Lee Back with Another Music Video

DEGANZ member and 2022 Incubator alum, Jolin Lee proves themselves as a director with a knack for music videos with the release of Breakdown Breakthrough for local pop artist Blake. This is Jolin’s second music video this year, and eighth in total.

The music video follows Blake around Auckland city center in the late night/early morning as she sings about being at a crossroads in life.

On Instagram Jolin shared that the production process for this video brought them back to their core as a creative. With minimal crew, it was “just a bunch of us going with the flow and collaborating together.”

You can check out the music video on Jolin’s website and YouTube now!

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DEGANZ Editor Takeover

Our editor members are always working away at something in the background. Two new NZOA series have just come out, featuring DEGANZ members.

In TransGenerations, edited by Jai Waite (DEGANZ) with additional editing by Charlotte Evans (DEGANZ) and fellow member Ramon Te Wake as Executive Producer, high-profile trans rights activists share their stories and shine a light on trans experiences in Aotearoa. The series opens with a look at how the increased media visibility of trans people has been both a blessing and a curse. The first episode focuses on actor and singer Brady Peeti, who shares how trans issues and rights are being championed like never before. However, she also shares her fears for trans people due to the influx of dangerous anti-trans rhetoric. With each episode, transgender Kiwis, young and old, tell their stories.

You can follow the video series’ release on NZME throughout July!

Meanwhile, DEGANZ member Kelly Weaver worked as assistant editor on Endangered Species Aotearoa with WWF. This new docu-series follows comedian Pax Assadi and conservationist biologist Nicola Toki across the country as they learn about the beautiful but vulnerable wildlife in Aotearoa and the South Pacific. The show offers a light-hearted look into the serious issue of endangered species and the conservationist work trying to help. WWF and the show aim to bring attention to how we can all help restore Aotearoa’s beloved wildlife all the way from the sky to the sea.

Check it out on TVNZ+ now!

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‘Mysterious Ways’ Celebrates its World Premiere

Mysterious Ways, a new feature film edited by Peter Roberts (DEGANZ), is celebrating its world premiere in August!

It will make its festival debut at the Chichester International Film Festival in the UK as part of the Window on the World collection. Established in 1992, the festival brings cinema, both new and archival, to the south coast of England. Mysterious Ways is also celebrating its premiere here in Aotearoa with a charity screening with Rainbow Auckland where all ticket sale proceeds will be donated to the Burnett Foundation. Grab your tickets here to show your support!

The film follows Vicar Peter Simmons as he grapples with the backlash and media circus surrounding his engagement to his Samoan boyfriend, Jason. Unpacking taboos of homosexuality within the Anglican church and Samoan culture, the film offers a look into a side of the LGBTQIA+ community rarely seen on screen.

Congratulations to Peter and the rest of the Mysterious Ways team!

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‘Gate Crash,’ ‘Anu,’ and ‘Earthlings’ off to MIFF

While enthralled by the hustle and bustle of NZIFF on our shores, DEGANZ congratulates members Cushla Dillon, Pulkit Arora, and Jamie Lawrence for their work making the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) selection.

Gate Crash, edited by Cushla, will screen as part of the festival’s Accelerator Shorts 1 programme, highlighting bold works from Aotearoa and Australia. The 18-minute short offers a dreamlike snapshot of a teenage friend group after the end-of-year ball. While the teens just want to shake off the dust of high school, vibes shift drastically with the unwelcome arrival of a dropout who threatens to take things too far.

Anu, directed by Pulkit, and Earthlings, directed by Jamie, will screen in the Accelerator Shorts 2 programme. The programme’s tagline aptly states, “Preview the next generation of homegrown directors.”

Anu finds moments of gentle humour in bleak circumstances. When moving to Aotearoa amidst the turmoil of mandated quarantine, a woman must improvise offerings to complete Pind Daan, a Hindi last-rites ritual. Through this short, Pulkit has created a touching portrayal of loneliness, isolation, and letting go.

In Earthlings, Jamie offers a surprisingly sweet portrait of two outsiders longing for connection. A teenage girl loner discovers a strange injured man on her neighbour’s property who seems to have fallen from another world. Through lush visuals and tender performances, the short is a surreal, whimsical, and enchanting glimpse into fleeting intimacy.

We wish Cushla, Pulkit, and Jamie the best of luck in the festival and look forward to seeing updates!

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NZIFF: Meet the (DEGANZ) Filmmaker

NZIFF officially opened on Wednesday to great success! While we can’t wait to see all our members’ mahi up on the big screen, we are just as excited to hear them discuss their projects.

This year, NZIFF is hosting a series of Meet the Filmmaker Q&A sessions with the directors of select films. Don’t miss the chance to hear directly from the filmmakers on their creative process, how they overcame challenges along the way, and advice on their craft.

Check our list of when DEGANZ members’ projects are screening in NZIFF to find out when their Q&A sessions are.

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