The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) has announced its Feature Film Development Funding allocations for May–July 2026, with five members attached to commissioned projects.
This fund supports local filmmakers to develop new feature films through script development, research, packaging and audience strategy with the intention to get their projects production-ready.
We’re thrilled to see so many DEGANZ members among the recipients:
Refuge — Max Currie
Tandem — Pennie Hunt
The Rebirth of Barbara Luggate— Jackie van Beek
When the Goats Came — Arthur Gay
Where The River Runs— Rouzie Hassanova
Congratulations to all our members involved in these projects! We can’t wait to see where these films go next.
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This week’s DEGANZ Watch List features two sports-focused projects and a brand-new dramedy series, showcasing the work of three DEGANZ members across advertising, documentary and television.
Up first is DEGANZ member Liv McClymont‘s latest ad campaign for 2degrees, focusing on keeping girls in sport by challenging the culture around comments made from the sidelines.
Also in the sports world is fellow member Vea Mafile’o‘s highly anticipated feature documentary LOMU. After premiering at NZIFF as the festival’s centrepiece, the film is hitting cinemas across Aotearoa on 3 Sept. Support local filmmaking and support the cinemas by finding a screening near you.
Last but not least is the new dramedy series Settling, directed by Ghazaleh Gol (DEGANZ), and starring Pax Assadi and Hannah Marshall, with narration from The Office‘s Rainn Wilson. Plenty of laughs to be had as estranged best mates reconnect and reinstate a pact they made to marry each other if they’re still single by 35.
The 2degrees SupportHER Club is part of our commitment to Fighting for Fair for women and girls in sport at every level. Research shows that sideline support is a key factor in keeping girls playing, so 2degrees has created the SupportHER Line to help fans recognise the line between sideline support that uplifts and behaviour that unintentionally pushes girls out of their game.
LOMU is a complex and nuanced portrait of Jonah Lomu, the most adored son of the Pacific, a legendary All Black, who transcended the game with his immense power and unstoppable determination. More than a sports biography, this documentary is a Pasifika story of identity, faith, collective responsibility and vulnerability behind legend. Jonah Lomu emerges not only as a revolutionary athlete, but as a deeply human figure whose legacy reshaped rugby, expanded representation, and changed who the game belongs to forever.
In NZ cinemas 3 September. Find a screening near you via MadMan.
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Matthew is attending the programme alongside producer Angela Littlejohn with The Frogman, a psychological dramedy and the only film from Aotearoa to be selected.
The prestigious programme acts as an engine to accelerate finance and find co-production collaborators, allowing participants to gain exposure across the A-List festival, access networking, and become eligible for awards.
TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world. Taking place in September of every year, the festival is Academy Award and BAFTA-qualifying, with many of its selected films going on to receive nominations and wins at other major festivals and awards.
Best of luck with the programme, and we look forward to seeing more as the film continues to develop.
DEGANZ Member Ahmed Osman’s short film, Arrival, has won the 2026 Spirit of the Civic Award at NZIFF. Along with the accolade, Ahmed will receive a $4,000 cash prize.
Filmed in part at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre, the film follows a mother and daughter as they settle into their life in Aotearoa as refugees. Exploring the struggles of leaving an entire life behind, Ahmed draws on his own personal experiences as a refugee to tell this authentic story. The film provides powerful insight into the realities of resettlement and refugee resilience.
Staff at the Resettlement Centre found the film to be extremely resonant. Residential Team Leader Ko Parsons claimed that Ahmed truly captured refugees’ experiences and created an extremely emotional film.
Chosen as one of the 14 finalists from a total of 130 films submitted for NZIFF’s Aotearoa’s Best Shorts Programme, Arrival has also been selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). Ahmed is currently in Melbourne participating in the MIFF Accelerator Lab to showcase the film and connect with international filmmaking networks and opportunities.
Congratulations to Ahmed and all those involved in the making of the film!
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This week, we’ve got seven DEGANZ members on our watchlist, with new drama series, ad campaigns, and docuseries to watch.
First up is the hit crime drama A Remarkable Place to Die Season 2 trailer, with DEGANZ members Peter Burger, Victoria Boult, and Emmett Skilton having directed this season. Fellow member David de Lautour’s new drama series, Ms. X, is out now with new episodes releasing every Monday.
Liv McClymont (DEGANZ) recently directed a new ad campaign celebrating the Warehouse’s long-lost Kiwi mascot, marking its return after a 20-year absence.
Meanwhile, directors Kim Webby and Mike Jonathan have teamed up for the new documentary series Whales, Rats & Kauri, with seven episodes now available to stream.
Series Directors: Peter Burger, Victoria Boult, and Emme Skilton
Season 2 of this crime thriller series is coming soon! Detective Anais Mallory (Chelsie Preston Crayford) returns to her hometown of Queenstown and faces startling homicides. She cracks cases while confronting personal ghosts from her past.
A suburban mum and her high school friend plot to frighten her unfaithful husband straight, but their scheme spirals into murder, trapping her between law enforcement, drug lords, and ruthless PTA mums.
Available to stream on ThreeNow, with new episodes dropping every Monday.
The Warehouse’s long-lost Kiwi mascot has returned in this ad campaign designed to unfold more like a drama series rather than a commercial. The five-part series available on YouTube, TikTok and TVNZ+, follows Kiwi as they wake up from a coma and navigate modern Aotearoa before eventually finding their way back to The Warehouse.
A young man learns the sacred rites of Māori whale harvests. But learning from Dad is as tough as the gruelling harvests for bone and oil that revive a traditional way of life.
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