20+ DEGANZ Members as NZTV Award Finalists

The New Zealand Television Awards (NZTVA) announced the finalists for 2023, with over 20 DEGANZ members’ mahi receiving nominations.

Each year, the NZTVA recognise and honour the excellence, special skills, and unique talents of those working in television. This year, the awards will be held in Tāmaki Makaurau on 5 December.

Check out the DEGANZ finalists in the list below:

Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama / Comedy Drama

Jesse Griffin

Educators 

South Pacific Pictures / TVNZ+ and TVNZ 2

Best Editing: Documentary or Factual

Cushla Dillon

No Māori Allowed

Kindred Films / TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

Emma Patterson

Kids Wired Differently

Ruckus / TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

Best Editing: Drama / Comedy Drama

Jonno Woodford-Robinson

One Lane Bridge

Great Southern Television / TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

NZ On Air Best Drama

The Brokenwood Mysteries

South Pacific Pictures / TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

Directors: Katie Wolfe (Ep1), David de Lautour (Ep2), and Jacqueline Nairn (Ep5)

Editor: Kerrie Roggio (Ep1 and 5)

The Gone

Kingfisher Films / Keeper Pictures / Southern Light Films / TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

Director: Peter Burger (Ep3 and 6)

Best Comedy

Homebound 3.0: Season 1 Episode 1

Kevin & Co / Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ / ThreeNow and Three

Starring: Michelle Ang (Incubator 2020)

Educators: Season 3 Episode 1

South Pacific Pictures / TVNZ+ and TVNZ 2

Director: Jesse Griffin

Co-Creator: Jackie van Beek

NZ On Air Best Documentary

No Māori Allowed 

Kindred Films / TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

Editor: Cushla Dillion

Best Original Reality Series

The Walkers: Season 2 Episode 3

Hi Mama Productions / TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+

Editor: Huhana Ruri-Panapa

Best Format Reality Series

The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes

Great Southern Television / TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

Editors: Tibor Riddering and Steven Chow

The Dog House NZ 

South Pacific Pictures / TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+

Assistant Editor: Megan Robinson

NZ On Air Best Children’s Programme

Mystic

Libertine Pictures & Slim Film + TV / TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+

Director: Peter Burger (Ep5-8)

NZ On Air Best Pasifika Programme

Inky Pinky Ponky: Season 1

Tikilounge Productions / The Coconet / Whakaata Māori

Co-director: Ramon Te Wake

Best Sports Programme

Scratched : Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends

Hex Work Productions / The Spinoff

Field Director: Piata Gardiner-Hoskins

Best Entertainment Programme

Ka Pō, Ka Ao Rob Ruha with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra

Satellite / Whakaata Māori

Editor: Ben Chesters

 

It’s great to see so many familiar names on the list!

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Bop to the Top of the South Film Festival

The Top of the South Film Festival is returning for its ninth year, with films from DEGANZ members Danika Leigh Ciullo and Brian Gill in the ‘The Savage and Savage Aotearoa‘ programme.

Danika’s short, Shredded, follows two young men when one must race the clock to find a missing phone number to save his best friend’s life.

In Solitaire, written and directed by Brian, a desperately lonely security guard’s playing cards come to life during a game of solitaire.

The festival is Top of the South Filmmakers Incorporated’s (TSF) primary annual fundraiser. This year’s festival director, appointed by the TSF Executive Committee, is fellow member Douglas Brooks.

TSF is a non-profit collective of filmmakers from across the Nelson, Marlborough, and Tasman regions looking to push the boundaries of creativity in film. The society aims to support the growth of the film industry in the region by facilitating professional development opportunities for filmmakers and providing opportunities for them to showcase their films and techniques.

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MistyFlicks Picks DEGANZ Members

The Misty Flicks Film Festival is featuring multiple DEGANZ members’ mahi this November. The festival highlights films shot in the Waikato and Central Aotearoa regions or that have a connection with these regions through cast and crew. Other films can also screen at the festival if the team behind them will attend the festival to present a workshop at the festival.

The programmers chose films of various genres and styles to bring an eclectic visual experience for festival attendees. Along with the numerous screenings, the festival also hosts workshops, panels, and social events for filmmakers and film buffs to enjoy.

Shorts Programme 1

Mothering Sunday

A horror, dark comedy short where terrifying revelations are made during a Mother-Daughter argument.

Director: Liv McClymont

Under Cover

In this dark comedy thriller, two women are tasked with unravelling the mystery behind their friend’s shady boyfriend, only to stumble upon a web of shocking secrets.

Director: Guillaume Arnoulet

Minimally Invasive

An anxious patient fears his concerns are being ignored when his routine operation yields unexpected findings.

Director & Editor: Adam Harvey

Shorts Programme 2

Proud Hooligan

In this AI-generated story, James and his unlikely companion, Helen, must stand up to the proud hooligan, Roy Randall. I mean, who else is going to defend those elderly ladies? Along the way, James learns about love, true friendship, and the need to get better at hiding his deadly knives.

