me Shorts Screenwriting Lab. In 2023, the film received funding through NZFC’s Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts program.

Congratulations team!

Last updated on 4 September 2025