Māoriland Film Festival Selects Multiple DEGANZ Talents

Multiple DEGANZ members’ projects are heading to Māoriland this year!

Jaimee Poipoi (DEGANZ) has two films selected for Te Ao Pohewa, a children’s programme that caters to dreams and playfulness. Her animated shorts, Star Sailors and Who Sneezed, both centre on Philly Whakaaro’s adventures with her friends. In Star Sailors, Philly and Agent Star Shine take on an early morning adventure when an alien lands in her backyard; in Who Sneezed, no idea is too big or small for Philly when she and Elephant debate the universe’s origins during a tea party.

The Brylcreem Boys, edited by DEGANZ board member Te Rurehe Paki, will screen in the Ka Wai Hono programme. This programme features stories of whakapapa, culture, love, and experience. The short follows Kara, who finds herself in the audience of her Uncle’s band from the 60s when he falls ill and realises that she’s been sent back to fulfil his wish to find out what happened to ‘the one that got away’.

Kainga will show as a featured film in the Memorial Hall on March 17. The anthology navigates the thorny terrains of home, diaspora, and community through the lens of eight female Pan-Asian stories set in a single house in Aotearoa. DEGANZ members Michelle Ang, Ghazaleh Golbakhsh, Julie Zhu, and Nahyeon Lee each directed one of the eight stories. Incubator alum Nahyeon, Ghazaleh, and Mia Maramara wrote for the project as well.

We are thrilled for more of our members’ mahi to be showcased and shared with more audiences.

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Red, White & Brass Trailer Marches Out

Sneak a peak into the highly anticipated feature Red, White, and Brass, co-edited by DEGANZ board member Ben Powdrell.

The feel-good comedy is based on a true story and celebrates Tongan people’s passion and enthusiasm for their sports teams. When superfan Maka is desperate to score tickets to the 2011 Tonga vs France Rugby World Cup, he promises to lead a brass band as the pre-game entertainment. But with the game only four weeks away and no band in sight, Maka and his community must band together to support and show up for their team and themselves.

Featuring a stellar cast of Tongan talent, the film radiates good vibes with infectious māfana energy.

The film was shot in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington, and will hit Aotearoa cinemas on Thursday 23 March before its international release.

Watch the trailer here.

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Rūrangi Returns with Pride

Queer series Rūrangi, directed by Max Currie (DEGANZ), is returning for a second season as Aotearoa celebrates Pride Month! The new season, titled Rūrangi: Rising Light, follows after a highly successful series debut and winning the 2022 International Emmy for best short-form series.

Not only is it New Zealand’s first transgender drama series, but the production also prides itself on having one of the most gender-diverse casts and crews in the industry. It uses the hashtag #byusandaboutus to highlight its authentic storytelling to encourage and enable better representation in front of the camera and behind the scenes. This season even involved fans from the trans community in the making of a set piece. Before production began last year, transgender fans were encouraged to send in photos of themselves or of things that spark joy to decorate a set wall celebrating trans joy.

The highly anticipated sequel season will continue to follow Caz after his return to his hometown but will also turn its focus to his friend Anahera’s story. The trailer offers peaks into what’s to come, underlining themes of love, loss, and LGBTQIA+ joy.

Congratulations to Max and the team! We can’t wait to tune in for the season premiere on 12 February on Sky and Prime TV.

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Writer/Directors and Mentors – Oh My!

DEGANZ members Mia Maramara (Incubator alum), Bala Murali Shingade, and Victoria Boult (Ngāi Tahu) are earning recognition as burgeoning writer/directors.

Mia, along with three others, has been selected for the 2023 Tāhuna Writers Retreat in Queenstown. During the month-long residency, Mia will take part in workshops on writing for international television markets. Throughout the program, she will develop a scripted drama series concept based and produced in the Queenstown Lakes. Participants will then pitch their concepts to a selection committee where Great Southern Television will have first right to option and commission a pilot script.

Meanwhile, Bala and Victoria have been accepted for Show Me Shorts’ Screenwriting Lab this year. This prestigious lab supports filmmakers in developing their short film ideas. Bala and Victoria will receive tailored insight from industry pros during the weekend lab, followed by a year of development mentoring. This year’s mentors include Shuchi Kothari and Nick Ward.

It is always great to see our members flourishing as filmmakers and gaining great opportunities for future projects. Congrats to all; we can’t wait to see what comes next!

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We Are Still Here Finally Hits NZ Cinemas

The highly anticipated We Are Still Here finally hits Aotearoa cinema screens on 2 February! The anthology feature includes DEGANZ members Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, and Chantelle Burgoyne on its team of 10 directors who worked together to bring eight unique Indigenous stories to life.

The film demonstrates that in order to move forward, we must first look back. Traversing 1,000 years through the eyes of indigenous protagonists from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, We Are Still Here depicts stories of kinship, grief, and resilience, and highlights the strength of love and hope to overcome the shared traumas South Pacific Indigenous people continue to face. The film seeks to remind viewers that despite colonialism, racism, imperialism, and the attempted erasure of lives and culture, Indigenous people are still here.

The theatrical release follows the film’s festival rounds, big win of the Dramatic Feature Award at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, and countless rave reviews throughout 2022.

Catch We Are Still Here in cinemas near you!

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