From the Fire Nation to the Wellness Cult: A Sneak Peek at Liang’s Upcoming Projects

Sneak a peek into DEGANZ member Roseanne Liang‘s upcoming projects.

The Season 2 trailer of TVNZ’s dystopian dramedy Creamerie is available online now. Set eight years after a deadly virus seemingly brings on the extinction of the entire male population, the show follows three dairy farmers when they stumble across a male survivor, Bobby. Immediately following the first season’s cliffhanger, this season will follow trio Alex, Jamie, and Pip, accompanied by Bobby, on their journey to take the Wellness cult leader down and reveal the truth about the ‘mandemic’.

The first season, which premiered in 2021, quickly became a beloved and critically-acclaimed series and was picked up by the streaming service Hulu. Season 2 will come out on TVNZ+ on 14 July before releasing on Hulu and SBS Viceland on 28 August. Roseanne created the show along with JJ Fong (Jamie), Perlina Lau (Pip), and Ally Xue (Alex) and is the show’s sole director.

Meanwhile, Netflix released the first teaser trailer and first look stills of the highly anticipated live-action adaption of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. The teaser features familiar imagery from the original cartoon, with the four nations’ emblems carved from their respective terrains and elements. It also confirms for the first time that the series will debut in 2024. The character sneak peeks reveal the real-life reimaginings of the iconic characters Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko.

Roseanne directed episodes five and six and was a co-executive producer on the series pilot.

Keep your eyes peeled for Roseanne’s work as it hits your TV and laptop screens!

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Brooks’ Bounty of Birds Selected for NZIFF

NZIFF released the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts selection, featuring Kōkako, written and directed by DEGANZ member Douglas Brooks (Te Ati Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungungu, Ngāti Pākehā).

The short film studies grief through the perspective of an aspiring ornithologist as she braves the Aotearoa wilderness to search for an extinct bird, the kōkako. However, when a brief moment of cell phone coverage delivers the news of her grandmother’s passing, Ashley must process her loss alone in the forest.

One of the curators of the programme, Leo Koziol, commented on the film:

The underlying theme is dark and mournful, but this bounty of birds is a fantastical delight from start to finish, never will I think the same again when I visit my Ngāhere.

All finalists in this programme are eligible for the Wellington UNESCO City of Film award for Best Film with a $3,000 cash prize. NZIFF audiences will also vote for the $1,000 reward Letterboxd Audience Award, announced at the festival’s closing night in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Best of luck during the festival to the Kōkako team!

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NZ’s Godfather of Genre Cinema Returns with ‘Night Freaks’

Aotearoa’s godfather of genre cinema, David Blyth (DEGANZ), returns with his new quirky musical docufiction, NIGHT FREAKS. The genre mashup feature is based loosely on his own experience of alien encounters and was filmed across the pandemic lockdowns on a shoestring budget.

The genre piece stars Yvette Parsons and Andrew McLennan and features guest appearances from Geeling Ching, Ian Mune, and Tom Sainsbury.

The film premieres on 1 July in Roswell, New Mexico, a town best known as the home of the first UFO crash site in 1947. NIGHT FREAKS will screen in the Roswell Daily Record Film Festival, celebrating UFO, Paranormal, and Cryptozoology-centred cinema.

This feature is part of a trilogy of David’s work that looks at tears in the fabric of everyday reality, along with WOUND and GHOST BRIDE. David is best known for exploring the taboo in his work and has a strong inclination for horror. He has been credited as a key director during the development of Kiwi Gothic cinema in the 70s and 80s.

Congratulations to David on the premiere!

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DEGANZ Members Feature at NZIFF 2023

New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has announced this year’s NZ feature films, with DEGANZ members involved in half of the twelve selected.

In their announcement press release, NZIFF General Manager Sally Woodfield commented:

We’re proud to have secured such an incredible line-up of homegrown films and it’s an honour to share this world-class line-up with audiences around Aotearoa this winter.

Of the twelve features, nine are having their world premiere at the festival, including all member projects. This is one of the largest collections of world premieres NZIFF has had in years.

