Curtis Vowell

Curtis Vowell began acting in short films while studying at Wellington drama school Toi Whakaari. In 2014 he made his big screen directing debut with Fantail, which was written by his partner Sophie Henderson. Henderson starred as a young petrol station worker who identifies as Māori; the film was acclaimed as "funny and dark and sad" by The Listener, and Vowell was nominated as Best Director at the 2013 New Zealand Film Awards. Vowell and Henderson have followed it with two more features: Rose Matafeo pregnancy tale Baby Done, and semi-autobiographical theatre romance Workmates.  

A fascinating and brave film anchored by Sophie Henderson’s Kidman-esque performance ... Curtis Vowell’s direction lends a refreshing lightness to a story that both embraces and critiques New Zealand culture, and what that term actually means. Sam Brooks, in a review of Fantail on website Lumière, August 2013