‘Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds’ Hits the Big Screen

The highly anticipated documentary Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds celebrated its world premiere in Tāmakai Makarau Auckland on Tuesday, 29 April and is now playing in cinemas across Aotearoa.

The documentary, edited by DEGANZ member Josh Yong and directed by Incubator alum Ursula Grace-Williams, is an intimate portrait of the musician as he records his first te reo Māori album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka (A Messy House).

The film follows the renowned singer-songwriter as he embraces te reo and navigates the challenges and joys of expressing himself in a new linguistic landscape. It illuminates Marlon’s artistic evolution–his classical training, his country and folk roots, and the Māori musical traditions that have shaped him. In the heartfelt feature, he reflects on love, music, and life, questioning what he truly wants from his. The film is a raw and earnest look into Marlon’s journey of reconnection and self-discovery

Check Madman to see where Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds is playing near you.

 

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DEGANZ Members Selected for Script to Screen Development Initiatives

Congrats to DEGANZ members Sapna Samant and Rouzie Hassanova for being selected for Script to Screen’s South Shorts and Waitaha Screen Development Incubator programmes, respectively.

South Shorts 2025

South Shorts is an annual mentorship programme for new and emerging screenwriters from South Auckland to develop short film scripts. Over five workshops, Sapna and the other filmmakers will participate in workshops, script reads, group discussions, writing exercises, and sessions with guest filmmakers. They’ll exit the programme with a completed short film script and practical tools to move towards production.

Sapna is a writer, director and producer. She has produced short documentary Dance Baby Dance, written and produced two shorts, Kimbap and Debts We Pay, and directed her short Debts We Pay. Sapna also co-produced short-form series POV for RNZ/Tahi in 2022. She has two MAs in film, television and media studies from the University of Auckland with first-class honours in directing drama. Her script Raju was developed through this writing lab and was shortlisted for Fresh Shorts in 2021 and Day One in 2024. Other development involves South Shorts, the 2021 Show Me Shorts development lab, and the latest Screen Accelerator Project run by Tall Poppy Films and Jon Kroll in Wellington.

Waitaha Screen Development Incubator

Waitaha Screen Development Incubator is a new initiative for TV series and feature film projects in development that plan to be filmed and produced in Waitaha, Canterbury. The programme aims to support the development of original IP in the region and support creators to get projects better equipped for funding and production.

Rouzie has been selected with her second feature film Tulpar, which received the Seed Advanced Development Grant from the New Zealand Writers Guild in 2023. The project was developed through Script to Screen’s FilmUp Mentorship and the STOWE Story Lab Remote Residency 2023. Earlier in 2025, the latest draft made the Quarterfinals of the Stage 32 + Catalyst Studios Empowering Women Script Competition!, and The Writers Lab, NY.

Rouzie is an award-winning writer and director whose unique Pomak-Bulgarian (Muslim) identity brings a fresh vision to her work. She is known for her commitment to authenticity and collaboration. She crafts powerful themes and true-to-life performances in her films. Her debut film Radiogram won the Audience Award at the Sofia International Film Festival, the Best Debut Award at the Golden Rose Film Festival, and the Special Mention Award at the Vukovar International Film Festival. The feature continued its international journey, including festivals at Haifa, Dubai, Heartlands, Istanbul, and Transilvania, while streaming on Amazon Prime and SBS Australia. Her collection of award-winning shorts includes Song for Serbia (currently screening on Whakaata Māori (Māori TV)), Tree Without A Root, Vicky, and The Portrait, which travelled to the festivals Show me Shorts, Raindance, In the Palace, Galway, Big Sur, Sofia, and Wairoa Māori Film Festivals among others.

 

We are excited to see where Sapna and Rouzie’s projects go next!

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‘n00b’ is off to Cannes

n00b’s success streak continues! The local dramedy series, directed by DEGANZ members Victoria Boult and Josh Frizzell, has been selected for the Short Form Competition at Canneseries.

