15 Projects from DEGANZ Members in the 2025 NZ Web Fest
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)
Constance
Writer/Director: Jayde Hudson
* Nominated for Best Film NZ Short Fiction, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Editing & Best Performance NZ Short Fiction (Caitlin Mactavish)
Planet 13
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)
Haera Mai
Writer, Director & Editor: Benjamin McQueen
Short Films (Documentary)
End of an Era
Director, Cinematographer & Editor: Joe Murdie as Bunker Street Film Co.
* Nominated for Best Short Documentary & Best Directing Short Documentary
Music Videos
Lambs Aren’t Walking Yet
Produced by Joe Murdie as Bunker Street Film Co.
Vendetta
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
Series Director: Karen McKenzie
* Nominated for Best Editing NZ Factual Series & Best Host NZ Factual Series
d8talk
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
Home Education
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’ Rd Chronicles
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
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
Sight Unseen
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)
Camp Be Better
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
Literally Dead
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
The Sender
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