Director & Editor: Guillaume Arnoulet

For Thom

An isolated teenage girl suffering from suicidal thoughts and depression tries to reconnect with her best friend Milly in an attempt to fix her fragile mental state.

Director: Rafa Yam

Editor: Guillaume Arnoulet

Feature Film

Real Cowboy

A fresh new comedy! Jimmy wants to be a Real Cowboy, but there is so much to learn, staying on your feet and well, staying alive for a start!

Director: Kevin R. Luck

 

In addition to screening in their respective programmes, both Minimally Invasive and Proud Hooligan are featuring in the festival’s Short Film Showcase. These films represent the best of the shorts programmes and are finalists for the Best Short award this year.

Congratulations to everyone selected!

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Taylor’s Directorial Debut at PÖFF

DEGANZ member Loren Taylor‘s directorial feature debut, The Moon is Upside Down, is having its world premiere at the 2023 PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. The film will screen in the First Feature Competition, a collection of first films of promising talents.

The Moon is Upside Down, written by Loren, follows three women as they navigate an unfamiliar landscape and the contours of the human heart. First, there’s Natalia, a duped mail-order bride. Then, there’s Briar, a numbed anaesthetist determined to have a romantic weekend. Last is Faith, an empty nester on an unexpected mission of mercy.

PÖFF describes the film as “a must-watch, a thought-provoking examination of connection, loneliness, and the unpredictable twists of fate.” It also praises Loren’s directing for blending humour and introspection, allowing audiences to connect with the characters, identifying with their loneliness, yet laughing out loud at their surreal circumstances.

Being selected for PÖFF is not to be taken lightly as it is one of the 15 A-list festivals accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Association, alongside Cannes, Venice, and other world-renowned festivals.

Congratulations Loren! We look forward to the Aotearoa premiere in 2024.

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Show Me (Shorts) Winners

Show Me Shorts had a wonderful Awards Night on Sunday 8 October, with multiple members nominated for and receiving awards.

DEGANZ member Julie Zhu‘s Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le swept up three of the eight awards. Julie not only won DEGANZ’s very own Best Director award, but she and fellow producers scooped up the coveted Department of Post Best NZ Film award, one of the festival’s Oscar-qualifying categories.

The jury commented on the film saying,

Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le is the type of film that balances the light and dark of the human experience splendidly. It lays bare the struggles of a young boy tasked with the care of his ailing Lǎo Lao, who is losing her mind to Alzhemiers. It’s a short film that is full of struggle and fight, connection and loneliness, love and hate. It is many things but, above all, it is undeniably moving and a film that will stay with the jury for some time to come.

Eight-year-old lead actor, Yan Lin, also earned the film the Toi Whakaari Best Actor award. However, this category was exceptionally difficult to choose this year, causing the judges to share the award between Lin and Prabha Ravi for her performance in Anu, written and directed by Pulkit Arora (DEGANZ).

They commented,

After much deliberation with so many wonderful performances to choose from, the jury felt that we couldn’t choose just one winner for the Toi Whakaari Best Actor award and decided to share this award between two equally outstanding performances and exceptional actors.

Keeping the success going, fellow member Maza White won Best Screenplay for her film, Daughter of God.

Other members were also honoured at the awards with nominations. Alongside Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le, Anu written and directed by Pulkit and Buttons & Dumplings co-directed by Calvin Sang (DEGANZ) were up for the Department of Post Best NZ Film Award. DEGANZ members dominated the Best Director nominations, with Pulkit and Michelle Ang (Incubator 2020) nominated alongside Julie for Anu and Nai/Milk respectively.

Michelle was also nominated for Best Actor for her role in Nai/Milk, while the film’s editors Jack Brown (DEGANZ) and Kevin Schlanser were up for Best Editor. Fellow member Jonno Woodford-Robinson was also nominated for Best Editor for The Ballad of Maddog Quinn.

Meanwhile, Anna Rose Duckworth (Incubator 2019) was nominated for Best Screenplay for Just Kidding, I Actually Love You and Kingmaker directed by Alyx Duncan (DEGANZ) was nominated for the NZ on Air Best Music Video.

Full List of Award Winners

Department of Post Best NZ Film

Jazz dos Santos, Puteri Raja Ariff, and Julie Zhu for Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le

Cause and FX Best International Film

Khozy Rizal, John Badalu, Sue Turley for Basri & Salma in a Never Ending Comedy

DEGANZ Best Director

Julie Zhu for Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le

DEGANZ Best Editor

Jeremy Leatinu’u and Ian Powell for Te Wakawhitinga

Best Screenplay

Maza White for Daughter of God

Best Cinematographer

Marty Williams for The Ballad of Maddog Quinn

Toi Whakaari Best Actor

Prabha Ravi for Anu

Yan Lin for Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le

NZ on Air Best Music Video

Ian Sweeny and Johnny Gilbert for When You Went Away – The Transits

 

If you’ve seen any of this year’s screenings, don’t forget to vote for your favourite film for the People’s Choice Award!

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