Canneseries is an annual international television series festival held in Cannes, France. Each year an experienced jury selects long and short form narrative and docuseries to be showcased. Across six days, the festival hosts screenings, keynote talks, and industry workshops and events.

n00b will be competing against series from Finland, France, Canada, Belgium, and Norway for the Best Short Form Series Award.

The festival comments on the series saying,

In 2005, deep in the heart of New Zealand, Nikau discovers his sexuality at the dawn of social media. In this arena, screenwriter Victoria Boult plays with the codes of teen films and creates a universe full of fantasy and unflinching humour to question social and gender norms.

Congratulations to Victoria, Josh, and the n00b team on the prestigious selection!

 

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DEGANZ Members Celebrate World Premieres with Doc Edge

Doc Edge kicks off its 20th anniversary by announcing the first 15 films selected for this year’s festival, including Devils on Horses and Mighty Indeed (former working title The Climate Canary) from DEGANZ members Edward Sampson, Vanessa Wells, and Emma Smart.

Doc Edge is Aotearoa’s leading documentary film festival with the prestigious Oscar-qualifying status. The 20th-anniversary programme will be screened in-person in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch and through Doc Edge’s Virtual Cinema for those unable to attend in person. This year promises a diverse range of bold and impactful films covering climate change, social issues, human rights, and the arts.

Festival Director, Dan Shanan, commented on this year’s festival saying,

Doc Edge’s 20th anniversary is not just about celebrating the past—it’s about pushing the boundaries of what documentary can achieve. This year’s festival is a celebration of bold storytelling, with films that challenge, inspire, and ultimately transform how we see the world.

Both Devils on Horses and Mighty Indeed are making their world premieres are Doc Edge this year.

Devils on Horses

Directed by Edward Sampson

Exploring the deep bond between soldiers and their horses in the harsh desert, showing how these animals provided comfort, security, and emotional stability during the horrors of war.

Mighty Indeed

Directed by Vanessa Wells

Edited by Emma Smart

Former working title The Climate Canary. A character-driven film set in Antarctica, blending stunning wildlife and scenery while addressing climate change with wit and warmth. It follows three women over four decades as they push the boundaries of science.

 

Congratulations Edward, Vanessa, and Emma! You can find the rest of the first selections here.

 

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‘Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le’ Wins at MWFF

Congratulations to DEGANZ member Julie Zhu on winning Best Short Film for Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le at the Melbourne Women Film Festival (MWFF)! Fellow member Brendon Chan edited the short, which premiered in 2023. Since, it has travelled to numerous festivals collecting accolades, including Best NZ Film and Director at Show Me Shorts.

Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le follows a young boy when he is left home alone with his increasingly unwell grandmother. In the tight confines, he is forced to come to terms with her deterioration.

The short screened in MWFF’s Freshly Squeezed Shorts 2 competition. From stories that honour women past and present to the accidental kidnapping of a gnome, the programme showcased the last and best shorts from the region’s women and gender diverse filmmakers.

Julie spoke with MWFF Critics Lab’s Michelle Huang in an interview about clever titles, podcasts, and (grand)parents. She shared about themes in Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le and her other works saying,

In immigrant storytelling in general, the parent-child, or intergenerational dynamics are a recurring – almost trope – for diasporic stories. It’s something we’re constantly reflecting on and analysing because we come from such different upbringings, perspectives, and values sometimes. It’s a constant negotiation that I think I’ll be perpetually exploring, if not in storytelling, in life. It’s a forever irreconcilable relationship. We’ll never fully be able to see where the other comes from, but we can try. Then there’s the nuances of how we code switch in different contexts: at home with family and out in the world with our friends and peers. These are the themes I’m always revisiting and I’m also interested in elevating stories from both sides of that dynamic and having more nuance in the representation of older generations, so it’s not always just seen from the immigrant kid’s perspective.

 

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