Alison Maclean
Alison Maclean has brought an original vision to screen, whether it be in personal, expressionistic films: the Kiwi gothic duo of Kitchen Sink and her first feature, Crush, acclaimed junkie redemption song Jesus' Son, and her adaptation of Eleanor Catton novel The Rehearsal — or in high profile television series like Sex in the City and The Tudors.
Mike Hopkins
Sound designer Mike Hopkins worked on more than 20 feature films. Along the way he won wide respect for his craft and the humble dedication he applied to it. He won awards for his work on Kiwi classics Illustrious Energy, Crush and Heavenly Creatures, and Oscars for his sound editing on King Kong and the second Lord of the Rings movie. Hopkins died in a rafting accident on 30 December 2012.
John Gilbert
John Gilbert has edited images of hobbits, disabled lovers, and heroic conscientious objectors. Along the way he has done time at TVNZ, edited over 20 feature films, and cut a clutch of classic short films. In 2017 Gilbert won his first Academy Award — for Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge — after having been previously nominated for The Fellowship of the Ring.
Trevor Haysom
Producer Trevor Haysom has worked on projects ranging from ballroom dancing to bro'Town; a four decade screen career has seen Haysom notably produce for emerging filmmakers, including Gregor Nicholas (Rushes, Hey Paris) and the late Brad McGann (In My Father's Den, Possum). Haysom formed company T.H.E Film in 1991, and took away the inaugural SPADA Independent Producer of the Year Award in 2004.
Anne Kennedy
Novelist and poet Anne Kennedy co-wrote two of the most acclaimed episodes of 1980s anthology series About Face: Danny and Raewyn, and Jewel's Darl. Jewel was based on Kennedy's first published short story, which won the Katherine Mansfield Award in 1983. She followed it by co-writing Alison Maclean's first feature Crush. Later Kennedy's script for detective tale The Monkey's Mask was nominated for two Australian awards.
Christine Jeffs
Christine Jeffs made her name as one of New Zealand's foremost commercial directors. After winning attention with no dialogue short Stroke (1994), she made her feature film debut with coming of age tale Rain, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight in 2001. Jeffs went on to direct Sylvia, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow as poet Sylvia Plath, and American indie title Sunshine Cleaning.
Ross Chambers
Sydney-born Ross Chambers spent much of his career in New Zealand, honing sound and pictures for a variety of movies, plus the occasional television show. Along the way he edited Geoff Murphy's first feature Wild Man and worked as a sound editor on Kiwi classics Utu and Vigil.
Donogh Rees
Donogh Rees began her long theatre and screen career after graduating from Auckland’s Theatre Corporate. Fresh from 1982’s Pheno was Here, the first of many shorts, Rees stole the screen as the image-obsessed Constance, for director Bruce Morrison. Since an award-winning turn as the injured writer in Alison MacLean’s Crush, her roles include three years on the nursing staff of Shortland Street, and Marilyn Waring in Fallout.
Bridget Ikin
Producer Bridget Ikin has made a habit of championing Antipodean women filmmakers with original visions, from Alison Maclean (Kitchen Sink) to Jane Campion (An Angel at My Table) and Australian Sarah Watt (Look Both Ways). Since leaving New Zealand in the early 1990s, Ikin has been influential in Australian television and film, including programming public broadcasting network SBS.
Ngila Dickson
Ngila Dickson, ONZM, has designed costumes for vampires, university professors, fertility cults, and wizards in pointy hats. And that's only counting the work she has done for Kiwi filmmakers. Since sharing an Academy Award and a BAFTA for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dickson has contributed her costume prowess to movies in Japan, Germany, South Africa and Los Angeles.