DEGANZ Members Sweep at NZSA Awards

The New Zealand Screen Awards (NZSAs) took place in late November last month, with a multitude of awards going to DEGANZ members and their work.

DEGANZ was a proud sponsor of two awards this year: the DEGANZ Best Director and Best Editor for Drama Feature. DEGANZ board member Martin Brinkler ACE and Chris Plummer won the DEGANZ Best Editor Award for Joika. The late Lee Tamahori won the DEGANZ Best Director award for The Convert, which was accepted by producers Robin Scholes and Te Kohe Tuhaka on his behalf.

The Gone Season 2, directed by Peter Burger, won the most awards of the night, taking home nine accolades in total. The Convert, edited by member Luke Haigh, also swept up an impressive five awards across the evening.

Ka Whawhai Tonu, directed by Mike Jonothan and edited by fellow members Te Rurehe Paki and Martin Brinkler ACE won the NZ Film Commission Best Feature Film award. Meanwhile, Katie Wolfe was awarded Best Director: Documentary Feature for The Hake Party Incident (her victory walk pictured above).

Multiple members’ mahi in factual series were recognised as well. Motuhaketanga, edited by Cushla Dillon, won Best Documentary Series. The Restaurant that Makes Mistakes, co-edited by Steven Chow, took home Best Reality Series. Grit & Glory, directed by Dan Salmon, edited by Emma Patterson, and produced by Peter Book Bell, won Best Sports Programme.

Check the full list of DEGANZ winners down below:

Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand Best Director: Drama Feature

Lee Tamahori

The Convert

Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand Best Editor: Drama Feature

Martin Brinkler ACE and Chris Plummer

Joika

Best Director: Documentary Feature

Katie Wolfe

The Haka Party Incident

Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama Series

Peter Meteherangi Tikao Burger

The Gone Season 2

NZ On Air Best Drama Series

The Gone Season 2

Directors include Peter Meteherangi Tikao Burger

New Zealand Film Commission Best Feature Film

Ka Whawhai Tonu

Directed by Mike Jonathan

Edited by Te Rurehe Paki and Martin Brinkler ACE

NZ On Air Best Documentary – Series

Motuhaketanga

Editors include Cusha Dillon

Best Reality Series

The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes

Editors include Steven Chow

Best Sports Programme

Grit & Glory

Directed by Dan Salmon

Edited by Emma Patterson

Produced by Peter Brook Bell

 

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

 

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‘Lea Tupu’anga / Mother Tongue’ Under Consideration for the Oscars

DEGANZ member Vea Mafile’o‘s incredibly successful short film, Lea Tupu’anga / Mother Tongue, is now under consideration for an Oscar nomination ahead of the 2026 awards.

Writer and actor Luciane Buchanan announced this exciting news via a video tribute on social media, chronicling the short’s journey from idea to execution to now.

Luciane wrote the film as a tribute to her grandmother and was inspired by her experience losing the ability to speak a common language with her. Once Vea was on board as director, the team took it through development before receiving Fresh Shorts funding in 2019. After a Boosted campaign and the long journey through production, the film premiered at Sundance in 2024, being the first Tongan film to play at the prestigious festival. Since then, the film has been travelling the world in various festivals, including Whānau Mārama NZIFF, where it won Best Short Film.

The film has now officially qualified for the Best Live Action Short at the 98th Academy Awards. The last short from Aotearoa nominated in this category was Taika Waititi’s Two Cars, One Night in 2005.

Congratulations to Vea and the team on the exciting news! It has been inspiring to see the film’s stellar festival run and now see it considered for such an internationally acclaimed platform.

 

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‘Secrets at Red Rocks’ Nominated for Three Children’s & Family Emmys

Congratulations are due to DEGANZ members editor Alex Boyd and director David Stubbs for their work on the drama series Secrets at Red Rocks, which has received three Children’s & Family Emmy Award nominations!

Alex is recognised in particular, having earned the series a nomination for Outstanding Editing for a Preschool or Children’s Live Action Programme for their work on episode seven, People We Care About. The show is also nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Preschool or Children’s Series, as well as Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Live Action Programme for episode 6, Open Your Mind a Little.

Secrets at Red Rocks follows Jake as he is drawn into a world of mythical creatures and adventure when he finds a sealskin hidden on the rocky shores of his father’s seaside home in Wellington.

The Children’s & Family Emmy Awards are part of the National Emmy Awards, presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). In recent years, NATAS has held awards across a variety of television genres to highlight and honour excellence in each sector. 2026 marks the fourth annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, which will be held in March in New York City.

 

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‘Ace’ Scores Show Me Shorts’ People’s Choice Award

Ace, written and directed by Ray Edwards (DEGANZ), won the hearts of audiences across the motū and is taking home the 2025 Show Me Shorts People’s Choice Award.

The 15-minute short follows six-year-old Jimmy as he sets out on an epic quest to save his parents’ marriage with his imaginary daredevil friend, Ace. Set within a visually striking world, the film offers an intimate portrait of a young child connecting with his whakapapa.

In addition to the certificate and engraved bronze medal to mark the win, the filmmakers also won a $500 cash prize. This win continues the shorts’ successful festival circuit, having won Best Cinematography at the Show Me Shorts awards ceremony and travelling to Melbourne International Film Festival, where Ray took part of the festival’s Accelerator Lab.

Congratulations, Ray and the Ace team!

 

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‘Beyond the Beat’ Bags Second Season

DEGANZ member Gal Hochman‘s Beyond the Beat, in collaboration with Chillbox Creative, is returning for a second season.

Season one of the factual web series followed five artists as they transformed some of Aotearoa’s biggest hits. In each episode, an emerging artist met with a music legend to turn their most iconic song into something new, reflecting each artist’s unique style. At the end of the season, all the remake songs were released and put to a public vote; the winner would receive a music video for their winning track.

The show gave audiences a unique glimpse into music production and introduced the next wave of musicians. NZ On Air is continuing to support the series by greenlighting five more episodes for season two.

Gal recently wrapped filming the music video for Don’t Worry Bout’ It for local artist Liberty. She was the winner of the public vote from season one for her remake of the original song by Kings. The music video for her winning track is set inside a retro Aotearoa diner and follows Liberty as she goes about her day as a waitress until a chance encounter sparks a vibrant, high-energy musical number.

Congratulations to Gal, Chillbox, and the whole Beyond the Beat team on the exciting news! We look forward to seeing season two and the Don’t Worry Bout’ It music video when they come out.

 

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