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MatasilaFreshwater

  • Director
  • Writer
  • Animator
Matasila_Freshwater_Thumbnail.KEY.jpg

Matasila Freshwater is a Wellington director with a background in animation, anthropology and design. She cut her creative teeth on a run of 48 Hour filmmaking competitions (including 2017 Best Animation winner The Real Rare Arctic Firefly). Her award-winning short Shmeat – the tale of a mad scientist who devises a new food source – was chosen for the 'New Zealand’s Best' section of the 2016 NZ International Film Festival. In 2019 Freshwater was one of eight directors on Vai, a Pacific Island follow-up to feature Waru. That same year, she won New Filmmaker of the Year at the 2019 SPADA Screen Industry Awards. 

Screenography

2023 Development Co-Producer, Script and Story Consultant Television
Conspira-Series
2022 Executive Producer Series
2021 Director, Writer (episode 4) Web
Yap Trap
2020 - 2025 Writer Series
2019 Director, Writer (Solomon Islands - fishing story) Film

Awards

2020 NZ Web Fest
Nominated for Best Animated Show: for Into the Pickle Jar

2019 SPADA Screen Industry Awards (Screen Production and Development Association, New Zealand)
New Filmmaker of the Year 

“Excellent production values encompassing a timely global story. Very Tim Burton-esque, but thoroughly entertaining and humorous.”

Judge Lee Tamahori, explaining the selection of short film Shmeat for the 'New Zealand’s Best' section of the 2016 NZ International Film Festival