Help Bring ‘Strangers’ to Life

DEGANZ member James Fink-Jensen is seeking support for his new short film’s Boosted campaign. To bring Strangers to life, the team needs to raise $8,000 and only has 26 days left in their campaign to do so.

The five-minute short dwells in the nervous pressure of making that first impression on a date. Protagonist Nigel “Mr Wrong” Wilson, a young and awkward journalist, sure knows how to make a lasting impression. From Nigel to Darcy Owens, the cafe waitress who balances a plate on one arm and impatience on the other, to antagonist Felix Green, part-time bartender, part-time menace, the colourful cast of characters are all propelled on a rollercoaster of their own. But really, how much could go wrong in just five minutes?

James sits at the helm of this project as director, producer, editor, and writer. He attributes Table Reads as an integral part of the development of Strangers and thanks DEGANZ members Vice President Steven Chow and ex-Vice President Gabriel Reid for their guidance and support throughout this process. He has also brought other DEGANZ members on board, with Guillame Arnoulet as 1AD and Kevin Luck as sound recordist.

It’s always great to see our members utilise the DEGANZ community and resources to their advantage. Best of luck to James and co. on the Boosted campaign!

You can support the project by donating to the Boosted here.

/by

‘Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD’ Takes Home the Gold

Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD, edited by Margot Francis (DEGANZ) and produced by Leanne Pooley (DEGANZ), made its mark at the International Oceanian Documentary Film Festival (FIFO) in Tahiti earlier this month. The feature documentary won the 1st Special Jury and the Youth Jury Awards, winning a total of 700,000 XPF (about NZ$10,000).

When commenting on this year’s Youth Jury Award, the jury said,

Dame Valérie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD was the [last film we saw] and it was the big slap. We had shivers when we left. The choice was not easy but in the end it was obvious because Valérie Adams is a source of inspiration, an example for us young people to follow. It motivates us to have a more positive outlook on the future obstacles that we will encounter in our lives.

Emotions were high when director Briar March received the award during the festival’s closing ceremony. She was moved by how much Valerie and the film touched the jury.

The award-winning documentary is also now available to watch online here.

Congratulations to Margot, Leanne, and the rest of the team!

/by

Journey Back in Time with Passengers

Documentary filmmaker Kim Webby (DEGANZ) explores untold stories through TVNZ’s new show Passengers.

The docuseries takes viewers back in time through the hardships and triumphs of some of Aotearoa’s earliest Anglo-Indian, Cook Island, Chinese, and Bohemian settlers.

Each episode uncovers the backstories of four immigrants, examining their lives before and after their arrival in Aotearoa. Descendants of the immigrants, who often undergo emotional journeys as the stories unfold, are an integral part of the show.

Passengers take’s its name from beginning each story with the passenger list from the boat that brought them to New Zealand.

Kim brings her own unique view to the stories in Passengers, being born in New Zealand and raised in te ao Pākeha and te ao Māori, with half Chinese whakapapa.

Congrats Kim on getting another great series to air!

You can watch episode 1 on TVNZ+ now.

/by

Dig Into Sik Fan Lah!

DEGANZ member Jack Woon wore many hats while making new TVNZ docuseries Sik Fan Lah! as writer, director, and editor.

The titular Cantonese phrase translates to “It’s time to eat!”, announcing not only that food is ready but that it’s time to come together to share a meal. The six-episode show celebrates Chinese cuisine and its strong link to how Chinese identity is formed in modern-day New Zealand. The show takes viewers up and down the country to share various dishes and stories that define much of Kiwi-Chinese culture and identity. The diversity of meals shared reflects the myriad histories, origins, and languages of the Pan-Asian community here in Aotearoa. The show celebrates these differences, highlighting that there is no one definition of Chinese food and identity.

In an interview with The Spinoff, Jack discussed the importance of authentically representing Asian experience in Aotearoa by balancing trauma and joy. He confides that it was a deliberate decision to create such a celebratory show to represent Chinese New Zealanders positively.

Congratulations, Jack and the team, on this labour of love!

Watch Sik Fan Lah! on TVNZ+ now.

/by

The Dinner Agreement Finds Success at LAFA

Congratulations to DEGANZ member Matthew Campbell Downes for his recent success at the first Los Angeles Film Awards (LAFA) of 2023! His short film The Dinner Agreement earned him the Best Director (Short) and Best Indie Short awards in the monthly run virtual festival.

The film sits with a falling-out-of-love couple who wishes to make it work for the sake of their children. Set at a cosy table for two on their first dinner date in a long time, the husband and wife negotiate the changes they’d like to see to save their rocky marriage.

Matthew has been a visual storyteller his entire life, starting as an illustrator and comic artist (fun fact: Matthew is the artist behind Karma Cola’s Lemmy Lemonade). His previous short film, The Dregs, also found success at LAFA, winning Best Indie Short in 2017. The film went on to feature in NZIFF’s Best Shorts the same year and FIFO Tahiti in 2018.

Matthew thanked DEGANZ for our contributions to the local industry, sharing that the workshops he has attended helped him foster and hone his craft.

We are excited to see where else Matthew and The Dinner Agreement go after these excellent results!

/by