The Strangest of Angels

Set in the Seacliff Mental Hospital in 1945, director Rebecca Tansley (DEGANZ) offers a dramatic and moving interpretation of the contemporary opera of the same title. Inspired by the events and life of Kiwi writer Janet Frame, the film sheds light on mental health from the past and present.

The Paragon

A hit-and-run victim learns psychic abilities to reap revenge on the car that hit him. Directed by former DEGANZ board member Michael Duignan, this cosmic comedy horror embodies Kiwi ingenuity with its microbudget of $25,000. Fellow members and Incubator 2020 alumnae Jessica Grace Smith and Michelle Ang feature in the stellar cast.

King Loser

Co-directed and edited by DEGANZ member Cushla Dillon, this career-spanning documentary follows legendary 90s rock band King Loser on their 2016 farewell tour. The film offers an earnest and affectionate portrait of the band through rich archive footage and reflective present-day interviews.

Red Mole: A Romance

Annie Goldson (DEGANZ) expertly assembles archival footage, photographs, scrapbooks, posters, and stage designs of the radical theatrical troupe Red Mole in this exhilarating retrospective. Co-edited by fellow member Cushla Dillon, the documentary considered the troupe’s romantic goals, tenacious performers, and tumultuous career.

Ms Information

Filmed across two years during the pandemic, DEGANZ member Gwen Isaac‘s observational documentary dives into the trenches of microbiologist Siousxsie Wiles’ public service. While encouraging the public not to panic, Siouxsie became the target of misogynistic hate and conspiracy that threatened her professional and personal life. The film reveals a small nation under pressure, confronting a new type of leadership that excites, incites, and polarizes.

Grant Sheehan: Light, Ghosts, & Dreams

Robin Greenberg (DEGANZ) celebrates the life and art of avant-garde New Zealand photographer and publisher Grant Sheehan and his creative Artificial Intelligence (AI) explorations. Known for not confining himself to a single specialty, Grant’s career has taken him on adventures across the globe with little more than his curiosity and camera.

Congratulations to all members featured; we are excited to see your work in the festival!

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NZIFF 2023: DEGANZ Members as NZ’s Best

The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has announced this year’s New Zealand’s Best lineup, with DEGANZ members involved in four of the six short films selected. 

From the 81 films submitted this year, only 12 were chosen for the shortlist. Then, the final six were picked by Guest Selector Niki Caro, well-known for her film Whale Rider. She praised the projects, saying:

This selection of short films features fresh perspectives, acts of resistance, and small but powerful stories perfectly told. From a range of different voices, these films are tough and tender.

The shorts will screen during NZIFF before a jury of three selects the winners of the $7500 Best Short Film Award, the $4000 Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award, and the $4000 Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award. Additionally, audiences vote for their favourite short in which the winner takes home 25% of the total box office sales. Last year, Perianayaki, directed by DEGANZ member Bala Murali-Shingade and edited by fellow member Shailesh Prajapati, won the Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award, the Flicks Award for Best Short Film, and the Audience Award.

Daughter of God 

Written, directed, and co-produced by Maza White (DEGANZ), this film tells a story of an Iranian-Kiwi daughter. When forced into an arranged marriage, she must either dishonour her family or lose the love of her life.

Gate Crash 

Heightened emotions of a school ball after-party pared with deft shifts in tone, this short offers a new look into the teen genre, as put by Niki. DEGANZ member Cushla Dillon is credited as editor.

Hey Brainy Man

This avant-garde comedy, co-produced by DEGANZ member Jaimee Poipoi (Incubator 2023), acts as a performance appraisal for humankind. A group of evolutionary losers warn Homo sapiens not to f*ck up the world.

Anu 

When a 57-year old widow moves to Aotearoa from India, she’s forced to confront her grief by completing an ordinary ritual despite the extraordinary circumstances: quarantine. The drama short was written and directed by Pulkit Arora (DEGANZ) and edited by fellow member Jolin Lee (Incubator 2022).

Congratulations to the members involved; we can’t wait to see your mahi on the big screen!

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